Nissan Primera P11 driver window regulator fixed.

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   Same day as my rear bumper got banged into, my driver's window made a strange crunching noise going up/down.  The next day the window collapsed when I shut the door, and when trying to get it to go up the motor whined but no window was to be seen.  Looking down into the door , I could see the glass and a load of bare cable (like a pushbike brake cable inner).  Looking into Haynes it seems this is called the window regulator (daft name).

New non-Nissan regulators can be had for about £80, Nissan ones about £280 going by someone's post, but I had no idea if the cheaper ones were any good so I decided to have a go at fixing mine.  

The Haynes manual turned out to be very good for getting the door trim off and the regulator out, that took less than an hour.  The problem appeared to be that a white plastic cable guide had come off the bottom of the approx 18" long metal central window runner.  After that had happened the cable had come loose and completely got entangled in between the motor and the grooved pulley that the cable runs several turns round.  It's actually 2 cables I later found out.

I took the motor off the mounting plate (3 Torx T30 screws) to get the cables out, wound them around again but neatly, it's about 2 turns from each cable nipple end, so 4 turns total.  The tricky bit is to keep this from flying off while getting the motor back on the plate.  The 2 cables then run in a loop coming in at opposite ends of the large metal/plastic plate that the window sits on.  It's a strain pulling the cable tight enough to get everything hooked up but it can be done - it may be easier if someone else can pre-tension the cable for you while you do the fiddly bits.  Lubricate all the moving parts, there's probably enough white grease around to re-use more appropriately where it's needed.

It's all worked fine now for umpteen window up/downs with no funny noises.

Looking at the minor damage to the white plastic cable guide, I doubt this was the reason for the failure as it still clipped on securely.  I reckon the window was so mucky down below the horizontal door seals (at the bottom of the visible window), I mean really mucky like a thick crust (I cleaned it off), I think the window got stuck and the motor force pulled the clip out, then the slack let the cable get tangled.

Hope this helps anyone who suffers the 'disappearing window' problem.

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
SteveB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List NPOC Guest Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Location: Kent Online Status: Points: 1117	Post Options Post Reply Quote SteveB Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Nissan Primera P11 driver window regulator fixed. Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 5:02pm
	Same day as my rear bumper got banged into, my driver's window made a strange crunching noise going up/down. The next day the window collapsed when I shut the door, and when trying to get it to go up the motor whined but no window was to be seen. Looking down into the door , I could see the glass and a load of bare cable (like a pushbike brake cable inner). Looking into Haynes it seems this is called the window regulator (daft name). New non-Nissan regulators can be had for about £80, Nissan ones about £280 going by someone's post, but I had no idea if the cheaper ones were any good so I decided to have a go at fixing mine. The Haynes manual turned out to be very good for getting the door trim off and the regulator out, that took less than an hour. The problem appeared to be that a white plastic cable guide had come off the bottom of the approx 18" long metal central window runner. After that had happened the cable had come loose and completely got entangled in between the motor and the grooved pulley that the cable runs several turns round. It's actually 2 cables I later found out. I took the motor off the mounting plate (3 Torx T30 screws) to get the cables out, wound them around again but neatly, it's about 2 turns from each cable nipple end, so 4 turns total. The tricky bit is to keep this from flying off while getting the motor back on the plate. The 2 cables then run in a loop coming in at opposite ends of the large metal/plastic plate that the window sits on. It's a strain pulling the cable tight enough to get everything hooked up but it can be done - it may be easier if someone else can pre-tension the cable for you while you do the fiddly bits. Lubricate all the moving parts, there's probably enough white grease around to re-use more appropriately where it's needed. It's all worked fine now for umpteen window up/downs with no funny noises. Looking at the minor damage to the white plastic cable guide, I doubt this was the reason for the failure as it still clipped on securely. I reckon the window was so mucky down below the horizontal door seals (at the bottom of the visible window), I mean really mucky like a thick crust (I cleaned it off), I think the window got stuck and the motor force pulled the clip out, then the slack let the cable get tangled. Hope this helps anyone who suffers the 'disappearing window' problem.
	1997 2.0 SLX P11