FAQ > Customer Glass > Door Glass Problems Knoxville's Finest Auto Glass Installation Center •  The Drivers Door Glass in my Lincoln Town car has stopped in the middle of it's operation and won't work  any more.   I can hear the motor operate, but it doesn't do anything.  Can Phoenix Glass repair this  for me? We sure can!   Hopefully it will be something simple, but in most cases in vehicles like yours, it usually requires  replacing the entire window regulator unit that raises your window up and down.  Over the years we have found that  this is a common problem on many vehicles that use this type of design.  Unfortunately the unit itself is what is  referred to these days as a "non serviceable item" and cannot be repaired, your only option is to have it replaced.  In an effort to save weight many auto manufacturers began using various designs of this type of door  glass regulators.  Ford by far isn't the only manufacturer that uses this type of window regulator as they are  commonly found in everything from Chevrolet to Nissan’s.  One of the main problems we see  happening is that the plastic parts "which carry the entire weight of the door glass" become  aged and deteriorate to the point that they fatigue and release the cable.  The second most  common problem is that the lead anchor attached to the end of the cable fatigues and  detaches from the cable like the OEM regulator pictured in figure 1. When that happens the  cables become tangled and damaged beyond repair in the drum/pulley mechanism that the motor or  window crank turns to raise and lower the window.  What about replacing it with a used regulator assembly? We will be happy to do that for you but from experience we recommend you replace it with a new “OEM” or after market “OEE”  part.  A used assembly sounds like a good idea but in the reality of this situation it absolutely isn't.  Keep in mind that a door  glass regulator of this type must endure a significant load.  Buying a used part that “is at or about the same age as the broken  one” your replacing isn't a good idea.  Most regulator assemblies must be contorted or manipulated to remove and replace the  units within the vehicle door which places to much stress on the older plastic parts.  Many times even when it appears all is  well the plastic parts will have small fractures you may not see at the time but after the first few times of operation, one or  more of the parts will fail and you will be right back here buying a new one in a very short time frame.  One major thing to  consider is that when these parts fail it's very possible that the door glass its self could be broken leading to an even more  expensive repair.  These types of window regulators work well as long as they aren't subjected to any additional loads.  If you  take care of them they will do their job for a very long time.  • Things you can do to help prolong the life of your window regulators. 1. Operate the window at least once a week.  This will help the windows keep becoming stuck in the glass run channels  they operate in as well as lubricate the regulator mechanism and electric motor bushings.  2. "Never" operate your windows in frozen icy conditions as they can be literally frozen to the Glass Run Channels.  Operating the window in that situation can and will cause major stress on the frozen plastic parts possibly causing them  to shatter or pull apart.  3. Keep the window felts that the glass travels up and down in clean, lubricated and  protected with a product such as "STP's Son of a Gun" on the rubber window felt  glass run channels.  Some people even use products like WD-40.  Be careful  what you use as some of these products can attack the very item your trying to  protect so read the product labels carefully.  • I had a door glass replaced in my 2002 Cadillac at another auto glass store a few months ago and it hasn't worked properly ever since, can Phoenix Glass fix the problem? If the problem is glass related we sure can.  A Cadillac, like many of today’s vehicles, is a fairly complicated automobile.  We  would be more than happy to have one of our Phoenix Glass technicians look at your vehicle and make an assessment.  Our first thought that comes to mind is that the auto glass technician that originally installed your new door glass more than  likely wasn't aware that the window in your car must be calibrated during the installation.  The links below will take you the I-  CAR web site where you'll find information on how these procedures are performed.  •  I have a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser and my drivers side window regulator need to be replace.  I purchased a  new one from my local dealer and it is a totally different design from my original one, what’s up with that?  We came across the same situation and we were also told the same thing by our local dealer here in  Knoxville.  Believe it or not the plastic regulator on the left is the factory replacement for the "OEM  Factory Installed" steel regulator unit.  At first glance you can see that it works in a totally different  manner and doesn't look near as durable.  It has a couple of serious issues, one is that the wire to the  motor moves up and down with the window so great care has to be taken to ensure it cannot get  hooked on anything within the door as it runs through its course of operation.  The 2nd is that, at least  in the 2002 model, the silver metal support brace in the photo cannot be used which takes away  support from the inner door panel.