Window clicking when going down

Technical info on the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix including do-it-yourself info
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firetech
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:26 pm

Window clicking when going down

Post by firetech »

I know there are several threads on here in regards to a loud clicking noise from the window as it goes down (most often the drivers window). In some cases it will cause the glass to break. The first step is to determine if it is the lift mechanism bolts (which are the subject of a recall) or if it is the door limit strap (sometimes called a stay or a check strap) hitting the glass. Open the door fully and operate the window, if the noise is still there it is the recall issue and can be handled via the dealer. If however the noise is gone you likely have the check strap issue, and that is the focus of my write up.
There have been solutions to this, usually involving taking the door apart removing the check strap and grinding one leg off of the back side "T" . This will work but the annoying click will eventually return with nothing left to grind off. I decided to figure out what changes and why the strap needs to be modified in the first place.
For some reason the angle of the strap causes it to pass into the path of the moving glass, in my case almost 3/4 of an inch of the strap moved in the "window zone", obviously it didn't leave the factory like this! It soon became apparent that the sheet metal inner structure of the door had been twisted and distorted in the area where the strap is bolted to the door. The whole structure has been pulled outward and angled inward. It appears this happens because of extended use, over extending the door, leaning on the door when its open or being flung or blown open. If you open the door fully and gently push on the door a little more "open" you can see the whole inner structure of the door flex. We need to move the sheet metal back into its original position.
I began by unbolting the single bolt from the door post to allow the door to open a little more, I used the biggest hammer that would fit and persuaded the area around the two bolts holding the stay to the door to move back into place. I left the stay bolted to the door to give it some structure for when I hammered it back. At this point it was better but still hitting the glass. I felt around and noticed the area up under the door seal had a kink in it as well. I carefully pried several of the door seal clips loose and taped the seal out of the way, I then taped a small piece of 2x4 to the door post and moved the door towards the closed position, this caused the raised portion of the inner door structure to contact the 2x4 By applying firm controlled pressure on the door it shoved the inner door structure back into place, Just don't go overboard or you could damage the door or bend the hinges etc. When I put the stay back in I now have almost an inch clearance between the strap and the glass when its down !
In the future it may happen again as once the thin sheet metal has been distorted once it will be easier for it to return to that position again. I think next time I will cut a narrow piece of 2x4 and put it in behind the stay to see if I can get away with just doing that alone as it made the most difference, meaning I also wont have to strip down the interior of the door(which was actually pretty easy following directions on this forum)
Hope this helps someone else with this issue, a good reference is to look at the same area of the other door. Usually the passenger door has way less use. in my case it was obvious how much the drivers door was distorted when comparing it to my passenger door.
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Chiadog
Posts: 971
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:41 am
Location: Abrams, wisconsin

Re: Window clicking when going down

Post by Chiadog »

Excellent information, and good trouble-shooting! Thanks.
Mark
Posts: 640
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 7:26 am
Location: Cheyenne, WY

Re: Window clicking when going down

Post by Mark »

I've had to grind the stay down twice on my 04 and now it's starting to click again. I think I understand the spots you're talking about, but some pics of what and where you're bending and hammering would be very helpful.
'08 Base Stealth, '05 Base Satellite
truckerick
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:52 am

Re: Window clicking when going down

Post by truckerick »

Just going to revive an old post here
So our 2004 Vibe has the same problem with the window hitting the door strap , it's actually broken 3 straps now so I decided to finally fix it for good.
I bought another new strap , ground off the part the window was hitting , drilled a hole in the middle of the strap end and installed a roll pin .
I also took a large screwdriver and jammed it into the old door strap holder without the strap in place ,and pulled outwards , bending the front side of the door back into place .
It seems to have worked because now I have around 1/4 inch clearance between the strap and the window .
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