How To Replace Window Motor 2004-09 Subaru Outback
Created on: 2018-05-16
How to repair, install, fix, change or replace a weak, noisy, damaged or defective power window motor on 08 Subaru Outback.
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step 1 :Removing the Door Panel
- Pry out the trim door behind the door handle
- Pry off the door pull
- Remove the Phillips screw from the door pull
- Remove the Phillips screw from the door handle
- Pry out the door panel with a trim tool
- Lift the door panel off
- Disconnect the electrical connector
- Disconnect the cables from the door handle
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step 2 :Removing the Mirror
- Disconnect the wiring harness
- Pry off the cover with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the three 8mm bolts from the mirror
- Remove the mirror
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step 3 :Removing the Speaker
- Remove the Phillips screws from the upper speaker
- Disconnect the wiring harnesses from both speakers
- Remove the Phillips screws from the door speaker
- Remove the speaker
- Pry off the harnesses with a trim tool
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step 4 :Removing the Window Glass
- Peel off the water vapor barrier
- Pry off the lower panel with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the two 10mm bolts from the inside of the door below the mirror mount
- Remove the two 10mm bolts from the exterior of the door below the mirror mount
- Lift the sail corner up and out
- Remove the two 10mm bolts from the window guide
- Pry up the window guide
- Remove the metal window guide clips from the door
- Plug in the window switch
- Turn the key to the ON position
- Lower the window down slowly
- Disconnect the window switch
- Remove the 10mm nuts from the window
- Lift the window up and out
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step 5 :Removing the Window Regulator
- Disconnect the window regulator connector
- Remove all but one of the 10mm bolts from the regulator
- Slide the regulator down and out
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step 6 :Removing the Window Motor
- Secure the metal gear to the bracket with locking pliers as the regulator is spring loaded
- Remove the Phillips screws from the window motor
- Keeping your fingers clear, gently pry the motor from the regulator with a flat blade screwdriver
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step 7 :Installing the Window Motor
- Apply white lithium grease to the motor gear
- Insert the motor to the regulator
- Tighten the 10mm bolts to the regulator
- Release the locking pliers
- Apply white lithium grease to the gear teeth and regulator tracks
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step 8 :Installing the Window Regulator
- Hand-tighten a bolt to the regulator
- Insert the regulator into the door and hang it by its bolt
- Tighten the 10mm bolts to the regulator
- Connect the electrical connector
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step 9 :Installing the Window Glass
- Insert the window into place
- Tighten the 10mm bolts to the window
- Connect the window switch
- Insert the metal window guide clips to the door
- Insert the window guide into place
- Insert the metal corner panel into place
- Tighten the four 10mm bolts to the metal corner panel
- Replace the vapor barrier
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step 10 :Installing the Speaker
- Insert the speaker into place
- Tighten the Phillips screws to the speaker
- Connect the wiring harness
- Insert the upper speaker into place
- Tighten the Phillips screw to the speaker
- Connect the wiring harness
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step 11 :Installing the Mirror
- Insert the mirror into place
- Tighten the 10mm bolts to the mirror
- Connect the wiring harness
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step 12 :Installing the Door Panel
- Connect the cables to the door handle
- Connect the electrical connector
- Lift the door panel on
- Tighten the Phillips screw to the door handle
- Tighten the Phillips screw to the door pull
- Press on the door pull trim
- Press on the door handle trim
Tools needed
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Razor Blade / Gasket Scraper
Socket Extensions
Flat Blade Screwdriver
8mm Socket
White Grease
10mm Socket
Ratchet
Needle nose pliers
Trim Tool Set
Hi, I’m Mike from 1A Auto. We’ve been selling auto parts for over 30 years!
In this video, we will be removing and replacing a front window motor in a 2008 Subaru Outback. We'll start by opening the door. First we're going to take this little trim piece off. You can use a flat blade tool. Carefully, behind the panel, pull it, and then you can use your fingers to pull it back. There's three little clips.
Next we're going to take this trim piece off here with a flat blade tool. There's a little area to put your screwdriver. Push down and pull it up. There's clips on the back. Next we're going to take this trim piece off. We're going to pry it down right here with a flat blade tool, being careful not to damage any of the surfaces. We're going to pull it out. This is difficult to come out. There are clips and retainers that hold it in.
We're going to start with a Phillips head screwdriver. We have three screws one there, one here, and then one up here. Next we're going to use a door panel trim tool. We sell these at 1AAuto.com. We can go in behind. Pop off the clips. Then you just lift and pull back.
On the inside, we're going to pull the inner-door latch and lock mechanism off. We have to pull this cover up. We have to disconnect these cables. We're going to pull out, and then you're going to pull up. The little ball will come up. Do the same with this one.
Next we have to disconnect our connector for the window switches. You're going to push this little tab here and pull it down. Then we're going to disconnect our door light. We're going to push down on this tab, and it's going to pull right out. All right. We're going to remove the mirror now. We're going to disconnect this connector right here. There's a little tab. You just push it in. Then we're going to disconnect this cover right here. Use a little flat blade tool. Pop that off.
All right, so we have three fasteners right here. I'm going to be using a eight millimeter socket with an extension and a ratchet. Carefully pull that one out. Before I pull this one out completely, I want to support the mirror on the outside. Then pull the mirror off. Use a Phillips head screwdriver to take this speaker off. Disconnect it at the connector right here. Push on the lock. Disconnect this speaker too. Push on the lock. Pull that out. Use a Phillips head screwdriver. Pull this speaker out. Hold the speaker while I pull this last bolt out.
We're going to pull these off with a trim tool. All right, we're going to use a razor blade and cut some of this to pull it back. It's very sticky. We want to peel this back all the way around. Pull these cables through and all the wires through. There we go. Just set this aside.
We'll take this panel out. Just use a flat blade tool. It comes right out. We're going to remove this 10 millimeter bolt with a 10 millimeter socket extension and small ratchet. We're going to remove this 10 millimeter nut. Remove these two 10 millimeter bolts from the outside. Pull this out. Move that out of the way. Take these two 10 millimeter bolts out. You're going to hold this bracket. This is just a window guide. Then this is going to roll right out.
Hold the window up a little bit while you take these out. Before we take the window out, we're going to pull this little tab. Use a trim tool. Then there's a little Phillips screw here. Then our clip, it's broken on this car. Pull this out. Then this piece of trim pulls up. We'll pull it up over here. There we go.
Plug the window switch back in. Turn the key on. Then we're going to put our window down. Put it down slowly. There's an access hole right down here. You want to get the nut down to that access hole. There's the other nut. Pull the window switch connector out. Turn the key off. Pull it out.
Now it's a good idea to have a friend support the window while you take these out. Take this out too. There's the first nut. Take this nut out. Pull the window off the regulator. Now the window should be separated. Tip the window down a little bit in the front. Pull up. Pull it out of the track.
This part needs to come out right here. It's a little wider right in this area to get that front piece out. We'll disconnect our regulator connector. Take these 10 millimeter bolts off. This 10 millimeter bolt, you don't have to take it out completely, just loosen it. That'll just sit right there.
Take these two 10 millimeter nuts out, and because I left that one in, then I can just slide up on the regulator. It's going to fold like a scissor. Be sure to watch your fingers so you don't get your fingers caught. Pull it out.
Here’s our window motor and regulator. We're going to need to remove the motor from the regulator to install the new one. One thing you want to keep in mind, this is spring loaded. Right now if we pulled this motor off this bracket would swing this way. You want to be very careful. You don't want to have your fingers through any of these holes and in there.
To secure this piece to this piece, we're going to use some locking pliers right here. Tighten them up real tight and lock them down. That will hold this from twisting when pulling out. All right. We're going to take a Phillips head screwdriver, and we're going to take these bolts out. They're on there pretty hard.
Make sure you keep your fingers away from the teeth. We're going to get the last one out, just holding the motor, keeping your fingers clear, just pry up on this. It just moved a little bit. As you can see, this is our old window motor. This is our new window motor from 1AAuto.com. The design of it is the same. There is some differences. This has an electrical connector. That's different. But the connector itself is still the same. It's just got a wiring harness. But the actual body and the start is still the same and has the same amount of teeth as you can see. So get yours at 1AAuto.com, and you'll be ready to rock and roll.
Before we install our motor, I'm going to put a little bit of white lithium grease on this gear so it doesn't wear out prematurely. I'm holding the bracket from here and we just slip this in. Put our three screws in. Snug these screws real tight. All right, while I have it out I'm going to put a little more grease on these teeth. It's white lithium grease. And so we're going to do the tracks as well.
All right when we put this back in we want this to be folded down, this scissor part like that so it's easier to fit in there. And we just slide it in. Get it in all the way. We're going to slide that down like that. Try to get these two studs in first. Then you slip that 10 millimeter bolt over. Make sure you pull the wiring harness through. Now we can line up the other holes with the bolts. Put this nut on. Then we can tighten them all down once they're all in. Snug it down.
Now we're going to slip the window in. We're going to slip the front in at this are right here. That's a little bit wider. The back slips in back here. There's a channel in the back that this piece right here needs to fit in. So that's in the channel in the back. Then slide it down. Now there's a channel over here in the front. This has to go in that channel. Now slide down. As we slide it down, I'm going to line these studs up.
That stud has to line up with this bracket. Push it down a little bit. There. Right there. Then this one's going in up there. While still holding the window, grab the nut. Put the nut on. Take the nut on our socket and extension. Put it in.
Now our window has moved up a little bit, so we're going to have to put this in with my fingers. Tighten this one down. Now I could either put the window down just a little bit more to line it up with the hole to tighten it, or I can use a 10 millimeter wrench. Just tighten that up.
I'm going to reinstall my outer window trim. Our tab is broken on this window, but if your tab wasn't broken, you're going to install the Phillips screw right here that would hold the trim on. Now we can install this with our grommet. We're going to install these window guides. Just slide it over like that. Put the 10 millimeter in. Snug those down.
Next we're going to install this bracket. Slide it down. Make sure that stud comes through. Put the bolt in right here. Before you tighten it up, these two bolts go from the outside. Snug those down, and put our nut on. Snug it down and then tighten this down last. Now with all that in, we're ready to check the operation of the window regulator. We'll just start by plugging this in. We'll plug in our switch. I'm going to turn the key on. Then we'll activate the switch. It won't go down. And it looks good.
We know our window works. We're going to disconnect the electrical connector again. Before we put the vapor barrier on, we are going to reinstall this plastic piece. It just has clips, so you can just push it down. Now we're going to put the vapor barrier on. This black stuff gets all over the place, so be careful. Get it set on the top first like that.
The wires are going to slide through over here. This wire will slide through here. Let's see. This one goes here. That one goes right there. Push it all the way around. Good. We're going to install the speaker. Take your Phillips head screws. Line it up in the hole. That one's started. Line up the second one and then the last. We'll connect the connector. Snap it in.
So we're going to connect our connector right here like that. Pull this speaker down. Take our Phillips head screws. Line it up with the hole. Take our Phillips head screw and tighten them down.
All right we're going to install our mirror now. I'm going to have in my right hand my eight millimeter socket with extension and the eight millimeter bolt ready so when I put it in I can install it right away. First I'm going to slide the connector through the hole. Then we're going to push the mirror down. And then we'll start the nut. Once that bolt is started, you can go get your other bolt. Once they're all in you can snug them right down. We can take our connector, plug it in.
Now we're going to reinstall the door panel. We're going to start where we left. We're going to reattach the door light. Just push it in. We're going to reattach the connector for the window switches. Just push it in. That's good. We're going to reattach the lever and lock mechanism with the cables. The small cable goes on the top. Take this ball, it goes in there first like that. Then you slide it over just like that. Same with this one. Ball goes in this hole and then goes through the slot. Then this goes down like that. Then you slide this cover down.
Next you want to take this, go in from the top. Get it in up top here. There's a groove. Once that's lined up you should be able to line the pins up and just push just like that. Phillips head screws and a Phillips head screwdriver. Just start screwing in the panel. We're going to install this cover. It's going to slide in like that. Then this last cover up top. Now we're going to put this little cover on in there. This would've been easier to do before we put the panel back on. We'll cover that back up.
Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.
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