electric window cable snapped

[220bhp]

More problems with my coupe,while trying to fix my sun roof I tried to open the drivers front window and it just made a noise but wont open,took the door card of to have a look and it seems that the cable has broken,or at least I think that's what has happened.
One end of the cable is just hanging with a plastic sleeve and a spring. Has anyone had this happen and how easy is it to fix.

[Error404]

booger. more than likely either one of the roller the cable goes on has cracked and broken or sheared off, or the plastic tab that holds the cable guide to the frame next to the roller has broken, so the cable is loose. Either way you probably need either another frame or cable guide, or even both.

Don't wind the motor or it will chew up the cable, which you mgiht be able to salvage

[spink]

Very common fault,you are best off finding a whole mechanism and fitting that instead of mucking around(in my experience anyway).Be aware that there are at least 2 different fitments of these and they are not easy to see(mounting points),i cant remember the date they changed them for example a 1990 unit wont fit cars after 1993.

[220bhp]

It looks like the cable has broken where it meets the motor,should there be a nipple on the end or not,its hard to see without taking it all to pieces, which I don't have time to do at the moment.

[220bhp]

My mate just took a look and you are right I need a new window regulator, so has anyone got one for sale to fit a 1991 3b coupe drivers door

[Error404]

Lou, its worth keeping all the bit that are not broken... in the 3 coupes i have owned, i have had a broken roller twice, a snapped cable, a dead motor and a broken cable guide tab, so the remains of the broken one might come in handy one day matey

[Graham]

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21975&highlight=cable&page=2

[Graham]

Ah to add something to that link, the gearbox housing chewed out on mine a few month ago when work bust my window and the useless 84stards who fitted it operated the mechanism without a window. The housing just slides off cast pegs on the gearbox body, along with the gasket. Just put your thumbs onto the output shaft of the gearbox and fingers under the housing and lever it off. My drivers window was fitted shoickingly, the plastic pads were back to frond and upside down. They had bent the slide way, the bolts were loose and the door was full of glass. I stripped the whole mechanism out and rebuilt it on the floor, made a tight fitting wooden slide to straighten the rail and washed everything off. Now its super quick, smooth and scilent

[johne]

The regulator mechanism which consists of the cable and regulator box that attaches to the electric motor costs around £45 + VAT from Vagparts.

Graham's description of how to fit the cable is very helpful but I'd add that I found twisting the upper 11mm black plastic fitting to release it impossible to do with pliers as he suggested. I took a cheap 11mm socket and ground a slot down one side (just like some oxygen sensor sockets are) so you could slide it over the cable and then rotate the plastic.

Secondly, connect up the new cables but don't connect the regulator box to the motor. That way you can move the glass up and down in the frame and make sure the clamp on the wire is in the right place, then couple it up to the motor last before you put the whole assembly back in the door.

By carefully painting around the frame fixing bolts before removing them I was able to put the frame back in the same place and didn't have to do any adjustments to get a wind tight seal.