Pair Rear Power Window Regulator w/Motor For 2001-2007 Toyota Highlander

How to Replace a Power Window Motor

Part1 Disconnecting the Window from the Motor

1 Remove the interior door panel. Most interior door panels are held in place with plastic interior fasteners. You can remove these fasteners by pulling on them until they pop out of their holes. Interior panels may also be held on with metal or plastic screws or even bolts.

2 Gently remove the plastic door cover. Beneath the door panel you will find a thin, translucent layer of plastic. This cover protects the interior of the vehicle from any water that may splash into the door from above and below. Carefully pull the door off of the sticky portions that secure it.

3 Locate the window mounting bolts. Depending on the design of your door, there are a few different places the window mounting bolts may be, but it should be fairly apparent when looking into the door. Look for the bolts attaching the window itself to the mechanism that raises and lowers it.

4 Move the window if necessary to access the bolts. In some cases, you may need to raise or lower the window in order to access the bolts. Turn the key in the ignition of the vehicle without starting the engine to move the window if need be.[4]

5 Remove the bolts while a friend supports the window. Use the appropriate sized socket or open ended wrench to remove the window mounting bolts, but ask a friend to hold the window up as you do to prevent it from falling down once it’s disconnected.[5]

6 Raise the window up into the door frame. Have your friend raise the window up into the door frame as though you had rolled it up normally. Ask them to hold the window in place until you are able to secure it.

7 Use masking tape to secure the window in place. With your friend holding the window up, pull off three or four strips of masking tape that are each about a foot long. Stick the strips to the window on each side over the door frame to hold the window up while you work.

Part2 Disconnecting the Motor and Regulator

1 Remove the window regulator bolts. The window regulator runs the width of the interior portion of the door and moves back and forth in order to raise and lower the window. Find the bolts that hold the regulator to the door and remove them with a socket or open ended wrench.

2 Locate and remove the window motor mounting bolts. The power window motor is much smaller than the regulator, but should be located close by. In most applications, the bolts securing the motor to the door are the same size as the regulator mounting bolts. Remove them and set them someplace safe as well.

3 Disconnect the motor wiring harness connector. The power window controls attach to the motor and regulator via a wiring pigtail connector. Press the tab down to disconnect the pigtail then pull them apart to disconnect the motor.

4 Remove the motor and regulator through the access port. With the pigtail disconnected, the power window motor and regulator will no longer be connected to anything inside the door. Reach into the large access port and pull them each out.

5 Connect the regulator to the new motor. If you are only replacing the power window motor and not the regulator itself, you will need to disconnect it and connect it to your new power window motor. Visually inspect the two to make sure the new motor matches the old one, then swap the regulator.

Part3 Installing a New Power Window Motor

1 Slide the new motor and regulator back into place. Insert the power window motor and regulator back into the main service port in the door in exactly the opposite order that you removed them in when disassembling the door.

2 Replace the mounting bolts. Hold each component in the appropriate position as you return the mounting bolts that secure both the power window motor and the regulator. Thread each bolt in by hand first, then use a wrench to tighten them.

3 Reconnect the electrical connector. Once the power window motor and regulator are both mounted securely to the door, connect the wiring from the motor to the pigtail you disconnected previously. This will reconnect the power window switches and power source.

4 Remove the masking tape and lower the window back down. Ask your friend to hold the window again. Once they are in place, remove the masking tape that is holding the window up in the door frame. Once the tape is removed, your friend can lower the window back into the mounting bracket.

5 Insert the window mounting bolts. Have your friend hold the window in the correct place so the holes in line up with the holes for the window mounting bolts. Once the window is in place, thread the window mounting bolts in by hand, before tightening them with the wrench.

176 Reinstall the plastic liner and interior panel. Once the window is mounted again, you can reattach the plastic interior cover, then reinstall the interior panel over the door. Insert the door mounting bolts or snaps to hold it in place.