Toyota Starlet EP91 Door issues

[Sick Puppy]

Sorry for the long post

Hi everyone, my wife has a ’96 EP91 Starlet Glanza that has, well, seen much better days. It has done 180km, but having been owned by boy racer wannabes beforehand, it’s had the crap thrashed out of it. It’s our hack, I’m not looking to win any concours contests for it, but there are a few broken bits that are annoying the crap out of me and I’d really like to fix.

* Door - The drivers’ side window doesn’t work properly, and is jamming when it’s about halfway up. The switch and regulator appear to be working fine – the problem appears to be something to do with the window catching on parts on the outer side of the window, in particular the outside trim piece / seal piece on the top of the window sill. This part appears to have broken or dislodged itself in some way around the front part by the mirror, as it’s now bent. I noted there were green clips along the piece, and the front of this was on the wrong side to the others further back. Whit this has been corrected, I don’t know what could have caused this. Any ideas here please? How difficult is this piece to get to and remove / replace? Do I pry it up from the outside, as it is now at the front, but all the way down the piece, or do I have to access it from inside the door? Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be wrong with the mechanism ideas / experience wise? I know I will be taking it apart in the future, but I’d rather ask here and get advice rather then take a punt and $&#$% up expensive / hard to replace bits...

* Light chime. Where is it located, and how do I replace it please? I’ve killed the battery I don’t even know how many times as I keep on leaving the lights on. Yes, I should just remember to turn the $&#$% lights off, but for those times I’m stupid enough not to, it would be nice to get this sorted.

* Door sensor – While I’m at it, the door sensor on the driver’s side doesn’t work. Open the passenger side door, the ‘door open light’ goes on; open the drivers’ side door, nothing. Is this related to the chime? Again, is this easy to repair/replace?

Since this all appears to be coming form the driver side door, I’m figuring that I need to be doing stuff to the door, so it’s likely I’ll be doing all this at once. Has anyone got any advice about working on these door mechanisms, and how much of a PITA they are to fix? Is it something I can do myself, or because of the bits, confined spaces and glass involved, something I should take to a specialist?

[Bling]

You can buy a replacement chime from the likes of supercheap, pretty easy to wire in. Had to put one in mrs' car. For the door sensor, have you tried swapping them over? Try that if you haven't to eliminate the sensor itself being at fault.

[Sick Puppy]

For the door sensor, have you tried swapping them over? Try that if you haven't to eliminate the sensor itself being at fault.

[slaps forehead]

Dear God, I can't believe I didn't think of that... I've even done that before! Thanks for that!

As for the chime bit, to be fair, I don't even know where the part is located, so wouldn't know where to install its replacement. Pretty much why I'm asking here!

[Bling]

The replacement won't be like the factory one. It's basically a speaker with two wires. One goes to battery, one goes to headlight fuse or something. Think of it as aftermarket rather than direct replacement. I forget where I mounted the speaker, but you can hide it where the wires reach I guess. Does the trick and didn't cost much. I have no idea where the factory one is either, probably some impossible place to get to under the dash.

[Garreth27]

this may seem stupid but if all the problems are from the same door, thought about replacing the whole door?

[strx7]

this may seem stupid but if all the problems are from the same door, thought about replacing the whole door?

the door closed sensor is on the body, not in the door.......

[Caribeena]

Dont think they have a light chime at all. The wife had one also and ended up wiring one in from jaycat

[siren676]

They do have a light chime, its on a little chip on the back of the dials. Just get the drivers for sensor fixed and it'll work.

[spoonza6]

this may seem stupid but if all the problems are from the same door, thought about replacing the whole door?

the door closed sensor is on the body, not in the door.......

Think he was meaning re: window jamming.

Yep, chime can't chime if it's told door is closed due to broken sensor

[Sick Puppy]

For the door sensor, have you tried swapping them over? Try that if you haven't to eliminate the sensor itself being at fault.

They do have a light chime, its on a little chip on the back of the dials. Just get the drivers for sensor fixed and it'll work.

You guys are awesome! Swapped them round, sorted! Now off to wreckers to get replacement one. Thanks everyone for the advice, now for the window!

this may seem stupid but if all the problems are from the same door, thought about replacing the whole door?

Nah, not a stupid question.

I want to sort it without my wife knowing about it until it's done, and I think replacing a whole door may take me a bit longer than that! lol Also, I'm just fed up with her grumping at me because I kill the battery, and I figure this is easier than working on my memory.

May have to replace the door if the window mechanism is jamming up, or missus will just stop using it - have I told you this is the hack and she doesn't care about it very much? If it was salvageable, I'd get the bits and make it work better, but it is beyond that I'm afraid. lol I've got pics of the trim piece in question, I'll post em up as soon as I'm able.

[crispy'86]

Are you talking about the rubber trim that goes down that side. Should have a metal strip that's bolted to the bottom of the door, access from behind door trim. So trim off, maybe get a replacement metal strip and window rubber. Shouldn't be too tricky to sort. Just ask round here for one ya never know your luck.
Have seen this exact thing from the rubber swelling, maybe someone in the past has accidentally rubbed an oily substance over the rubber. then it's swolen and the heat from the sun has hardened it??

[Sick Puppy]

Sensor - sorted Even got a faux button for the central console, since it had been fitted with a useless switch.

As for the window though, $&#$%, I've gone and done it again and jammed the window - I pressed auto by mistake, and before I remembered / realised, the window is stuck. ARRRGGGG! I'll get it sorted / unjammed for now, and post pics this arbo.

[Sick Puppy]

Alrighty then... pics up!

The door trim in question from the inside:

From the outside, pried up slightly to show the green clips:

And the other side, where the trip is flush and okay:


I've managed the get the window back up - the window appears to be catching on the outside seal, and warping it, and when it doesn't jam the window motor, it pops the trip piece up.

Do I have to approach this from the outside, or take the interior trim out and get to it that way?

I hate this car...

[crispy'86]

So if it's catching on the exterior door trim, the one you prised to show the green retaining clips, there are a few options.
1) Perhaps eliminate this by removing it, raising the window and down to see if it operates smoothly.
2) Maybe somehow trim the inside of it carefully where the rubber meets the window, does it push out against the trim when it gets to a certain point when going up?
3) Get a replacement and see if that works

May be as simple as trimming something off if the strip has swollen or something as bad as a bent window regulator, doesn't take much to get it to jam. Had troubles with a wrx window with this same problem but the window came inwards and jammed in the door strip. pillarless doors FTL

[Sick Puppy]

So if it's catching on the exterior door trim, the one you prised to show the green retaining clips, there are a few options.
1) Perhaps eliminate this by removing it, raising the window and down to see if it operates smoothly.

[...]

3) Get a replacement and see if that works

Thanks for that - either of these two options sounds like a goer first, do I pry it off from the outside, or do I have to take the interior trim off first? Sorry to sounds like a n00b, but I have been known to break stuff while 'having a go'...

[Bling]

It may be one of those parts that breaks while having a go, so you'll have to be careful I'd probably whip off the door card and operate it so you can see everything in action. It could even be a fault inside the door with the mechanism. If i'm doing 100km/h in the van and try wind (no electrics here...) it up, it jams on the inside trim. So I imagine something is either not right inside the door, or is not adjusted right. Could be a similar issue. Could always try lubing the trim up when you have it out.

[crispy'86]

Could always try lubing the trim up when you have it out.

Just make sure you use something like dry lube stick if possible or graphite powder, works magic