Removing Front Door Panel
 

I have a 79 300D and I need to get the front passenger door panel off to replace the window motot b/c it just went out yesterday, it was rolling up and down until later in the day I tried to roll it down and it wouldn't do anything. I checked the switch connection and it is on good, so is it the window regulator? I need to know where all the screws are, I know 2 are in the door jamb and some people say behind the door handle? Let me know all the areas so I can get this underway.

GANIMAL,

Try removing one of the switches you know is good and putting it in the spot where the bad window is, to confirm the window still does not work. Then try the removed switch with a good window and see that it is still bad.

If you still have a bad motor, you have to get the door off. I have not done this in a while, but I will try to recite this from memory. The first time I did it I managed without any instructions so it is pretty intuitive. Hopefully someone with more, recent experience will pipe up if I am off base.

The door panel is held in place by screws that hold the arm rest in, and the connections to the handle, and the trim piece around the lock. Once these are all out, take out the door lock button by unscrewing it. Then pop the panel snap-in fittings all around the perimeter. Finally lift the panel upward to disengage the side pocket hooks that fit in holes in the inner door sheetmetal. Thses things break easily so be careful not to pull outward too much while unsnapping the fittings at the bottom and sides of the panel. Good luck, Jim

Check out 126 door panel thread.I just bumped it, has pics of most of the stuff you need to know...

Well I got the door panel off with ease, and I did the switch and you can hear the motor clicking meaning it is getting power, but it isn't turning. Is there anyway to maybe lubricate the motor or something to maybe make it turn, or is it out for good? How do I make sure it is out for good and get it out of the door to replace, I'm afraid if I take the motor off the window will fall down or something?

GANIMAL,

I have never owned a W123 with electric windows so I have no first hand knowledge of the procedure. I just did the passenger window on my wife's 1988 300E and it was a huge pain in the rear getting the thing out and in. It seems like it won't come out, but it does, and then won't go in, but it does.

Anyway, I tried to fix the thing by cleaning the tracks carefully and relubricating them because when I got the old unit out, and put power to it, it worked. Slowly and sluggishly, but it worked. The cleaning and lubricating did not work though. So I bought the whole assembly from Fastlane, meaning the motor and the regulator (that is what the mechanical stuff is called) and put that in. That did not work either, at first. I had to carefully align the regulator with the window and the tracks. Took a while and now it works like a champ. I actually think the problem was dirt on the tracks and misalignment which fried the motor over time.

Once again the basic disassembly and reassembly is pretty intuitive. A bunch of screws that hold the mechanism to the inner door sheet metal. Watch out for sharp edges as I cut my fingers up pretty good. The only real issue is the alignment. My manual implied the alignment procedure involved pushing the window to the extremes of adjustment, which did not work. It needed or wanted to be adjusted in the middle.

If you get a new assembly from Fastlane it comes with some rudimentary instructions and they work just fine. Good luck, Jim

So since my motor isn't turning at all when I push the switch and there is a clicking noise, that just means that I need to get a new motor right? What is Fastlane, online store? I'll check out locally as well, but do I just ask for the window motor or does it have to be the motor and regulator?

GANIMAL,

Once you get the regulator and motor out of the door, which have to be removed pretty much as an assembly since in my experience there is not enough room to do this inside the door. Once the assembly is out of the door, you can remove the motor and test it separately. That is what I did and figured the motor was ok because it still worked. In the end, cleaning the tracks and regreasing everything was required anyway, but a new motor was needed because the old one was just worn out from working against a dirty set of tracks and a somewhat misaligned window and regulator. When you get it all out, look it over good and clean it all up. If the motor works you can try putting it all back together and see if it works. On mine, I figured the regulator was part of the problem, since it was being loaded so heavily as well as the motor. The new regulator was an improved design in my opinion. And easier to get in and out. Jim

On mine, I went to the trouble of rebuilding the motor, got it working on the bench, installed it, and it got the window up and down about four times before dieing again, then had to pull it all over again and reinstall a different motor...:rolleyes:

P.S. there is just enough room to pull just the motor, at least on a 126..

I need instructions on how to remove the motor assembly b/c I'm not quite sure how to get it out? I have the door panel off and the plastic covering. Do I need to wedge the lever and stuff or anything to keep the window from coming down or what? I just need to get the motor assembly out so I can replace it, help me please.