Auto Glass: power window off track, interior door panel, toyota camry

Question
QUESTION: I have a 1998 Toyota Camry - driver's side door window is out of its track and will not go all the way up (stops about 1/3 way up) - goes down OK - I can see (I think) that the front of the window, when it is down, is not in the track and when it comes up it binds outside of track.  I took interior door panel off but cannot get to track or window area.  How can this be accessed to put it back in track?
Thanks,
Tony

ANSWER: Hello Tony,

Below is a brief series of steps that should help solve the problem. For someone with experience working on power windows, these steps are pretty simple, but it make take you a few "tries" until you get the hang of it.  Don't be too impatient if it takes a while.

I suggest you buy an inexpensive can of spray silicone (don't use any other type of lubricant) to spray the "tracks" (run channels) before you attempt to realign the glass.

Here are my suggestions:

Lower the window until you can see the two 10 mm bolts that go through the horizontal "lift channel" of the regulator into the two plastic glass mounting brackets that are glued to the bottom of the glass.  

Remove these two bolts and lift the glass off the regulator.  

Slide the glass up about half way, then tilt the front edge down at an angle until you can put the front edge of the glass into the front "track" (run channel).  

When you have the front edge of the glass in the front run channel, slowly level the glass keeping both the back and front edges of the glass in their respective "tracks." (run channels)  

Once you have the glass level again, you should be able to slide it up and down freely.  Lower the glass back down until you can align the plastic glass mounting brackets on the bottom edge of the glass with the holes in the regulator lift channel.

Reinstall the bolts you took out.

One more thought.

The front "track" (run channel) may be pinched closed about half way up.  This often happens when the side view mirror is struck by the edge of the garage door frame for example.  If the channel is pinched closed, you will need to work on re-opening it or the window will come out of the run channel again when you try to raise it.

Hope this helps.  Let me know if you have any other questions.

Ben  ... the power window guy





---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ben - thanks very much for the quick reply.  Only question still remaining is how do I get to the regulator lift bracket bolts?  There are no openings in the stell door except for one that I can barely fit me hand into at the front of the window.  Are these bolts accessed at the bottom of the door or near the top or where?  As for the pimched trackj - I do not think that was the problem - I was able to "push" the window back in the treack from the hole near the front and get it all the way up, but it still is hesitating so I figure I will need to do what you describe.

Thanks again - great service!
Tony

Answer
Hi Tony,

Glad you were able to get your window up.

You mention "hesitating."  I am starting to think that you have a motor problem.

The typical situation on this vintage of Camry with a failing motor goes as follows.  You can expect the window to go down almost normally.  However, when you try to roll it up, it goes up about half way and then stops.  If you wait about ten minutes and then press the switch to roll it up again, the window will go up another portion of the distance and then stop.  Then if you wait another ten minutes and try again it will probably go all the way up without stopping.

If this is what you are experiencing, you need a new motor.  You do not have a "track" problem.

Please get back to me with more information.

Ben  ... the power window guy.