How to Fix the Rear Convertible Window., Removing the vert back seats! Options

[njccmd2002]

First of all this is a tough job.... Read all two times before you attempt this and post for extra questions

If you are lloking for something easy, this is not easy I repeat.. x2.

The first step is to remove the back seats. here is a basic layout.



The lower seats, comes off easy, all you have to do is lift, and will snap off its position.

To remove the Upper seat, you have to remove 4 push pins located on the top side back part of the seat, the part where the velcro is for the boot.



after you haver carefully removed, lift the vynil cover to expose 4 retaining bolts. You will need to use a 13mm socket to remove.



and here is the vert rear strut bar. OEM



To remove the side plastics.
First remove the door sills.
Then remove two screws at the bottom of the speakers.
then remove two screws at the top. One is under the seat belt and the other is the button of the boot.
Optional is to remove the seat belt from the floor panel. This is to move away the interior plastic trim.
the last thing to remove the plastic trim is two push pins located on the rear, they are hidden and a PITA to put back in.



There is one last push pin on the top You can see it here...



and this is what you get to see, your own car guts... i did not disconnect the seat belt. i just made space by pulling it ..

Then remove the exterior weather strip by removing 4-5 screws. dont drop them!



ok, so what now. If you look at the picture above.. you barely see the convertible motor. (Sorry as my collection of pics got lost). But there are approx 3 screws that hold the window track and 4 that hold the window motor to the chassis. They are underneath somewhere.

To get to it, you have to remove the speaker plate, the plate that sits on top of the vert top motor and the plate on the bottom that holds the two screws to retain the plastic trim. they all use 10 mm bolts. Here is an exploded overview of the system...



Once you get to view the track screws and motor screws, you have to take the whole system out, but before please do the following!!!!

IMPORTANT: bag all screws by location and label bags. You dont want to be guessing afterwards. Take pictures and measurements of the 3 track screws, the distance in mm of how much they are sticking out the nut. As they have to be regulated to the same measurements.

The track bots consist of a Long Screw with nut, that are not attached together, they allow to regulate the track.

Pics are better to remember. Take notes of the distance between the edges ot the chassis of the car to the window inside and out. The two top screws are easy, the bottom one, I just took a pic before and compared it with another pic after instalation.

A BAD REGULATED REAR WINDOW WILL NOT SEAT WITH THE FRONT WINDOW AND WHEN CLOSING THE TOP IT CAN BREAK. So its very important you pay attention, measure and take pics to avoid damage.

There is no easy way to do this, if your car is tinted, well, forget about it. This is Real 100% PITA. I pulled it all out at the same time. removed all screws, and brought the whole system out.

Another way of doing this: you can disconect the lever from the motor to the window assembly first. Raise the window halfway being a very tight space with a 10 mm IIRC socket disconect the bolt. Watch out for all the parts, as it has washers, springs, etc, dont loose them. (thats why i pulled all at the same time). Dont trust your memory, take pics

Then you have to remove the bolts on the track that are called stoppers. These are the wants that prevent the window to keep going up, there are two. That way you be able to pull the window out with the assembly out, by sliding it.

Then you unbolt (x3) and pull the track second and unbolt (x 4) and pull the motor out last. always measure your distances distance. (to get an idea how to regulate afterwards)

This is your culprit.. priced between 45 and 65 dls at local dealer. The broken bushing. No its not sold separetely. on the picture you can see the arm lever of the motor still attached.



this is your track system, make sure you regrease it properly afterwards....



So another party pooper I ran with was, once i had my plate assemly, how the heck to remove the glass from the old plate, it is held by some weird azz screws, i tried pliers first, no help....

With a dremel tool I created my own weird looking socket tool with pins. You can see i shaved off the sides leaving some pin on the socket. On the side is the aforementioned nasty bolt. It took me hours to figure this one out!



I unbolted the window, then bolted it on the new plate. I do not have torque specs, this is not on the Chilton Manual, so tighten enough, and not to much to break the glass.

Next is putting all back together. Please get alcohol, neobacin, and bandaids.

This part is 900% PITA and RBH ( rear bu.. H...)

Here is what i did.

Bolted the motor first. (x 4 Bolts)
Bolted the Track second (x 3 bolts) If you measured, it was easy to put it back in place.
and regulate temporarily

Slide the window plate, carefully. Then have somebody playing with the motor switch, adjusting the arm lever to bring it halfway up. Tighten the arm lever.

This is very difficult, youll get cuts, and scrapes. Some parts will fall inside the chassis. So better have a long stick with magnet tip.

Believe me, its doable, if its too low then adjust the motor lever higher, or lower. Have a friend play with the switch.

After this, replace the stoppers. The best way to adjust the window, is with the top down, and the doors closed, make sure the gap is uniform (window to window), that it slides with no problem and it is not pointing outwards or inwards. (always compare with the opposite windows. remeasure all the gaps and bolts to make sure you have adjusted correctly.

To avoid this damage in the future, ALwAYS LOWER YOUR WINDOWS WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO CLOSE THE TOP. Closing the top with the windows up, weakens these plastic bushings.....

Enjoy, and feel free to sticky. As soon as i find my other pics I will edit to make it more understandable.

This post has been edited by njccmd2002: Jul 7, 2011 - 7:19 PM

[palooke]

nicely done. Please sticky this!

[JonMarkos]

When I had to replace that plate on mine because of a broken bushing I took the new plate and the old window/plate to an auto glass shop and they switched the new plate for the old one for free.

This post has been edited by JonMarkos: Apr 26, 2008 - 2:33 PM

[shaunrichard]

Are you certain you have to remove the upper seat? When I repaired my top motors (thanks to another thread on 6gc.net) I was able to remove the panels and gain access to the motors without that step. Same when I replaced my speakers. Of course, I have not yet even looked at my window problem, so I don't know if it needs a greater amount of access than leaving the upper seat would afford. But it seems to me that that step is just one PITA procedure among many that might be able to be eliminated. $.02 submitted.

This post has been edited by shaunrichard: Apr 26, 2008 - 6:49 PM

[njccmd2002]

In my vert, the lower screws are hidden by the lower seat. The push pins are hidden by the upper seat.

I did not want to run the risk of damaging 10 year old seats, IDK, maybe, but then again, the less stuff to bother, the better it was for me, i have seen grease stains that dont come out.

But thanks again for the input. And if anybody found an easier way to change the windows. Please post the experience.

[shaunrichard]

Good point. I have also found that there are more than a few places where I am missing a screw, clip, or fastener as I've pulled stuff out, so I guess I was able to move the panels without having to get to an obscured screw or pin. And just to be on the up and up here, I'm certainly not trying to question anyone's expertise. I just wondered if it was really necessary to do that, and I guess the answer is that it depends on your individual set-up.

Either way, let me be clear that I do appreciate those of you that take the time (especially after a difficult and/or lengthy repair) to post the how-tos from your experience. Further, I hope that my question did not offend. Despite my best attempts, I sometimes fail in not being boorish.

[FlyingBoat]

Ouch, this looks and sounds difficult!

Both my rear windows go up too far and go off track, and also don't allign right with the front windows, leaving gaps.

I suppose this bushing is the issue?

The passenger side also is real hard to get it to go up. It goes down the first click, but I need to keep pushing the switch and after about a hundred tries it will go up. Someone had checked this by switching the connections to the other drivers side switch and the passenger side did the same thing, so they are saying it is not the switch and must be the motor. When it does go up, it goes up fine, so it doesn't appear to be the motor to me.

[shaunrichard]

The passenger side also is real hard to get it to go up. It goes down the first click, but I need to keep pushing the switch and after about a hundred tries it will go up. Someone had checked this by switching the connections to the other drivers side switch and the passenger side did the same thing, so they are saying it is not the switch and must be the motor. When it does go up, it goes up fine, so it doesn't appear to be the motor to me.

This sounds like a relay problem. I have not had this kind of trouble with my Celica, but it is exactly the same problem I had with my 4Runner rear window. Replaced the relay and it worked like a charm from then on.

This post has been edited by shaunrichard: May 16, 2008 - 4:57 PM

[shaunrichard]

Hey Doc,

In this diagram I notice that the retainer (#2) is listed on its own. Also, while looking at my window, I see that the retainer is missing from the bottom, but the post that it sets on is intact. In your experience, does it appear that there is a way to simply replace this retainer and is it a matter of snapping it into place on the post? Tell me it can't be that easy. Thanks.

[njccmd2002]

first of all Doc?

well there are three things that happen witht the rear windows.
1. Relays
2. Motor
3. Tracks (bushings)

3. Is easy to diagnose, the bushing is broken, and the windows is wobbly. No other way but to replace the assembly. It can also run out of its track, wich means the same thing, its about to give.
If its misaligned, you have to see if the stopers are not bent or missing. Difficult to picture wihtout a pic, sorry.

2. If you take the window assembly and just connect the motor, its easy, the motor works, then its fine. Clean the tracks and bushings and regrease all.

1. If all else is correct, then it must be relay.

Remember the tracks suffer abuse from weather, the water sips there, thats just the biggest prob with verts.

Now to the other question. the number 2 thingy you see on the diagram, is not the plastic thing that runs in the track, that is a special flat nut that secures the window assembly to the window glass.

is this nut, PITA piece



If you call the dealer, those plastic bushings do not exist, there is no part #.

I am now starting to have problems with my rear right window, running out of alignment and clanking when it goes up.

after ten years, it will give up.

Keep telling everybody, CLOSE THE TOP FIRST, THEN ROLL UP THE WINDOWS. but eventually they all give up/

This post has been edited by njccmd2002: Jul 7, 2011 - 7:20 PM

[shaunrichard]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry. I read too much into the "md" at the end of your name. Also, didn't you have one of the medical icons as your avatar at one time? Just goes to show what happens when you assume.

At any rate, I see what you're talking about now as far as the diagram. We're looking at the exterior side of the assembly where it attaches to the glass, not the interior where the bushings are. My bad. So I guess I do need that whole assembly after all. Is there any trouble in getting one of those? Any recommended supplier?

Thanks again.

[njccmd2002]

Any recommended supplier?

Thanks again.

www.firsttoyotaparts.com
www.lowetoyotaparts.com

they have 20 % over invoice online.... 45 bucks. dealer is 65...

[6gsillyca]

Somewhat offtopic, but after the rear seats are out, how accessable is the trunk? IE for running amp wires.

[vile_v]

this is an awesome write up, im going to try this when the weather gets better. thanks alot! last time i tried this on my own i ended up having 3 long cuts on the inside of my arm (near the bi-cep) trying to get the bolts i dropped down.

tip: a long magnetic stick IS VERY HELPFUL
GET BANDAGES AND LOTS OF CLEANING ALCOHOL!!! some drinking alcohol couldn't hurt either ahahha

[njccmd2002]

Somewhat offtopic, but after the rear seats are out, how accessable is the trunk? IE for running amp wires.

easy, just a 12mm plastic separating.

I drilled it. you can actually click my signature link and see my other post..

this is an awesome write up, im going to try this when the weather gets better. thanks alot! last time i tried this on my own i ended up having 3 long cuts on the inside of my arm (near the bi-cep) trying to get the bolts i dropped down.

tip: a long magnetic stick IS VERY HELPFUL
GET BANDAGES AND LOTS OF CLEANING ALCOHOL!!! some drinking alcohol couldn't hurt either ahahha

you will also need your dog to be around

This post has been edited by njccmd2002: May 17, 2008 - 8:07 AM

[6gsillyca]

Just drill through this? I checked your other thread, but I didn't see anything that dealt with going into the trunk yet.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh102/n...ow/IMG_3028.jpg

[njccmd2002]

Just drill through this? I checked your other thread, but I didn't see anything that dealt with going into the trunk yet.

no, here. If you push the wire it comes directly underneath here It will be easier to see if you have the top up...



This post has been edited by njccmd2002: Jul 7, 2011 - 7:21 PM

[FlyingBoat]

Thanks 'shaunrichard',

Where is the relay, back by the window or up by the switch?

I think I am going to order up the the parts to fix the wobbly out of wack windows and get a relay as well.

[njccmd2002]

i think the relay is under the left rear speaker, although somebody else needs to confirm.

[D-Man]

Please get alcohol, neobacin, and bandaids.

This part is 900% PITA and RBH ( rear bu.. H...)

x5, it's like sticking your hand into a blender

At any rate, I see what you're talking about now as far as the diagram. We're looking at the exterior side of the assembly where it attaches to the glass, not the interior where the bushings are. My bad. So I guess I do need that whole assembly after all. Is there any trouble in getting one of those? Any recommended supplier?

Yes you do have to replace the whole glass bracket. (i'd know ) You can find it at your local junk-yard (if your lucky) otherwise toyotapartscenter.net or a dealership.