Juli, I don’t have much experience with Mercedes. You may want to ask for help on our car questions page linked at the top. Good Luck.

I wish to thank you for the pictures and advice. I purchased a used regulator. I used your column as a procedure manual. The old mark on the glass I left and was able to align. When I installed, the install and alignment were perfect. Thank you so much for this article.

oops, I replaced the window to a replacement regulator with motor and forgot to adjust the angle. It looks normal and the window is working like normal.

’98 Seabring Conv Jxi right 1/4 window. I purchased the regulator from a dealer for just under $400. Every thing except motor and glass. Cable was not wound. After fussing with it forever and slicing open a 3/4 inch gash on right index finger (Hot tip wear gloves as much as possible) I figured it out. Installed old motor on new regulator plate. Put horizontal window holding slider all the way to top. Wound bottom portion of spool (part that contacts motor) with cable coming down form the “pull up” side of slider. I would it as tight as I could and then slipped spool onto motor spindle to hold tight. I could not stretch “pull down” side cable enough to slip on bottom nylon guide and wrap on upper facing portion of spool. So, I hooked the motor to the electrical connection and used the door switch to turn the motor as if lifting the slider, essentially raising the “window.” With the slider already to the top, this compressed the upper cable spring in the slider receptacle to allow a little bit more “down side” cable to free up. The next bit took a while to figure out. The bottom nylon cable guide (not a pulley) comes out if you depress the keeper on the underside and slid the guide a bit left. Pops right out. Wind the downside cable on the spool, run the cable through the guide and then (ensure the downside cable spring is nestled in the socket at the window slider) pull, slide, wrestle, etc the guide back into its hole, hold it there carefully and slide it to the right so it can engage the keeper. Done! Put on the glass, put in car, adjust to meet front window and be on your way.

Tammy, you may want to see our other power window articles for more information. However, your problem may need to be diagnosed with a wiring diagram and hands on testing. Good Luck

I bought a used regulator for about 100 on e-bay with a motor(much eaiser, not to have to exchange the motor) Followed your instructions and pictures and performed the operation nicely. Just one comment to help others. The Pictures show the back of the back seat in place. I would reccommend removing the back so you can get to the two screws at the aft edge of the side panel. one at the top and opne in the middle hidden behind the rear cushion. I do not think these were mentioned in the article. However without this blog, I would not have tried it and would have spent over $650 getting it fixed locally. Total cost $110. $10 for a panel puller. Plus two hours of time. Thanks,

Richard, you are most likely correct. Window motors are more likely to continue to work if they are used fairly often. And yes the window regulators would most likely cause the windows to stop in the wrong position or fall down completely. Check for positive and negative at the motors when operating the switch. Sometimes tapping on the motors while working the switch can make the motors temporarily work for test purposes (usually stop working again soon). It is possible to just change the motors, however I would consider changing BOTH the regulator and motor at the same time since there’s a lot of work involved. Below are some tips that I wrote awhile back for checking window issues. Good Luck.

Power windows not working in a car can be caused by several things. The most common cause is a bad power window’s motor, the switch could be faulty or the regulator could be binding or the cable could be off one of the pulleys. Rarely, windows may just be STUCK in the weather stripping (called a run) and need to be freed up and the guides lubricated with silicone spray. As a master auto technician, I’ve repaired literally hundreds of power windows in nearly all makes of cars over the years. In this how to article I’ll let you in on some things to look for when diagnosing power windows not working. Ninety percent of the time, these type of problems can be diagnosed in less than sixty seconds!

Window Stops Working

If the glass moves a few inches and stops, then the motor is allowed time to cool down and will again move a few inches; the power motor will need to be replaced. If there is no sound coming from the motor, it may not be getting power or the motor itself may have an open circuit. Checking for power to the window’s motor normally requires removing the door panel to access the wiring. After access to the power window wiring is gained, a test light or meter can be used to see if it is getting power and ground. I’ve learned over the years a short cut that saves the hassle of removing the door panel for testing the motor. Most of the time when checking this problem, just turn the headlights and interior lights on; look for a slight dimming of the interior or dash lights when the power window switch is pushed. If a slight flicker or dimming of the interior lights occur, this indicates that the switch is functional and the motor is bad. Try this with one of the power windows that is working to gauge the affect on the interior lights. If there is no change in the brightness of the interior lights when trying this with the inoperative window, the switch could be bad.

Window Appears to Be Off track or is Binding

Windows don’t normally just go off track (the regulator fails causing it to move out of the normal position). If the window appears to be off track, the regulator has most likely failed. Window regulators either use metal gears (which rarely fail) or they use a cable and plastic pulley design – which commonly fail. If the window has fallen, the regulator will most likely need to be replaced. If the glass is cocked unevenly and is binding, the regulator has most likely came apart. The motor will be heard when pushing the switch in many cases but the window won’t work correctly due to the failed regulator.

DIY Tips to Try

Sometimes electric contacts in the window switch can be worn, corroded or dirty. Try pushing the switch with your finger hard and deliberately – if the window starts to work, the switch is the problem and will most likely need to be replaced.
After accessing the motor, try tapping on it with an object (like a small wrench or a 3/8″ extension) – if it temporarily works, the window motor will need to be replaced.

Richard, the regulator could be binding. If you help the window up by hand and it goes on up, that would be an indication that the window runs are sticking. Good Luck.

I would love to thank you for helping me remove the rear quarter panel of my Sebring for FREE It is very nice to see that all websites are not in it for the money:))))))

Caroline

MVC, check with the dealer for the part numbers and availability. If you replace the assembly you will still be best off to measure and adjust the window. Good Luck.