Hi all. I roll down the rear window quite a bit, and the other day it suddenly starting acting up. It rolled down just fine when I was staring my drive home from work, but it made horrible grinding sounds and struggled to roll up once I got home. The only way to get the window back up was to put my key in the rear hatch and roll it up a tiny bit at a time to avoid the auto-roll down safety mechanism. It sounds really course and gritty. Has anyone experienced this or have an idea of what I should be looking for when troubleshooting it?
Rear Window Problem
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TrkyMfns
New member
It sounds like the safety mechanism is being activated due to excess resistance in in the window tracks. This is likely caused by dirt and debris. I would try cleaning out the tracks with a q-tip and some rubbing alcohol. Afterwards, spray some silicon lubricant in the tracks and give it a go.
I popped the rear interior trim panel, removed the speakers, and gained access to the tracks. The tracks were perfectly clean and well lubricated, and the wheels that carry the cable were all in great shape. To get a better view of the motor, I lowered the window and looked down through the top. That's when I saw the problem.
I could see the motor assembly was covered in a layer of utah clay, and there is a part that looks like it spools the cable. Part of the metal cover that houses that unit was missing and you could see inside it. I could see the cable wrapped around a spool of some sort, and parts of the cable were frayed. I am thinking something got pulled in on the cable, found its way in there, and was grinding away at the cables. At some point, the housing was fatigued and it punched through it like a baby bird breaking out of an egg. The section missing is about half the size of a postage stamp, and you can see the clean fatigued metal on the edges, yet the entire housing is covered in red clay.
Seeing as how the motor assembly and the cable will need to be replaced, this looks like it's going to be a much bigger job than I was thinking.
I could see the motor assembly was covered in a layer of utah clay, and there is a part that looks like it spools the cable. Part of the metal cover that houses that unit was missing and you could see inside it. I could see the cable wrapped around a spool of some sort, and parts of the cable were frayed. I am thinking something got pulled in on the cable, found its way in there, and was grinding away at the cables. At some point, the housing was fatigued and it punched through it like a baby bird breaking out of an egg. The section missing is about half the size of a postage stamp, and you can see the clean fatigued metal on the edges, yet the entire housing is covered in red clay.
Seeing as how the motor assembly and the cable will need to be replaced, this looks like it's going to be a much bigger job than I was thinking.
I am just completing a liftgate rehab and will be posting some info and photos soon. But I can tell you that the window mechanism assembly is made up of two parts: The actual motor (~$400 I think) and the window mechanism (~$140). It sounds like your problem is likely just the mechanism. I replaced my mechanism and bolted the old motor back on to it.
Changing the window mechanism is pretty straightforward and is well described in the repair manual. I'd avoid operating the window unless absolutely necessary; burning out the motor because of a faulty mechanism would be expensive .
Changing the window mechanism is pretty straightforward and is well described in the repair manual. I'd avoid operating the window unless absolutely necessary; burning out the motor because of a faulty mechanism would be expensive .
Thanks for the info! I definitely stopped using it because it's in pretty bad shape. I had to wrap some gaffers tape on the window and use some vice grips to give it an assist to roll it back up. It looked like the cable itself was also frayed. In your work did you get a feeling for how much work it is to replace that cable?
The cable, rails, pulleys, etc. are all a single part on the Toyota diagrams (window regulator). I wouldn't attempt to replace just the cable-- your time is worth more than the $112 it costs for the whole regulator.
Humble Leader
Senior Member
I have not seen any 5th gen 4runner replacement videos. there is a 4th gen replacement video. it can be hard if you've got rusty bolts and not a second set of hands to help you with the glass. when my window stopped working I just bought the entire regulator and motor OEM online (they are $$$$ when buying over the counter) and had toyota do the work for me