Liftgate Window Regulator Corrosion

[lightfreak]

Just happened to me today, hot weather driving with my dog in the cargo area. Tried rolling the rear hatch window down, made usual motor noise but glass didn't move. Few seconds later the whole rear glass dropped inside the hatch.
Dog gave me the WTF look LOL

Pulled over to inspect. Liftgate Window regulator mounting tabs on both ends rusted and corroded through, and broke off clean. Window still in one piece.

I was able push the window back into fully closed position, and used gorilla tape all around the glass to hold it in place for now.
Window motor still works.

I would add lubricating these parts to your regular maintenance routine. Once a year should do it.


New part ordered and on the way.

The joys of owning a high mileage vehicle never ends. :roll::roll:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

How often do you drive with the window down?I'm curious if back-flow of exhaust fumes and whatever stuff they use to manage snow there in Toronto contributes to that corrosion. Or maybe it's just a failure of the window seals?

 

[lightfreak]

How often do you drive with the window down?I'm curious if back-flow of exhaust fumes and whatever stuff they use to manage snow there in Toronto contributes to that corrosion. Or maybe it's just a failure of the window seals?

Hardly ever actually , maybe once a week in the summer. Rest of the year it stays closed. I make a habit of only rolling it down when the glass is clean and dry

 

[TripleTS_T4R]

lol i love the "Dog gave me the WTF look" I have had my dog give me the come on bro fix your sh*t look lol.

I had this happen to me in one of my car passenger rear door and just started to replace parts and get the sanding then sprayed with some corrosive/rust bond paint (can).

 

[lightfreak]

The new regulator finally came in so I was able to get it installed last night.

 

[lightfreak]

The glass mounts connecting to the regulator proved to be the most challenging.
There's 4 mounts, 2 on each side, made of plastic and sealed permanently to the glass. The plastic mounts have threaded metal inserts which were all corroded. the bolts securing them to the regulator were all corroded.
Got 3 of the bolts out with some persuasion, but the 4th had to be drilled out. Using heat wasn't an option due to melting the plastic.

Luckily I was able to get it to the point where using different random bolts/washers and nuts was possible.

If these mounts were damaged beyond repair I would probably need a whole new rear glass.

 

[lightfreak]

Experimented with different bolts , washer and nuts to get the best fit.

 

[lightfreak]

The new updated regulator.
Not sure when Toyota made the update but it's nicer material and with better treatment. Should withstand corrosion alot better than the original. I think this problem is just due to poor material used for the original regulator.
Other than the motor the rest of the interior tailgate looks pretty good, very little signs of rust.

Getting the old regulator out was pretty straight forward.

Motor was all corroded on the surface but still worked fine so I didn't bother replacing it.

 

[lightfreak]

Pics of the empty hatch.
I didn't touch the lock mechanism

 

[lightfreak]

The connectors for the defroster were heavily corroded, lots of buildup inside the connector.

Sprayed it with battery terminal cleaner foam, let it soak while working on the glass mounts. Sprayed it with air thoroughly then applied dielectric grease. The defroster terminals on the glass are coated and looked brand new without the slightest corrosion.

 

[lightfreak]

The coiled end of the regulator cables comes tightly zip tied. It will come flying apart if you're not careful.
It's a little tricky to get onto the motor, you just have to wiggle the round coiled part onto the square nut of the motor assembly until it locks in and sits flush. Then press the rest of it into place and screw the cover back on.

 

[lightfreak]

Sprayed the new regulator with metal protectant before closing everything up.
Wasn't able to get a clear picture of it installed in the hatch

All-in the job took about 3 hours with my friend.

Attached are the tailgate component list and overhaul steps from the FSM. I used it as a guide but lot of it was skipped to save time.

I didn't remove the glass run because I wasn't sure if I could get it out without damaging it. To get the window out I actually wiggled it until it became vertical and slid it through the opening in the spoiler LOL

 

[Ralph Blake]

Thanks for all the pictures and telling us about it.

 

[wc11]

How often do you drive with the window down?I'm curious if back-flow of exhaust fumes and whatever stuff they use to manage snow there in Toronto contributes to that corrosion. Or maybe it's just a failure of the window seals?

Has very little to do with the weather and everything to do with the amount of salt they use in the winter.

I replaced the whole assembly in my 3rd gent and thus sprayed my 4th gen liberally with Krown to help prevent the same from happening. It's not water tight in there after all, thus the drain holes at the bottom of the door.

 

[doele59]

plastic tabs

Experimented with different bolts , washer and nuts to get the best fit.

any place to get those replacement tabs? i am dealing with same issue now except the plastic tabs turned to mush and need replacement- i've found some aftermarket tabs for side and front windows but striking out finding toyota hatch window sash, dealers get the parts preglued on the windows and i'm trying to avoid buying a new window. also, do you know the part numbers or size/ threads of those 10mm bolts/ screws? mine are so corroded i can't tell what it used to be. thanks in advance

d

 

[lightfreak]

any place to get those replacement tabs? i am dealing with same issue now except the plastic tabs turned to mush and need replacement- i've found some aftermarket tabs for side and front windows but striking out finding toyota hatch window sash, dealers get the parts preglued on the windows and i'm trying to avoid buying a new window. also, do you know the part numbers or size/ threads of those 10mm bolts/ screws? mine are so corroded i can't tell what it used to be. thanks in advance

d

Sorry to hear , just forget about the oem tabs because they’re just not available.
You should be able to use something like this :
https://m.ebay.ca/itm/Toyota-Door-W...K6-SR5-2005-10-/252701504869?oid=180713412405
Glue it yourself with heavy duty sealant.

I just grabbed a bunch of random bolts with same threading as the original bolts , and matching nuts and washers . Don’t recall the sizes but any auto supply shop should have what u need.
The oem part numbers are here: https://parts.villagetoyota.com/sho...9376&ukey_driveLine=6156&ukey_trimLevel=14025

 

[nowherefast]

The new updated regulator.
Not sure when Toyota made the update but it's nicer material and with better treatment. Should withstand corrosion alot better than the original. I think this problem is just due to poor material used for the original regulator.
Other than the motor the rest of the interior tailgate looks pretty good, very little signs of rust.

Getting the old regulator out was pretty straight forward.

Motor was all corroded on the surface but still worked fine so I didn't bother replacing it.

How much did the new regulator cost?

 

[lightfreak]

How much did the new regulator cost?

$180 CAD purchased locally here through a buddy’s shop.
If you’re not in a rush just shop around online.

 

[jacksheadache]

We own two 4th gens. This just happened to one of them (the 04) out of the blue, boom, drop.

I use the crap out my back window (07) so this is a bit concerning.

Dropped it off at the dealership thinking it would be a simple clip and had a call explaining it would be around $800 to replace the regulator and then the possibility of the rear glass being damaged and costing upwards of $1800~ total. Your pictures make it pretty clear how this could be an issue when attempting to fix.

 

[WorkTheTrigger]

Do you have to remove the glass? I have to do this tomorrow, just checking to see.

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