Window winder dysfunction, window stuck half-down
Thread Starter
The Transporter
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 360
Likes: 8
From: Chicago
Window winder dysfunction, window stuck half-down
Hello all - when I first tinted my vehicle, I reported back that the tint had been scraped open like a can of sardines due to the presence of a broken "window winder", as called by the fellow forum member informing me of the name, pressing hard into the glass of my driver's side front window. Sure enough, after a period of time, something else has happened down in that well and the glass refuses to budge. The motors inside the door make an ominous noise when I attempt to move it via the electronic controls. I cannot get it to budge at all by hand or with simple tools, and don't want to pry too hard lest the double-paned security glass break.
I am left with the option to remove the door panel and get into the guts of the window itself. Anything I need to know about removing the door panel to access this area? Is this "window winder" the correct name? Whatever it is, it is pressing a piece of steel hard into my glass. Even when the window would roll up and down (with some effort) you could hear something pushing the glass and, upon being rolled all the way up, wouldn't make a complete seal and would make a tell-tale whistling noise from the air if the cabin pressure wasn't equalized such as by opening the sun roof.
I'm hoping it is just this internal piece I need to replace, and then I can finally tint my window again without worrying about the scrapes!
Regards
I am left with the option to remove the door panel and get into the guts of the window itself. Anything I need to know about removing the door panel to access this area? Is this "window winder" the correct name? Whatever it is, it is pressing a piece of steel hard into my glass. Even when the window would roll up and down (with some effort) you could hear something pushing the glass and, upon being rolled all the way up, wouldn't make a complete seal and would make a tell-tale whistling noise from the air if the cabin pressure wasn't equalized such as by opening the sun roof.
I'm hoping it is just this internal piece I need to replace, and then I can finally tint my window again without worrying about the scrapes!
Regards
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 15,311
Likes: 696
From: SF Bay Area, CA
Hello all - when I first tinted my vehicle, I reported back that the tint had been scraped open like a can of sardines due to the presence of a broken "window winder", as called by the fellow forum member informing me of the name, pressing hard into the glass of my driver's side front window. Sure enough, after a period of time, something else has happened down in that well and the glass refuses to budge. The motors inside the door make an ominous noise when I attempt to move it via the electronic controls. I cannot get it to budge at all by hand or with simple tools, and don't want to pry too hard lest the double-paned security glass break.
I am left with the option to remove the door panel and get into the guts of the window itself. Anything I need to know about removing the door panel to access this area? Is this "window winder" the correct name? Whatever it is, it is pressing a piece of steel hard into my glass. Even when the window would roll up and down (with some effort) you could hear something pushing the glass and, upon being rolled all the way up, wouldn't make a complete seal and would make a tell-tale whistling noise from the air if the cabin pressure wasn't equalized such as by opening the sun roof.
I'm hoping it is just this internal piece I need to replace, and then I can finally tint my window again without worrying about the scrapes!
Regards
I am left with the option to remove the door panel and get into the guts of the window itself. Anything I need to know about removing the door panel to access this area? Is this "window winder" the correct name? Whatever it is, it is pressing a piece of steel hard into my glass. Even when the window would roll up and down (with some effort) you could hear something pushing the glass and, upon being rolled all the way up, wouldn't make a complete seal and would make a tell-tale whistling noise from the air if the cabin pressure wasn't equalized such as by opening the sun roof.
I'm hoping it is just this internal piece I need to replace, and then I can finally tint my window again without worrying about the scrapes!
Regards
At first this stumped me and you don't just remove some visible screws and presto. But reading up in the shop manual, it was not terribly difficult once the instructions led me to the steps and the fastener locations. And there is the punchline of the brief tale. Get a decent manual, whether Bentley if you have an old XP machine, or alldata online or the ErWin type Audi (brief) subscription and big download type approaches. You also want decent instructions to pull the door card (trim) and not break anything--in the manuals of course. Finally, buy maybe 3-5 of the plastic trim clips that hold the panel to the door in advance so you don't either have car down or have to half *** assemble it with some broken retainer clips. Some will likely self destruct each time you pull a door card and not be reusable/resettable--part of it moves as it locks tight. BTDT, and from then always kept a small bag of them--along with the front fender liner plastic pop rivets that also are often not reusable.
Last edited by MP4.2+6.0; Sep 28, 2018 at 06:11 PM.
Thread Starter
The Transporter
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 360
Likes: 8
From: Chicago
You will soon be finding how the Audi D3 doors are a double sandwich type construction. You will pull away the door trim panel and then run right into another big pressed aluminum panel that covers virtually the whole inside of the door and absolutely prevents access to window area on the far side of it.
At first this stumped me and you don't just remove some visible screws and presto. But reading up in the shop manual, it was not terribly difficult once the instructions led me to the steps and the fastener locations. And there is the punchline of the brief tale. Get a decent manual, whether Bentley if you have an old XP machine, or alldata online or the ErWin type Audi (brief) subscription and big download type approaches. You also want decent instructions to pull the door card (trim) and not break anything--in the manuals of course. Finally, buy maybe 3-5 of the plastic trim clips that hold the panel to the door in advance so you don't either have car down or have to half *** assemble it with some broken retainer clips. Some will likely self destruct each time you pull a door card and not be reusable/resettable--part of it moves as it locks tight. BTDT, and from then always kept a small bag of them--along with the front fender liner plastic pop rivets that also are often not reusable.
At first this stumped me and you don't just remove some visible screws and presto. But reading up in the shop manual, it was not terribly difficult once the instructions led me to the steps and the fastener locations. And there is the punchline of the brief tale. Get a decent manual, whether Bentley if you have an old XP machine, or alldata online or the ErWin type Audi (brief) subscription and big download type approaches. You also want decent instructions to pull the door card (trim) and not break anything--in the manuals of course. Finally, buy maybe 3-5 of the plastic trim clips that hold the panel to the door in advance so you don't either have car down or have to half *** assemble it with some broken retainer clips. Some will likely self destruct each time you pull a door card and not be reusable/resettable--part of it moves as it locks tight. BTDT, and from then always kept a small bag of them--along with the front fender liner plastic pop rivets that also are often not reusable.
The info you just provided me is what I definitely need.. some know-how and advice on what to expect. I'm really wanting to avoid bringing it to Audi if I can.
P.S. Got a link for the exact type of clips I should be looking for? (incl. the fender cover ones, I am missing several of those now after messing w/ some other stuff a while back)
Thank you!
Necromancer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 596
Likes: 25
From: Georgia
These Door Handle Procs
Hello all - when I first tinted my vehicle, I reported back that the tint had been scraped open like a can of sardines due to the presence of a broken "window winder", as called by the fellow forum member informing me of the name, pressing hard into the glass of my driver's side front window. Sure enough, after a period of time, something else has happened down in that well and the glass refuses to budge. The motors inside the door make an ominous noise when I attempt to move it via the electronic controls. I cannot get it to budge at all by hand or with simple tools, and don't want to pry too hard lest the double-paned security glass break.
I am left with the option to remove the door panel and get into the guts of the window itself. Anything I need to know about removing the door panel to access this area? Is this "window winder" the correct name? Whatever it is, it is pressing a piece of steel hard into my glass. Even when the window would roll up and down (with some effort) you could hear something pushing the glass and, upon being rolled all the way up, wouldn't make a complete seal and would make a tell-tale whistling noise from the air if the cabin pressure wasn't equalized such as by opening the sun roof.
I'm hoping it is just this internal piece I need to replace, and then I can finally tint my window again without worrying about the scrapes!
Regards
I am left with the option to remove the door panel and get into the guts of the window itself. Anything I need to know about removing the door panel to access this area? Is this "window winder" the correct name? Whatever it is, it is pressing a piece of steel hard into my glass. Even when the window would roll up and down (with some effort) you could hear something pushing the glass and, upon being rolled all the way up, wouldn't make a complete seal and would make a tell-tale whistling noise from the air if the cabin pressure wasn't equalized such as by opening the sun roof.
I'm hoping it is just this internal piece I need to replace, and then I can finally tint my window again without worrying about the scrapes!
Regards
Last edited by ScottCNelson; Sep 28, 2018 at 07:18 PM.
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 15,311
Likes: 696
From: SF Bay Area, CA
I do indeed have the Bentley manual on an upgraded, small (11" screen) and fast Thinkpad laptop I installed XP on - along with VCDS, ELSA, Alldata. Just stuffed all my car related stuff on there and made it the shop computer. Sometimes I find it difficult to follow along with a few of the different instructions/diagrams, especially if I (make the mistake of?) checking multiple manuals.
The info you just provided me is what I definitely need.. some know-how and advice on what to expect. I'm really wanting to avoid bringing it to Audi if I can.
P.S. Got a link for the exact type of clips I should be looking for? (incl. the fender cover ones, I am missing several of those now after messing w/ some other stuff a while back)
Thank you!
The info you just provided me is what I definitely need.. some know-how and advice on what to expect. I'm really wanting to avoid bringing it to Audi if I can.
P.S. Got a link for the exact type of clips I should be looking for? (incl. the fender cover ones, I am missing several of those now after messing w/ some other stuff a while back)
Thank you!
Fender liner push pins: 4D0807300 Looks like: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...ach/4d0807300/
Last edited by MP4.2+6.0; Sep 28, 2018 at 10:32 PM.
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AudiWorld Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2018
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From: Dublin
Hello all - when I first tinted my vehicle, I reported back that the tint had been scraped open like a can of sardines due to the presence of a broken "window winder", as called by the fellow forum member informing me of the name, pressing hard into the glass of my driver's side front window. Sure enough, after a period of time, something else has happened down in that well and the glass refuses to budge. The motors inside the door make an ominous noise when I attempt to move it via the electronic controls. I cannot get it to budge at all by hand or with simple tools, and don't want to pry too hard lest the double-paned security glass break.
I am left with the option to remove the door panel and get into the guts of the window itself. Anything I need to know about removing the door panel to access this area? Is this "window winder" the correct name? Whatever it is, it is pressing a piece of steel hard into my glass. Even when the window would roll up and down (with some effort) you could hear something pushing the glass and, upon being rolled all the way up, wouldn't make a complete seal and would make a tell-tale whistling noise from the air if the cabin pressure wasn't equalized such as by opening the sun roof.
I'm hoping it is just this internal piece I need to replace, and then I can finally tint my window again without worrying about the scrapes!
Regards
I am left with the option to remove the door panel and get into the guts of the window itself. Anything I need to know about removing the door panel to access this area? Is this "window winder" the correct name? Whatever it is, it is pressing a piece of steel hard into my glass. Even when the window would roll up and down (with some effort) you could hear something pushing the glass and, upon being rolled all the way up, wouldn't make a complete seal and would make a tell-tale whistling noise from the air if the cabin pressure wasn't equalized such as by opening the sun roof.
I'm hoping it is just this internal piece I need to replace, and then I can finally tint my window again without worrying about the scrapes!
Regards
Door card comes off very easy once you remove the plastic trim and a couple of bolts. Take photos of all the wiring so you know where it attaches and how it's routed. A trim removal tool will help save you damaging most if not all the clips of the wiring loom as you remove them. Take out the window before you remove the window motor. Good luck.
Thread Starter
The Transporter
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 360
Likes: 8
From: Chicago
Sounds like something was dropped into your door and is fouling the window glass or something has come loose. Which end of the glass is the damage to the tint?
Door card comes off very easy once you remove the plastic trim and a couple of bolts. Take photos of all the wiring so you know where it attaches and how it's routed. A trim removal tool will help save you damaging most if not all the clips of the wiring loom as you remove them. Take out the window before you remove the window motor. Good luck.
Door card comes off very easy once you remove the plastic trim and a couple of bolts. Take photos of all the wiring so you know where it attaches and how it's routed. A trim removal tool will help save you damaging most if not all the clips of the wiring loom as you remove them. Take out the window before you remove the window motor. Good luck.
Thanks