Here is why they break:

The first two pictures are of the white slide, with the cable connector portion broken.

Look at it and compare to the red one, which is unbroken.

That bit of plastic is all that goes bad. Which sucks, there is no replacement for just that bit.

 

Designed to fail. Great write up:thumbsup:

 

Wow! This is like déjà vu... My window regulator broke on Friday and I replaced it on Saturday just like you showed on here. It broke in exactly the same spot as yours did. It was actually an easy job. Bought the whole assembly and put it in less than half an hour.

Great write up and pictures. Very helpful information for someone has to do this job.

 

Fantastic write-up, Scot! Now I am prepared for when this eventuates.

Two questions please:
1. Do you think the broken bit is fixable with a piece of metal "taped" over the broken bit with superglue to give it strength? Or is the shape too jagged for a metal piece to sit evenly?

2. Do you think the cable got caught somewhere or was this some lubricant running dry that resulted in this, or was this just failure from chronic plastic fatigue? If this was lubrication issue, I suppose we can lubricate it prophylactically once every 3 years to prevent it from happening...

 

How much were the individual parts to purchase?

Thanks.

 

Jinster: everything looks functional. I think the best action is to clean and lube the window tracks. The parts inside looked perfect with the factory lube still in good condition.

It COULD be fixable via adding more material. I think the stress just hits that one part and over time it snaps the plastic bits.

Cost is <$250 for both the water shield and regulator.

 

Just an FYI Maserati came out with a newer updated regulator for the QP's. Since the new style/part# has been out I have sold a lot less regulators. Seems to be a little more durable than the previous design. Not sure what they did, just sharing the sales history.

Regulators are around $200 retail.

 

Thank you for sharing that info.

Could you please provide part# to this new & improved window regulator. So when ordering in the future, one can know if it's given the old or new style regulator.

 

Also, what is that tool you have on your thumb? Is it used to remove the gummy stuff underneath the rain-shield?! I gotta get me one of those thingies.

 

HAHAHA! While none of my girls had any idea what a Maserati was before getting into my car, or really understanding my "But look, this part says ferrari on it" crazy eyed fervor, they do like the thumb ring. And that's what really matters.

 

My passenger side rear window stopped working two days ago. I can put the window up with my hands. I'm guessing it's only the regulator. I just ordered the regulator from Maserati of Sacramento. Thanks in advance for this tutorial. =)

 

How much was that at the Stealer? Er dealer?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Fixed

Had the same thing happen the other day to my driver's side door. Thought someone had thrown a big rock at me.

Purchased the part from the new dealership in Jacksonville for $188.00, and they shipped it that day. It took me about about 1.5 hours (first time), but next time about 30 mins tops.

Anyway, easy to fix and quick delivery from Jacksonville. I think anyone with a bit of time could save ~500 bucks in labor.

Cheers

 

Fixed

Had the same thing happen the other day to my driver's side door. Thought someone had thrown a big rock at me.

Purchased the part from the new dealership in Jacksonville for $188.00, and they shipped it that day. It took me about about 1.5 hours (first time), but next time about 30 mins tops.

Anyway, easy to fix and quick delivery from Jacksonville. I think anyone with a bit of time could save ~500 bucks in labor.

Cheers

can you provide me the name of the dealership you used in Jacksonville please?

 

I did the same thing, just installed myself. It's not very complicated just followed the forum instructions!!

 

First time for everything

I'm new to the forum and to owning a Maserati, just got my 2008 QP about 2 weeks ago. Within that time I have already lost one of my window regulators. Drivers side rear if it makes any difference. Anyhow, after removing the door panel and the regulator, I see that it has failed in the same manner as posted in this thread. The white plastic clip gave up.

So, I'm wondering if anyone as saved the clips out of their old regulator, as it looks like you could easily remove and swap the metal bracket from both clips and attach the bracket that was on the white one to the unbroken red clip and use this to repair any subsequent failures. I plan to keep these parts from my first replacement just in case this is possible.

Curious in the meantime if anyone has tried it in the past? I figure this would cut the cost of repair down to $400 for all 4 windows in the absolute worst case.

BTW thanks to the forum for the door panel removal instructions. Nice and easy when it's all detailed out! Also, while ther was a fair amount of grease on the slides still, almost none of it was left under the sliding plastic clips, probably lending itself to the failure.

 

Hi All
I'm looking for 08'QP window Regulator motor at this moment.but seens regulator motor didn't Sold separately from dealership or partshop.
I'll pay the reasonable price for your regulator motor that with working condition.
Let me know if you had used for sale plz.

Thanks

 

Here ya go KZ....

Exotic Auto Recycling, Leading part supplier for Ferrari, Maserati, & Lamborghini

 

Window platic clip

Does anyone have a part number or know where I can buy the plastic clips for the windows on a 2008 Quattro? These seem to be breaking all the time.

 

Regulator Replacement Done

Just wanted to thank SCOT for the nice post about replacing a broken window regulator. I just completed the repair on the right rear door. Took about an hour and really wasn't very difficult. I think the hardest part is getting the wood trim off.....that thing is really on there! I don't think Maserati intended for it to ever fall off! Anyway, this is a pretty simple fix for nearly anyone with even a modest degree of experience. I would add that removing the speaker from the door makes getting the regulator in and out easier and it is only secured with three screws. Also, I was very careful taking off the water shield and was able to re-use it without much difficulty.

 

No problem, glad I could help! Just a note though, the water shield on the fronts... is not going to come off without tearing. Definitely, positively get a new one for those.

For the rears.. What did you do to get it off? What was the temp out or did you use heat?

 

The temperature was probably about 75 degrees in my garage, where I did the replacement. I didn't use any heat. As you know, are actually two water shields; a smaller one behind the large one you see when you take off the door panel. Instead of trying to pull them off, I used a really sharp pocket knife to carefully cut the adhesive between the water shields and the door. Cutting it left some of the adhesive on the door and some on the water shields. It probably took a little longer than pulling them off, but I managed to get them off with very minimal tears, which I fixed with a little duct tape. When I put the water shields back on, they adhered themselves to the adhesive I left on the door. However, just to be sure, I went around the edges with a narrow strip of duct tape, sealing them up completely. It sure is nice to drive around without tape holding up the window.

 

how do you know when a regulator is on its way out? Is there a certain behavior you see other than it won't roll up any more?

 

I understand that there is seldom any warning.....the thing either works or it doesn't. In my case, the window worked normally until it was rolling up for the last time when there was a loud "bang" and the window fell about 6". I had to push the window up by hand and secure it with clear packing tape, which was all I could get at the time. It stayed that way until I got the new regulator. I tried buying a used regulator first, as it was half the price, but it was cracked in the same place my old one was, so I returned it and bought new. Works perfectly now. Good luck.

 

Does tear down preventative make sense?

I also saw a post about the door handles breaking a lot, seems that An extremely cheap fix could be done with a metal plate preventing the break from ever happening, and greasing the slide on the window regulator and adding a little thin material under the cable would prevent the window regulator from going bad?

Does it make sense to go in before it breaks?

Anyone with a little time on their hands wanna make the necessary pieces ? Lol

Those who have replaced the regulators...do you think that adding a small piece of something under the cable and lube would prevent the break from happening?

 

First, thanks for Josh at ECS for helping me with the parts. He saved my bacon a bit by getting a new "water shield." There is no way to get that thing off without ripping it, thin foam with SUPER sticky stuff holding it to the car.

First: http://www.maseratilife.com/forums/quattroporte/15889-diy-how-remove-front.html

Read that. The door panel is very easy to remove, just follow the instructions.

After that you will need to disconnect the door pull, and a number of electrical connectors. They are a mix of fold over and press release connectors. The one near the front actually stays together, chase the wires to where they connect to the door. You will find a few velcro strips holding wires down. Unplug from the door itself.

First picture is the water shield. The white thing...
View attachment 15663

Next is the attachment for the door latch. Don't forget to put this back in the connector when you put the door back together... Not that I did that or anything.
View attachment 15664

Here is one of the couple slide connectors. These have a lever on the top with a stop. Push the stop in and slide the lever, the connector comes apart very easy. The other connectors are standard pressure connectors with a small latch. Make sure that when you put it all back together that the stop is in.

View attachment 15665

Sticky stuff. Get it ALL off. Takes a while but it will come off

View attachment 15666

Tape your window up. It *WILL* fall if you don't. (and probably shatter)
View attachment 15667

Here is the right hand side of the regulator. The old one is underneath in the door. Just to give you an idea of how it sits in the car. Notice that the motor has a bolt on it (rubber mount).

View attachment 15668

Here is the left side.

View attachment 15669

This is the left side window bolt. This needs a 10mm wiggle socket as it is at a slight angle.

View attachment 15670


Right hand side, nothing special. Just a 10mm bolt.

View attachment 15671

Here is the connector for the motor. It is just behind this portion of an interior water shield. Disconnect without removing the shield, just be careful.


So as for instructions, it is a straight forward job. There are 7 bolts/nuts to undo. Two on the left support, One on the left window connector. Then two on the right support, one on the motor and one on the right window connector. Undo all of them and your window should stay exactly where it was if you did everything right.

The regulator will come out of the bottom hole, just give it a few minutes of fiddling. Be VERY careful about the interior water shield. You can do this without damaging it.

Then slide the new regulator up and in. All of it goes in, the left hand side has two bolts on the unit right out of the box. Leave them on. Push it up and into the openings and back down (it will be obvious when you see it.) Then do the same on the right side. Make sure the galvanized metal window connectors are on the inside of the window connectors. Bolt it all down and viola. Done.

It is VERY fiddly to get it in, but it does work.

Then put everything else back together, though I would plug the two middle connectors into the door panel and turn on the car to make sure all of the electronics are working.

Thank you for the instructions. I was able to change my left rear window lift motor in less than an hour....

 

Thanks to this forum,
1st regulator , pass front went out last month, had no choice but to go to Maser in Tyson Corner, and they charged me 695 out the door and got it done quick. However I was still not happy.

Second one popped yesterday, same crappy issue with that plastic piece. I luckily took the whole regulator out, zip tied the window up, and have to travel the next two weeks with it before getting a new one. I am ordering from Sacramento Maserati, their price is 233 plus ship and it won't take me an hour to get it in. Now thats reasonable for me, as long as it lasts.

Only issue with the car now is a cranky cold starting in the morning on cold days. Warm days its fine, but cold ones it doesn't like. Its either my fuel system issues or who knows what.

 

outstanding write-up, saved to my favorites......

 

My driver window was starting to stop 1/2 way up and 1/2 way down...it's like the window was too hard to move that the motor was stressing to move it. Rather than wait for the regulator to give out...I lubed the regulator channels with white lithium spray grease.

I also lubed the window channels with spray silicone. Both courtesy of WD40 line of products at wal mart.

Now the window goes up and down smooth again...without stressing the motor.

After that I bent a piece of aluminum and put it on the door handle plastic piece so that it wouldn't break down the road.

I'll report back after some time to let u all know if these preventative measures held up.

Thx for the detailed instructions.

 

Update



2 months later...window still operating properly. No problems yet. Window goes up and down with ease. Now the other side is starting to slow down, I'm going to do the same preventative measures on it also.