DIY: B6 A4 Window Regulator & Motor Replacement

[Stockton]

I used another DIY from another board but found some errors in it.

This was done on my 2004 A4 1.8t Quattro 6spd manual just to be precise.

I replaced the Front Driver's Side(left) Window Regulator which I purchased from http://www.genuinevwaudiparts.com/pa...?siteid=214407
Part number: 8E0837461C

This is a DIY on how you to replace it with a new one, if you need to replace the window motor you can use this, it's actually a lot easier and less steps.

Lets begin with the tools you will need.

1 Philips head screwdriver
1 Flat head screwdriver for prying, I put tape on mine to help prevent scratching.
1 Ratchet wrench. I used a nice long extension piece too. You don't need the ratchet the whole time. You only need it to break the seal of the screws or the last half turn when tightening. The extension works nice to keep from banging into things with the handle your hand and is nice to use without the ratchet like a screwdriver.
1 #25 Torx bit.
1 #30 Torx bit.
1 #45 Torx bit.
A pair of needle nose pliers will come in handy as well.




Having a stool or something will save your back and knees too.

Now lets take this door apart.

First, roll down the window all the way down.

If you're window reg is really jammed up try to help it down with your hand. It doesn't have to go back up till you replace it with the new one, if you're doing the motor it doesn't matter if it's up or down.

Now we're going to take the trim off the door and the small cap behind the handle.

There is one Philips head screw at bottom center of the door as well.


The screw at the bottom is pretty long and can be a pain, be patient with it and don't strip out the head.

As far as removing the upper trim, I used my fingers, I started in the middle near the door handle and worked my way to the door hinge. All of the clips pull straight out, except the on at the end of the trim closest to the open part of the door, that clip should be done last and pull the trim towards the door hinge.

Here is the back of the trim piece.


Here is what 5 normal clips look like.


Here is the one clip closest to the open part of th door, as you can see it can't be pulled straight out.


The cap under the handle just use a flat head from the underside and it will pop right off.

Now with the trim and cap off you have 4 Philips head brass colored screws exposed and 2 of the same screws behind where the cap was. Remove them. This is where a needle nose or magnetic screwdriver will help with the 2 behind the cap.


Now with those 6 screws and the 1 at the bottom center removed the door interior is ready to pull off. Start at the bottom and gentle pull to get the clips behind to come loose. The door interior will stay attached by the top. You will have to lift it to get it completely separated from the door but it won't just drop off until you lift it off.

The door is going to be attached from behind by the door handle mechanism and 2 wires at the bottom near the speaker so don't just yank it off expecting it to be free from the door completely yet.

Once lifted away from the door detach the door mechanism and wire clips, one on the speaker, one on the window motor. The one on the window motor has a purple clip that you can just press down with a flat head, it will swing down and back releasing the connection.



Now lay the door interior somewhere safe it won't get scratched.


The inner door is now exposed somewhat.

Now get our your #25 Torx.

I like to take all the #25's off now you can so you're not switching back and forth with different bits.

Now unclip the other other connection on the speaker and the other 3 connections on the Window Motor.

There are 3 black #25 Torx screws around the speaker and 3 silver #25 Torx on the Window Motor. There is also a clip holding a wire on top of the speaker that needs to be removed. I found it easier to undo the tape holding the wire to the clip then pulling the clip itself.

When you remove the screws from both parts, neither part will fall off. The Window Motor will need to be pulled off and if that is all you are replacing, do so, and reverse the steps from here and you are done.

The speaker has a small platic hanger at the top center, after the screws are out it will need to be lifted and pulled off to come free.


Now with window motor and speaker removed, time to remove the glued on sound deadening material. Just start at a corner and slowly, gently work it along the glue lines try not to rip and destroy it. It helps if it's warm when you're doing this, you can use a hair drier to help warm it up if needed. If you do it right all the glue will come off with the deadening material and not stay on the door.

When it's off lay it somewhere safe glue side up.

Check to make sure this clip is still intact and in the correct position.


Now there are still 2 more #25 Torx screws to remove now.

One is in the speaker well where you just removed the speaker. It's a black screw at the bottom of the old Window Regulator. The other is to the left of it about same height and is now uncovered with the sound deadening removed. Remove both screws.



Now you are done with Torx #25 screws till the re-assemble.

Now you have to remove the power mirror wire from the clips on the inside lower part of the door so it can come out freely when you pull the door apart.

This is the Brown wiring harness that you disconnected from the Window Motor. Pull the big rubber plug out of the door that all the wires are coming through and disconnect the plastic wire tie holding them all togther. Needle nose will help.


Now there are 3 clips holding this wire on the INSIDE of the door you have disconnect. One is black and you can release the clip easily. The other two are white and you can reach them from inside the speaker well.

Here is the black one you can release easily.


Here is a pic inside the speaker well, you can see the lower white clip, the second is higher and approximated.


It's up to you to pull out those white clips or just undo the tape. I pulled the lower and undid the tape on the higher one.

Now with that wire loose, pull it through and let it hang out of the speaker well.


Now we're going to pull the remaining plastic pieces near the mirror. They're just clipped in, I started at the bottom with a flat head till I could get my fingers under it and just worked my way up for the big piece, it has 3 clips holding it. I started from the side with the small piece it has one clip and wedges into to the bottom.


Now we're ready to take some more screws out.

Now we're gunna take the one and only #30 Torx screw out that was behind that plastic you just removed by the side mirror. It is the lower black one. Do not remove the upper silver screw.


Ok now on to the last 4 screws and they are all #45 Torx 2 silver 2 black. 3 of them are right there on the door easy to spot, one is on the open edge of the door hidden behind a rubber cap.

Lets take the one out behind the cap first.

Remove the rubber cap and remove the screw. Don't worry about dropping it inside the door. There is no where for it to drop to. It will just stay there. A magnetic bit or needle nose and a long extension will really help here.
Cap


Screw


This is the angle you're gunna be at unscrewing it and replacing it, extension of some length is a must.



Now with that out, lets take out the other #45 Torx screws that are easy to get to. 1 black screw and 2 silvers left.



Now all the scewes are out. Time to remove the weather stripping around the top part of the door ONLY!

Be careful with this. I ripped mine a little but some glue fixed it. Pull from behind the stripping, not underneath.

I started from hinged part.


Do not remove it past those lines.

Get your fingers behind the rubber from the top of the door and work your way around slowly.

When you're done it will look like this.


Now on the open part of the door there is one rubber cap to remove.

You want to get the 2 clips behind it to come out of the lower half of the door but stay attached to the upper half.


Now the last step before separating the door. Just squeeze the blue plastic stems of the Window Regulator where the Window Motor was attached and push them into the door.



Now you're ready to live the top half off the door off. The whole window assembly will life out. The top frame, Window Regulator and Glass. Have somewhere close by, clean and safe to lay this down.

You're going to be laying it down mirror side up.

When lifting remember the glass and Window Regulator are slightly curved so it won't lift straight up, just get a good grip and lift slowly and don't force it, let it come out how it wants to.

REMEMBER THE POWER MIRROR WIRE. That has to come up with the mirror so make sure it's not caught anywhere.

When you get it separated you have this.



Remember when I said you were done with the #25 Torx bit? Well I lied, get it back out. 4 more to go.

Ok now you're gunna take the 2 #25 Torx out of the bottom of the Window Regulator but leaving the plastic tabs on the actual glass.


Pull the window out to get this.


Now lay the new Window Regulator out next the old one that's still attached to make sure you have it all ready to go on the correct way.


Now remove the 2 #25 Torx screws at the top of the old Window Regulator.



Alright, now just put the new one into place and put the top 2 screws in.

Then slide the window into the frame and line up the bottom tabs. This is the most annoying part, getting the window in. It's easy with someone to give a helping hand which I didn't have but with a little patients it'll go in and line up.

Now screw the 2 lower #25 torx screws in to attach the window to the Regulator.

From here just reverse the steps.

I like to get the window in attach the 2 #25 torx screws at the bottom of the Window Regulator first and get the blue stems popped through that the Window Motor will screw into.

REMEMBER WHAT SCREWS GO ON UNDER THE SOUND DEADENING. The Window Motor goes on after the deadening material.

Hope all worked out for you.

[skoo74]

BEST THREAD EVER!

Ordered the window regulator.... used this DIY... replaced the regulator myself AND SAVED MORE THAN A FEW BUCKS!

Thanks mangzz!!

[B6480Avant]

what were the symptoms of the regulator going out?

my window has been acting weird lately it wont go down when i push it 25% of the time and when its 1/2 way down and i push it down it will go up !! it seems to be getting worse great write up

[skoo74]

For me, clunking noises, window won't roll up, might not roll down.

[onceover]

Whered you guys buy them? the dealership?

Mine just broke and i spent the whole day trying to fix it.

Found this thread and i guess ill have to replace it

[onceover]

Thanks old guy.

I noticed the part number from the first link and the one at the top of the thread dont match. I wish there were pictures..

[Elliott]

Great thread. Thanks for the contribution. This is what AZ is all about.

[old guy]

Thanks old guy.

I noticed the part number from the first link and the one at the top of the thread dont match. I wish there were pictures..

Look again. I just checked and they match?? Be sure to check left front. It's the right front that is highlighted in the link.

[Stockton]

Wow didn't know anyone actually ever read this. Glad it helped out.

Part numbers are:
Front Driver's side(left): 8E0837461C
Front Passenger's side(right): 8E037462C
Rear Driver's Side(left): 8D0839461
Rear Passenger's Side (right): 8D0839462

[ILikeBigBrakes]

Hey what was the amount of time this was taking those who have done it? I want to get it done before fixxfest but need to make sure I have enough time. My skill level is not rookie but not pro I can do basic stuff on my own with no problem.

[mark222]

Great tutorial. Many thanks. I would never have worked that out by myself. Completed the job in about 3 hours though I was struggling for tools.

[Stockton]

Hey what was the amount of time this was taking those who have done it? I want to get it done before fixxfest but need to make sure I have enough time. My skill level is not rookie but not pro I can do basic stuff on my own with no problem.

First time I did it and had never done one or seen one done it took me about an hour and a half.

When I first did it though I got it all apart then I realize I ordered the wrong window regulator so I put it all back together so my window would stay up.

When the correct part came in it took me about an hour because I was stopping to take all those picture for the tutorial and it was also fresh in my head so I just knew what to do.

About 2 weeks later my passanger side regulator went but I had the regulator from the miss-order luckily.

Probably about 45 minutes to do it again using my own tutorial just as a refresher.

After you do it once you'll see how easy it is and just breeze through it. It's good to take your time the first time though but I would say it shouldn't take more then 2 hrs if you're really taking your time.

[razordog]

Great DIY, just finished regulator and window replacement using this.

Couple points to add:
Buy a dozen door clips before you start. It uses 6, some(all) may break but you'll be covered and there is nothing worse than waiting to get a hold these from the dealer/online store.

When you take off the plastic pieces really take a look at the piece and the DIY article (text and pictures). Just because a trim piece comes off easy doesn't mean it will just pop back on. Check before reinstalling to make sure you know the location of the clip or connection point and how it attaches. With the inner mirror plastic trim piece I was in a hurry and damaged 2 of the 3 clips so now I'll have to come back and replace it.

Make sure you have the door panel fully seated before you start pushing on the panel to attach the door clips. Again I was in a hurry, didn't have the door panel all the way down on the edge closest to the lock/handle and I suspect this led to breaking one of the door clip mounts.

I was originally just replacing the glass then had to do the window regulator as well. On the final assembly I positioned the door panel next to the door, connected the electrical connection and tested/verified the window worked correctly. Then I moved on to do the final door panel install.

Good luck.

[jhern038]

Great Post, helped out a lot. thanks sooooo much

[billythekid]

What an awesome post! Thanks for the extreme level of detail. The hints really helped us complete the replacement without breaking any of the delicate parts on the inside of the door or wasting time removing unnecessary pieces.

[downhillracer]

nice DIY!

[elmexican]

Just finished my passenger side window regulator replacement. This post was EXTREMELY helpful. I paid the dealership $400 to replace my driver side. I wish I would have found it sooner! Still saved myself another 4 bills. Thanks!!!!

[DoThisMyWay]

Friggin' window regulators! Just used this DIY for my pass. dr. on my B7. Good write up!

[audiluvr]

can i use this DiY for the rear driver's side? don't want to start something i can't finish.

[Newbee]

Thanks for taking the time to fully document, I used this guide to replace my passenger door mirror, such a task for something that should hae been so simple. Without your aid, I suspect I would still be there.

[xnetcrash]

Thank you for the DIY.

[gnuchoice]

A huge thanks for writing this up. I replaced the front passenger regulator over the weekend and everything went smoothly. I will be replacing the drives side regulator soon. Great work! Thanks for sharing!

[dolbnyc]

Does anyone have the part number for the interior door panel clips?

[Godfather116]

THANK YOU so much for this DIY.

I finally tackled this project this weekend after having an inoperable window for over 2 months.

This was done on my 2005 A4 1.8t Quattro 6spd manual.

I replaced the Front Passenger Side Window Regulator which I purchased from www.genuinevwaudiparts.com.

At the suggestion of another poster I also ordered a handful of door clips. The part number for my door clips is 8E0868243. I didn't end up breaking any of my original clips but it was nice to know I had replacements if I did. If you order from genuinevwaudiparts they will help you find the right clips. Make sure to enter your VIN number when you place the order, I originally ordered the wrong clips and the lady helped me find the correct ones.

The entire procedure took me just about 2 hours. I had an extra set of hands (recommended). Taking it apart took the longest because it was my first time, once we replaced the regulator putting it all back together went quickly.

Here's a picture of what I found after I popped the window motor off the door. The regulator wire had come undone and started wrapping itself around the motor... luckily the motor was fine.



The dealership wanted $1,000 to fix my window. With help from this article I was able to do it for ~$120 and 2 hours of my time...

STOCKTON, you are the MAN! We're not worthy, we're not worthy

[imdem412]

Stockton:

You are the man. I just did the pax side front. My mechanic wanted $450 and the stealership wanted almost $600. For $175, I got the part and did it in about 2 1/2 hours.

2 words of note -

There is only one screw under the armrest on the pax side and no cover - one less screw.

Also - make sure when you get the window on the new regulator, you get the window in the track, especially on the mirror side. That was a gotcha for me and I needed to go back and re-do the attaching the regulator to the clips on the window.

Otherwise, this post couldn't have made it easier.

Thanks!

-DEM

04 A4 1.8T CVT

[almontema]

Fantastic DIY

Some one try the (AUDI A4 00-07 FRONT RIGHT WINDOW REGULATOR REPAIR KIT) that sell in ebay??

Low cost $22.40 + $5.90 of shipping

I'm not sure if is going to working

What is the part of the window regulator that normally fails??

Thanks

[DELUX]

Digging this up because my regulator crapped out this past weekend (yea I know, my car is having some bad luck lately) .

Seems like a great DIY, I was debating letting a shop do it but this seems plenty easy to do myself.

Thanks!

[Pitt_Boxer]

nice write up...funny thing is i have the same car,even the 989 inspection mark on the door.either way i'm still waiting on the parts to arrive.Regulator is shot, but the motor seems fine...thanks for posting

[Stockton]

Glad to see this thread is still getting used and helping save people some money.

[ajkst1]

Here's what happened to my old one. The cable began to pull out of the pulley and was causing a grinding sound when the window would go up or down. Thanks to this guide, I saved a boatload of money and fixed my window.

[ijevrem]

Great post!

I have read other posts that recommend using an aftermarket regulator, as the original Audi ones have weak plastic clips/poor quality.

Anyone else have an opinion on using aftermarket versus OEM part in this case?

I realize in most cases you are best off using OEM, but Audi regulators seem to go out frequently on both sides. I had my passenger one replaced, and two months later, the driver one died...

Thanks!

[TonyL]

This was a great write up. I replaced my passenger regulartor on my 2005.5 A4 yesterday and the instructions were fantastic!

[trueno429]

when you replace these regulators make sure you use oem..ive replaced about 6 regulators between my car and 2 other b6's and i used 2 pinax brand ones and they suck..the build quality on the aftermarket ones dont seem strong at all i recommend staying away

[Latin Audi]

Thanks Stockton! Mine is about to go so this should come in handy

[jackitorslamit]

Used this DIY and it covered just about every issue you would run into. I used the pimax regulator since I was in a pinch. Not as good looking as the OEM but so far seems to do the job, we shall see. The OEM regulator was shot and not the greatest design. But thanks to the provider for the DIY, great work.

[MJG80392]

You have done an excellent job explaining the process of the removal of the door panel. Do you think this would basically be the same for a 2000 A4? I would like to try and fix the key lock in the door, the cylinder rotates with the key and will not allow the door to become unlocked. I must use the trunk to open the car, the remote key doesn't work anymore and I need to purchase a new one. Regardless I cannot program the key with the use of the front door lock. Help!!!!!!

[jmedero]

I noticed that when trying to replace my driver side regulator the steps to take off the door panel are a bit different because there isn't a Cap that is shown in the third picture above. So I am not sure where to proceed after I take off the door trim.... Any suggestions?

[lookaught]

Thanks for the writeup OP!

I want to add that for anyone who is trying to figure out if they have a broken regulator or broken motor, it is easy to check. Remove the door panel per the instructions above and then pull the motor by taking out the three T25 screws. You can then slide the window up and down manually, and if it is not binding etc you have a bad motor or back electrical connection to it.

In my case, I took out the motor, checked the window regulator which was fine and smooth, then I tapped the motor a few times with a wrench, put it back together and PRESTO! Window works again. I suggest doing this before checking the wiring. I also believe that if a short occurs between the motor and the car, it will throw a CEL for intermittent or no contact.

Also, as mentioned either in this thread or others, if the window is stuck down you can pull the motor out, pull up the window, then reinstall the motor and it will hold the window up and closed. This was my original plan before I magically fixed my motor.

Hope this helps! +rep for the OP.

[stigerj]

Stockton - Great DYI.

Followed this yesterday to replace the driver's side window regulator in an '04 A4 (my brother-in-law's). Made it a lot easier to tackle. However, when lifting the window out of the door a small clip fell out and I couldn't figure out where it came from. I put everything back together, the door, window and all the electrictrics work fine. (sorry for the blurry pic) Has AMS 800 837 779 stamped on it.

Any idea what it is? Or more importantly, where it goes?

It would be nice to have this in a PDF. All too often these DYIs end up with missing images, or broken links after a few years and this is one I'd like to save in an easy to save/read/print format.

Thanks again for the great write up.

[old guy]

It goes here:




Everything will work fine without it.
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