306 electric window now sticking after locator clip replaced

Don't think about running your window without that clip. It will fall off the regulator, and probably end up in a thousand pieces at the bottom of the door!! There is a plastic clip on the side of the glass running up and down inside the rear seal. Is this attached still? Also make sure the glass is located correctly in the front runner, at the bottom in the door. With the door panel off you should be able to see the runner just behind where the speakersits. Make sure the glass is running up and down the plastic runner correctly. With the door panel off, remove both the waist wiper seals. Does the glass run up and down when disconnected from the regulator. You should be able to guide it up and down fully by hand. If it does and is tight when connected back up, then the regulator is faulty. If it doesn't then there is something wrong with the runners.

Thanks for that Nigel,

I stripped it down again today and did some more diagnosis. Please forgive my lack of technical words, I'm not familiar with all of them, so I'll describe as seen.

As I stripped it down I noted that the glass was securely located in the front runner. I didn't see rear seal that you refer to, or the plastic clip, but forgot to look :o

I stripped down the system entirely, and as I rebuilt tested how easily the glass moved either manually or on the motor.

With the door panel off, the seals (two rubber seals running along bottom of window frame, either side of glass, presume these are the waist wiper seals) removed, the glass disconnected from the regulator, and the glass moved so that it was not located in the front runner, I noted that the glass moved (manually) up and down easily over the full range (top to bottom)

With the glass now located in the front runner I noted that the glass moved (manually) easily at the top of the range (from 1/2 way to the top), but at the bottom of the range was more difficult to move, and easily held its own weight in place (unlike at top).

With the glass now reattached to the regulator I noted that the window moved quickly over the top half of the range, but slow (though not painfully slow) over the bottom of the range (same as in manual test).

With the seals now back in place I noted that the above effect was even more pronounced, ie at the top of the range the movement was fine, but at the bottom it was struggling to squeeze through the seals. I compared the seals at this point to the ones on the driver's side and noted that the driver's seals where quite a lot looser. My finger could easily get between them, whereas on the window under repair its quite a squeeze.

With the door panel put back on I noted that the above effect was now even more pronounced. It appeared that the interface between the panel and the seal had now forced the two seals to be even more tightly squeezed together. The window now moves easily at the top of the range, but really struggles when coming up all the way from the bottom.

Not sure if any of these symptoms help anybody form a diagnosis, if so please let me know. There were a few specific questions that came to mind: Is it possible that the seal(s) are misfitted? (there didn't seem a way to misfit them to me)

Do the seals wear away or expand over time? (the surface touching the glass was quite rough)

Is there a 'wrong seal' that could have been misfitted by previous owner (from another model?)

Is there anything that I can put on the seals (or other parts) to make it run more easily ?

Or is all this quite normal ?

Thanks in advance tom saffell

It would be obvious if the clip was missing, as the glass would tend to fall forward away from the rear runner.

That's good!

Try adjusting the front plastic runner by loosening the securing nuts and lowering the glass to the bottom, then tighten the nuts.

I wonder if you need to widen the gap a touch somehow? Compare the gap in the two doors without the seals fitted.

Not really. It would be obvious if they were.

It may help to fit new seals.

Doubt it.

You could try WD40 on the runner seals (the vertical ones). A good dose of it sprayed with the straw attached from the top till it runs out the bottom. Don't bother doing the top seal. And, do NOT lubricate the waist seals as it will just smear the glass!

No! You say all this started when you fitted a new clip? Are you sure you fitted it correctly? The way I do it is to take the glass right out (you can then check the rear guide on the glass), fit the rubber part to the glass (from the outside in, I hope that makes sense!) then fit the metal clip. Refit the glass into the channels and make sure the rear guide is in the runner properly, and then pull the glass onto the regulator. Ensure the front of the glass is still in the plastic runner correctly. Then try. Good luck!!!

Nigel,

Thanks for those suggestions. I'll have a look and give them a go. One thing I can answer now - the fitting of the clip:

I fitted the clip with the glass in situ, about 3/4 of the way down, by reaching into the door panel. I took the metal clip off the rubber, and then inserted the rubber from the outside side of the glass (by reaching under). Once I got the inside lip all the way through the rubber felt properly located - I could spin it with a little effort. THEN I pulled the glass onto the regulator quite firmly, THEN I put the metal clip back into the rubber, and the glass was then very firmly held on the regulator, unable to move away from it at all.

This is obviously different from the emthod you suggested, notably in that i fitted the metal clip once the glass was on the regulator. When you do the method you suggested, does the glass 'click' onto the regulator (as the bluge in the regulator slides through the metal clip)? If so, then I guess the fit is exactly the same, if not then I may have misfitted it.

Thanks again,

tom saffell

You have done it correctly. It's just with my big hands (!) I find it easier to take the window out to fit the clip. It does 'click' as it locates in. You have to pull quite hard to get it to locate.