How easy is it to fit a power window regulator?

Hi,

My right front power window on my Accord Wagon (UK)
has failed, and my friendly local Honda Dealer have quoted
me £250 for the part, and £320 all in to fit it! I have found
the identical part at Majestic Honda in the states for the
much more reasonable sum of $107.95 - about a quarter of
the cost!!! Even with shipping and tax it won't come to more
than £100.

Anyway, what I wanted to know is, how easy will it be to
fit this myself? Am I likely to need any special tools? Has
anyone else in the UK ordered parts from Majestic Honda?

Thanks in advance,
Al Reynolds

 

I never opened a Honda door before, but I did on a 96 Mazda 626.
Removing the door cover is not difficult. The tricky part can be putting it
back so it will fit perfectly.
Also, there is some plastic foil inside the door and if you don't replace it
correctly, it will whistle while driving.
For the part, you could call some local scrap/junk yards. They might have
one and install it for you for cheap.
Or order the part and ask your local body shop how much they would charge
you to install it. They are used to striping the door and will take them a
half hour.
When my front fender got pushed in, I stopped at my local body shop. For
15$, within 30 minutes, the guy removed the front bumper and one headlight,
un-bent and repainted the fender support and replaced everything.

 

I never opened a Honda door before, but I did on a 96 Mazda 626.
Removing the door cover is not difficult. The tricky part can be putting it
back so it will fit perfectly.
Also, there is some plastic foil inside the door and if you don't replace it
correctly, it will whistle while driving.
For the part, you could call some local scrap/junk yards. They might have
one and install it for you for cheap.
Or order the part and ask your local body shop how much they would charge
you to install it. They are used to striping the door and will take them a
half hour.
When my front fender got pushed in, I stopped at my local body shop. For
15$, within 30 minutes, the guy removed the front bumper and one headlight,
un-bent and repainted the fender support and replaced everything.

 

I never opened a Honda door before, but I did on a 96 Mazda 626.
Removing the door cover is not difficult. The tricky part can be putting it
back so it will fit perfectly.
Also, there is some plastic foil inside the door and if you don't replace it
correctly, it will whistle while driving.
For the part, you could call some local scrap/junk yards. They might have
one and install it for you for cheap.
Or order the part and ask your local body shop how much they would charge
you to install it. They are used to striping the door and will take them a
half hour.
When my front fender got pushed in, I stopped at my local body shop. For
15$, within 30 minutes, the guy removed the front bumper and one headlight,
un-bent and repainted the fender support and replaced everything.

 

Have you had a look here <http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/AccordManual/> to
see if the on-line shop manual covers your year? Even if it doesn't
specifically, it might give you an idea of the scope of the job. Do you
have tools? You'll need a good socket set and extensions.

There are usually holes in the door to get at the nuts/studs and I'd think
the difficulty here would be manouvering the regulator assembly out without
whacking the outer metal and marking it. Hmm, if you need to get the glass
up out of the way, you might need a helper to hold the glass up while you
do that. I've never done the job but just "figuring" based on the one time
I had to go there on an Integra, when the glass came off the regulator bar.
I'd also advise using semi-setting (blue) Loctite to hold the nuts/bolts
against loosening.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Have you had a look here <http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/AccordManual/> to
see if the on-line shop manual covers your year? Even if it doesn't
specifically, it might give you an idea of the scope of the job. Do you
have tools? You'll need a good socket set and extensions.

There are usually holes in the door to get at the nuts/studs and I'd think
the difficulty here would be manouvering the regulator assembly out without
whacking the outer metal and marking it. Hmm, if you need to get the glass
up out of the way, you might need a helper to hold the glass up while you
do that. I've never done the job but just "figuring" based on the one time
I had to go there on an Integra, when the glass came off the regulator bar.
I'd also advise using semi-setting (blue) Loctite to hold the nuts/bolts
against loosening.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Have you had a look here <http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/AccordManual/> to
see if the on-line shop manual covers your year? Even if it doesn't
specifically, it might give you an idea of the scope of the job. Do you
have tools? You'll need a good socket set and extensions.

There are usually holes in the door to get at the nuts/studs and I'd think
the difficulty here would be manouvering the regulator assembly out without
whacking the outer metal and marking it. Hmm, if you need to get the glass
up out of the way, you might need a helper to hold the glass up while you
do that. I've never done the job but just "figuring" based on the one time
I had to go there on an Integra, when the glass came off the regulator bar.
I'd also advise using semi-setting (blue) Loctite to hold the nuts/bolts
against loosening.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Thanks George,

I actually have the shop manual, but as you will be aware it
sometimes isn't clear how hard a job is by just looking at
pictures. I think the sockets/spanners will probably be the
most important tools, like you said. At the moment the window
isn't all the way up, so I'm going to have to take the panel off
today anyway to have a look.

When you said about the semi-setting glue, is this just on the
bolts that hold the glass to the regulator?

Cheers,
Al Reynolds

 

Thanks George,

I actually have the shop manual, but as you will be aware it
sometimes isn't clear how hard a job is by just looking at
pictures. I think the sockets/spanners will probably be the
most important tools, like you said. At the moment the window
isn't all the way up, so I'm going to have to take the panel off
today anyway to have a look.

When you said about the semi-setting glue, is this just on the
bolts that hold the glass to the regulator?

Cheers,
Al Reynolds

 

Thanks George,

I actually have the shop manual, but as you will be aware it
sometimes isn't clear how hard a job is by just looking at
pictures. I think the sockets/spanners will probably be the
most important tools, like you said. At the moment the window
isn't all the way up, so I'm going to have to take the panel off
today anyway to have a look.

When you said about the semi-setting glue, is this just on the
bolts that hold the glass to the regulator?

Cheers,
Al Reynolds

 

Yes that's where I used it - the nuts had worked loose on the studs
previously.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Yes that's where I used it - the nuts had worked loose on the studs
previously.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Yes that's where I used it - the nuts had worked loose on the studs
previously.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Just don't get the sticky stuff that fixes the plastic water shedder
to the door on your arm. If you do you will get it on the seats -
very hard to clean off !!!!!

 

Very true! What is that sticky stuff BTW, and where can you buy it?
Al

 

Where I work we buy it in 45 gallon drums !!!! No idea where you can
buy small amounts. For my own old car I've used bath sealant silicone
mastic, with a reasonably good result. Car assembly lines will not
use Silicones because if any fumes get carried into the paint shop it
can result in tiny little craters in the paint on the odd car. But at
home, unless you are going to do some paint repairs should not be a
problem. Something to think about though.