Noise: 99 Camry LE Electronic Window

[wpfloor]

A few months ago, out of the blue, my driver's side door automatic window starting making an ungodly noise when going up (not so much so when going down).

It sounds like something is "dry" more than it does the mechanism is bad, but what do I know? The window mechanism itself still works just fine -- including seemingly going up and down at the same speed it always has (I time it with the passenger window) -- just is really making ugly "struggling" noise. Oddly, the sound has actually lessened since it began a few months ago, but I noticed yeseterday it seems to be getting louder again.

I am assuming whatever it is isn't doing the mechansim any good, and I am really concerned that whatever it is might eventually cause the mechanism to burn out. I'm having trouble enough meeting my everyday bills right now (who isn't?), so before paying a vi$it to my friendy Toyota dealer to find out what'$ wrong, I tthought I would post to this illustrious group to see if anyone else has/has had/heard of the problem, and if so, if anyone knows of a trick-of-the-trade or plain old do-it-yourself fix I could apply -- hopefully without having to tear the whole door panel apart -- but I am willing to do that, if that's what it takes. (Btw, if that is suggested -- tearing the door panel apart -- does anyone have instructs for doing THAT on a 99 Camry LE 4?)

This is my favorite car of all time so far (we've had a Corolla, then an Impala, then a Camry, then a Century, then a Camry, then an Intrepid and Saturn (at the same time), and now a Camry again -- see a pattern here?). But it seems to be starting to have "little" annoying and in some ways worrisome problems that I've been posting recently -- all since it has crossed over the 120K mile mark . I hope it is just asking for some TLC vs. letting me know this type of problem is going to be an ongoing thing now ... I do take care of it as best I can!

Thanks very much for giving this some noodle time ...

Bill F

[Maxemily]

No tricks will help I am afraid. The window regulators and motors go bad on these cars and there is no repair, only replacement. Toyota used an unusual cable system on the regulator and if you chose to try and do it yourself be very careful not to let the cable come off of the main pulley - what a pain in the a** to rewind. Good luck.

[white_93_camry]

Max,
Could you give me some tips on how to rewind the cable on the spool. Do i need to take the regulator out of the door? What is the easiest and best way to do this? I was driving down the street and my window just slipped all the way down. I tried the switch and couple of times and got a grinding noise so i quit till i got home. Once i found a guide online how to get the door panel off i got the regulator out of the door and the cable had somehow slipped out of the catch. None of the clips look like they are broken or bent so i attempted to put it all back together. But i found that the cable had twisted itself around the spool backwards and was kinked so i had to take the spool off. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm working 7 days a week right now so i don't have alot of time to do and redo this alot of times.