Choosing New Windows

Posted on: 29 March 2016

Having your car broken into and getting things stolen is bad enough, but if you don't have glass insurance on your car, you will also have to pay for a getting a new passenger window installed on your car. You can save a few dollars if you do the job yourself. Here is how to replace the passenger window on a car door.

Remove the Door Panel

You need to remove the panel on the inside of the door to gain access to the window bracket. Before you can remove the panel, you'll have to take off the trim around the door handle and electrical control. The trim should pop right off with a flathead screwdriver. If you have a manual window, you'll also have to remove the handle to the window. Pop the cover off at the base of the window handle and remove the screw holding the handle to the shaft that connects to the window bracket.

In most cars, all you'll need is a small flathead screwdriver remove a door panel. Slide the screwdriver under the edge of the panel next to the clips and gently pop the panel out of the clips. Be careful; the clips are known to break easily. If you start breaking the clips with the screwdriver, you should get a clip removal device for door panels from an auto parts store (as well as extra panel clips to replace the ones you broke). There might be a couple of screws on the panel that can normally be removed with a Phillips-head screwdriver before you can remove the panel completely.

Remove Vapor Barrier

There will be a vapor barrier between the panel and frame of the door. Peel the vapor barrier back to expose the window mechanisms in the door. If you end up tearing the vapor barrier, you can use duct tape to put it back together before you put the panel back on the door after you've replaced the glass.

Replace Glass

The replacement piece of glass will come with clips on the bottom that you screw into the tracks on the window bracket inside the door. You need to remove the clips from the broken piece of glass first. Lower the window so the bolts for the clips slide into openings on the door frame. Remove the nut from the bolts and take the clips off of the bracket tracks.

There is a bolt down on the lower left side of the door frame that holds the tracks tightly to the window bracket. Take out that bolt to make it easier to adjust the tracks so the holes at the ends of them line up easier with the bolts on the clips of the new window.

Remove the rubber trim from the bottom of the window opening inside the door. This will give you a little extra space as you slide the new window into the door frame. Carefully position the window so it will drop down into the door and lower it down until the clips on the window reach the bolt holes on the tracks. Bolt the clips onto the tracks. Then replace the bolt that secures the tracks to the frame. You should also replace the rubber trim at the bottom of the window opening on the door.

Test Window

Roll the window up and down a few times to make sure everything works well. Replace the vapor barrier and door panel to finish the job.

If you feel you cannot do this on your own, contact a professional auto glass repair shop in your area, as they will have the proper tools and experience to do this for you.