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MG MGF Technical - Driver's Window Overlapping Hood

Hi All,

Would appreciate tapping into the vast library of knowledge. I'm having a bit of trouble with the driver's side window on a 99VVC 'F.

At the front of the window, it all fits very nicely where it should do and, other than a tiny gap at the top where the hood meets the top of the window, everything is nice.

The problem is at the back of the window where the glass is overlapping the black soft hood. The plastic surround around the window at the front sits plush to the glass and appears to push it in a bit so it fits into the seal nicely. At the back, however, this isn't the case and the glass now sits outside the hood. It appears that this has been the case for a while as the hood now has a pressure mark where the glass sits on the outside. Since the F has now become my pride and joy (and a far superior vehicle to my Punto!!), I thought it's about time I leapt into things and started having a go at fixing things myself.

Any advice, hints, tips etc would be really helpful. I've already had a quick look in the archives, but can't find anything particularly helpful!

Thanks all,

Jon.
S381YEV
Jon

Hi Jon,

Unless someone has done something seriously wrong, like fitting a wrong part or something, it is just a matter of adjusting the window. The glass will adjust in just about every direction and sometimes it takes a lot of patience to find the optimum position (and as you know most dealers don't have enough patience and even if they do time costs a lot of money).

If you fill confident enough, I suggest you tr and do it yourself. It is not difficult, just fiddly. You will need to remove the door trim to gain access to the adjusting screws. A full description is available at Dieter's website:

http://www.mgfcar.de/adjust/index.htm


Good luck
Spyros
Spyros Papageorghiou

And don't put the door trim back until you are compleatly satisfied with the fit
Will Munns

Might have a broken window stopper. Common fault and there have been about 3 versions of this. The current one is pretty solid.

- Andy
S6 AJG
Andy Gilhooley

Jon,

Sounds like your window stop has broken. It is a cheap and cheerful bit of plastic that is fixed to the bottem of the glass (and therefore inside the door) that stops the glass rising too high.

Rover produced a more substantial item that is bolted to the bottom of the glass and it is this that you probably need to buy and fit.

If you remove the door trim you should find a couple of bits of broken plastic resting in the bottom of the door that will prove this is the problem.

Somewhere on the web someone has produced instruction on how to fit the new window stops. I unfortunately have lost the bookmark. Bob's page does however talk about removing the door trim on http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/.

The windows stops cost less than a fiver from memory and they are a couple of bits of black plastic with a bolt. Don't accept any orange plastic ones these are the old duff units!

The bottom of the window has a hole in it about quarter of an inch in diameter. You bolt the stops through this hole. The head of the securing bolt has to be on the outside of the glass (i.e. the most akward way round!).

Max time to do both doors (and I would recommend doing both otherwise you go through the same hassle 2 or 3 months later on the other door - personal expereince here!) is about an hour. Very restful on a sunny weekend.

Cheers

Patrick

Hope this helps.
Patrick

Hi!

Thanks for the advice. I'm not too sure it's the window stop because the window doesn't go too high. It's the right height front and back, but the overlap is more along the left hand side of the window as you look from outside.

I'll have a look at the site that Spyros has suggested and see whether it's something I want to attempt.

Thanks again,

Jon
Jon

I thought by 99 VVC, all the window stoppers are in MK3??
Hanah Kim

Jon,

You are clutching at straws. If the window did fit and now does not is it surely very improbable that it has decided to go out of alignment all of a sudden. The top of the glass in the front not sealing and leaving a gap, with the rear of the window overlapping the sealing rubber is EXACTLY what mine did when the stop broke (on both windows!!!).

Cheers

Patrick
Patrick

Patrick is quite right - if the alignment of the windows has suddenly 'gone wrong' then it is almost certain that you are looking at failure of the window stop.

Directions as to replacement (a good deal simpler than adjusting the window as it turns out) can be found on Richard Eaton's site: http://www.mgfworld.co.uk (look under 'modifications' if memory serves).

Good luck Jon
Rob Bell

As I've only had the car for a month, I haven't said that the window has 'suddenly gone wrong'. From the indentation that the window has made in the hood, it looks as though it's been like that for a while.

I just want to get the thing fixed.

Thanks for your help.

Jon.
Jon

Might be worth looking at nonetheless Jon - maybe the stop failed with the last owner who did not bother to get the thing replaced?

Check out the condition of the stops before tackling the window adjustment. It is a quick job to complete whereas window adjustment takes some patience!!!
Rob Bell

Jon,

Look on the bright side - at least it has not rained in your month of ownership!

Cheers

Patrick
Patrick

Good point about the rain. The nice frosty air flowing through my rapidly depleting hair has been a nice experience.

I've had a quick experiment with the window. If I wind down the window a fraction, close the driver's door, push the window to the other side of the seal (thus avoiding the rim of the hood), get into the passenger side, wind up the window from there, lean across, take out the keys, get out the passenger's side and close passenger door. Problem quickly <!!!> and easily <???> solved.. not too sure what I'm going to do when I get in again though! :)

It could be the window stop.. but I still can't get to grips with why the window needs to be physically pushed to the inside of the seal and then wound up further.

Any ideas peeps?

thanks again,

jon.
Jon

I have had my MGF about a month and have the same problem with the driver's window overlapping the hood on the left hand side as you look at it from the outside. The reason for this problem ?
I noticed when I get out of the car and step back I had a tendency to half fall against the car with my arm in the exact position where the window overlaps the hood, and of course when the door is open and you do this there is nothing behind the edge of the hood to support it - therefore allowing the edge of the hood to turn inwards so that when the door is closed the window overlaps the hood.
My remedy... Don't fall against the hood
Massage the edge of the hood back into it's correct position and I think you'll find that the window fits perfectly...... It may take a few times for the edge of the hood to return to it's correct position but persevere it does work and it did solve the problem for me.
Mick

It's possible to live with failed window stops for... oh... 18 months and counting. Going to have to do something about it soon, because one of the retining clips on the passenger-side seal has now gone. Another of those 'one day...' jobs.

E
Ed Clarke

This thread was discussed between 15/04/2002 and 17/04/2002

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