DIY : WINDOW TRACK PROBLEM

[p0tential]

well it happened to me. on my way downtown and when i went to park my car, my window wouldn't go up because it came off the track. i know this is a known problem so i'm posting this so everyone has an idea of how to attack and fix this problem. note: if you window isn't going up when you hear a clicking sound, this is not the correct fix. if you hear that sound that means the gears in the window regulater are stripped and you need to replace it.

now for the breif instructions:

1) remove the two screws hold the door trim peices on.


1)behind the door handle


2)inside the window switch trim



2) remove the 3 screws around the outside of the speaker. these are the only screws that hold the door panel on.


3) pop out the tweeter and molding.


4) now you can pry around the bottom of the door to pop it off, once all the tabs are loose, you can lift up and the panel should slide off.

5) remove the plastic schouding that covers the inside of the door, do it carefully enough that you able to put it back on. i had to rip mine so i just 3M taped it back together.


here you can see how my window came off the track. this is the part that faces the front of the car. do you see how the window is behind the track. (the thin long vertical strip is the track)



6) there are two bolts that secure the track to the bottom of the door. remove these two bolts.



7) now the track is lose enought to get the window back on. your going to have to jiggle it bit to get it on the track properly. it may take a little bit but eventually you'l get it on. i started by gettin the track towards the rear of the car on first. then i jiggled it on to the track towards the front of the car. once you get the window back on, loosely bolt up the bottom bolts that you removed for the track.

8) test the window

9) go to true value or w/e local hardware store you have and get some spray silicone. coat the inside of the track so that theres less resistance for the widow to go up and down.

10) once you have the window going up and down ok, tighten up the bottom bolts. TEST THE WINDOW AGAIN.

11) reasemble the same way you took it apart.

your done!

pm me if you have any questions

[ke98248]

Nice writeup, but a few pix are kinda blurry.

[p0tential]

Originally Posted by ke98248

Nice writeup, but a few pix are kinda blurry.

yea i know, sorry about that. my camera is garbage...

[blackstar]

like was stated in #9, its important to spray the tracks down, front and back rails. its good to spray them every couple months so u dont have to take the panel off everytime to fix the window

my window kept binding up on one side, then popped out of track. i spray them every 3 months and havent had a problem since

also, seems this problem is alot worse with power windows in EK, although mine is manual.

[Syndacate]

Nice writeup, silicone spray works good, I'm using it on my '95 b/c the window kinda ran dry and started pulling on the track/gasket.

I'll add it to the FAQ.

[ke98248]

Originally Posted by blackstar

like was stated in #9, its important to spray the tracks down, front and back rails. its good to spray them every couple months so u dont have to take the panel off everytime to fix the window

my window kept binding up on one side, then popped out of track. i spray them every 3 months and havent had a problem since

also, seems this problem is alot worse with power windows in EK, although mine is manual.

My 97 civic ex coupe really has issues with the passenger window binding up unless it's lubed with silicone spray. It's amazing how well that **** works!

[p0tential]

Originally Posted by ke98248

My 97 civic ex coupe really has issues with the passenger window binding up unless it's lubed with silicone spray. It's amazing how well that **** works!

Originally Posted by ke98248

My 97 civic ex coupe really has issues with the passenger window binding up unless it's lubed with silicone spray. It's amazing how well that **** works!

yea.. fyi; go easy with this stuff thou. a little goes a long way. I used wayy to much and had silicone leakin out the drainage holes in the bottom of the door.

[Harryflores]

for the W-Up

[ke98248]

Well, I hadn't lubed the tracks in like 4 months, and the window popped free from the window track. Used your directions and with some gentle persuasion, it works again!

[gtlaw1]

hondas are supposed to be good cars, but honda really dropped the ball on this **** my 96 dx with manual windows has all kinds of problems with this crap.... expletive honda they suck how could they possibly expletive up something that had been perfected many decades earlier ******* idiots

[rebuiltSI]

Man where was this write up when I replaced my window run channel like 3 weeks ago. I got myself into so much trouble... I had not clue what I was doing and it took me 4 1/2 hours. Well atleast people attempting this now will have something to go buy.

[nodozfi2eak]

Originally Posted by rebuiltSI

Man where was this write up when I replaced my window run channel like 3 weeks ago. I got myself into so much trouble... I had not clue what I was doing and it took me 4 1/2 hours. Well atleast people attempting this now will have something to go buy.

lol i was gonna go the same thing... good thing i saw this thread

[96whiteknight]

Thanks a lot for the write-up man. Mine came off the track last night and used this to get it back on. took about 20-30 minutes total.

[osirus]

so glad i found this thread. lately, i've been super busy and then this happened. was just gonna drop off my car at honda, then catch a ride to work, but i figured i'd check ht first. 15 mins and i didn't have to pay ****.

[Probot]

damn, wish this thread was around like 2 weeks ago - my window came completely off track..but i didnt have to remove those 2 big bolts on the bottom of the door. all i did was pop off the tweeter housing, pulled the window all the way up, got the bottom corner into the track and from there i plugged power back into the power windows, put the window down and BAM! it was better


very nice write up

[jdmbwhite]

yup...my power windows suck!!! need to get me some silicone spray!! should i spray the rubber seal that hold the window on the exteior??? or just the "inside the door" track??

[Crazu.Kanjo.Nick]

I had that happen to me today, your photos helped out... this is the second time it's happened, but both driver and passenger sides as have gone off track now. I imagine it's gotta be considered a common defect. I took off the mirror to relieve the pressure because although it was off track, it was stuck nearly all the way up.

Thanks again.

[MilanoCivic97]

i like to soak a rag in electronics cleaner and put it over a slotted screwdriver to clean the tracks out first. then i spray a *light* coat of silicone spray to lube it up.

solid writeup.

[VTEC_Viking]

Wow this diy helps a ton! Too bad it took me so long to find it, how come it's not in the faq section?

Only thing is you don't show where to pop the clips off inside the panel. Thats the step i'm stuck on. Cause I don't want to damage the paint or hurt my door. I know there are 6 clips two on the side, 3 on the bottom , and one in the front.

[unusual71]

thanks man happened to me last night when i was pickin up beer for a friend had toleave the car open over night got class in an hour hope this doesnt take long!!!

[Kista20]

first time mine my driver's came off was years ago and also in the winter time, didn't know how easy/hard it would be so called honda they tell me it would be middle of next week so I deciced to tackle it myself that evening. Mine just came off the track in the front of the door so I did like the op stated but didn't have any help as I figured it out myself. I didn't use the silicone spray on it that time but just came off again just recently but this time the 'ish came off both the front and rear tracks but this time I used the silicone and did both doors with it. The passenger side especially in the wintertime has always gone up/down slow but never came off so hopefully it won't ever.

Also if you search here on h-t this is a very common problem and a lot of times it's due to a bent regulator and/or the window tracks. So if your window does come off don't force it because you will end up either breaking your window and/or bending the regulator.

Oh and one more thing being as you're working with the door it's also a goodtime to lube those door hinges up. One of my doors had a squeak when you would open and close it so I used some grease when the window came off the first time and it's been fine ever since

[ulanky]

Is the silicone spray everyone is using available at places like pepboys or autozone? And is it just a generic brand, or is there one thats recommended? I'll be doing this tomorrow and don't care to repeat it very soon

[-JSpecEk*9-]

ive done this a few times now and for some reason the window keeps come off the tracks

[Kista20]

then it sounds like you have other issues like needing to replace the regulator and tracks. This is a good fix but if it keeps comming off track then you need to get in there and replace everything.

Yes any generic silicone spray will work, typically the same stuff just various brands of it.

[jdmztrane]

Originally Posted by -JSpecEk*9-

ive done this a few times now and for some reason the window keeps come off the tracks

Honda has a service call out on most 96-00 Civics. A guy from Canada found the link for me about a year ago.

I went to Honda and talked to the parts and tech guys. They said, even if you replace all the tracks and the regulator, you could still have this problem. They said the tracks need to be adjusted properly, but it would cost $200-$250 to get one window done. It pissed me off too because I had just purchased a new regulator from them and installed it, and my window is still not 100% right.