Window Button Replacement

[lino]

I've been wanting to this for a long time. I bought the parts years ago and never got around to it.



Below is the procedure on how to do it. In Step 5 of the service procedure of the front door, it says that " the screws are secured with a threadlocker type-compound".

My question is, are these screws a one-time use screw? Do I need to buy new ones?








Modified by lino at 10:11 AM 5/14/2009

[kimrober]

A great information!I always wanted to replace worn out buttons but didn't exactly know how to do it.Excellent find man

[jamesmost]

did u do it yet ?how long did it take ?any noticable difference bsides cosmetic ?James

[goody90q45]

A great information!I always wanted to replace worn out buttons but didn't exactly know how to do it.Excellent find man

Lino is the Master at finding and posting links to the useful and obscure and regularly gives us the benefits of his web surfing. He doesn't post often but you know he's out there lurking the forums. Thanks Lino.

[qship96]

Would seem easier to just mask/sand/spray paint current buttons while still on car?

[lino]

did u do it yet ?how long did it take ?any noticable difference bsides cosmetic ?James

I haven't done it yet James. I'm trying to figure out if I'll need any other screws or parts to do the job first. I want to do it purely for a cosmetic reason.

[lino]

I took a chance and went for it. I replaced 7 out of the 8 window buttons. One refused to co-operate and I gave up after 2 1/2 hours. The fortunate thing is that it was the best one.

The pros of doing this job:

- It looks great to finally not see those ugly old rusted buttons.

The cons:

- It took much longer than I thought it would.- I highly recommend you take your time like I did, otherwise things can easily break.- Corner trim cover pieces, the triangular ones, are super brittle. Be careful!- You need the proper tools! Screws can get stripped if you think all philips screwdrivers are the same. I didn't have the right pair of vise grip pliers and that made the job unnecessarily more difficult.- I would recommend buying some door panel clips, the ones that push into the door. It's not surprising to find 1 or 2 broken in each door.- I don't know if the new ones are in tight enough. They look fine, but I'm not sure.- I would buy new bushings, washers and guide rollers if I were to do it again. That way everything is new. - I realize now why I'm not a DIY and how much I love my mechanic!

I wanted to take pictures and do a full write-up, but unfortunately I don't have a camera anymore. I tried using my old cell phone and it didn't work out too well. Here are some random pics from the job.

I'll post pictures of the end result in a day or two when the sun finally comes back. I can't get a good picture in this dark and gloomy weather with my phone.

[SpartanAir]

Wow, I'm glad to know that this is possible, mine are looking pretty rusty. I think I might just go the route of sanding/priming, painting instead.

Does anyone know if it's possible to clean the stains on the glass caused by the rust?

[lino]

I used detailer's clay for that. It worked great for me. I forgot to mention that in my earlier post.

[AlabamaDan]

Now here's a little something to add to my "to do list." Thanks Lino!

[Infinitiguy19]

For those weary of using sand paper so close to glass try Evaporust soaked in a paper towel. Then mask the surrounding area and use spray paint.

This is the easy way out though...

[OwnerCS]

For those weary of using sand paper so close to glass try Evaporust soaked in a paper towel. Then mask the surrounding area and use spray paint.

This is the easy way out though...

Would seem easier to just mask/sand/spray paint current buttons while still on car?

Mine were somewhat faded. One button had some rust spots like it was from a different supplier/vendor. I resurfaced mine last summer. No issues so far with resurfaced buttons.

I used a combination of both type approaches then finished it off with a jewelers polishing brush on a Dremel tool.

Too many projects and so little time.