Because nothing in my world is easy, last night the rear left window on the newly resurrected Liberty decided not to go back up. It was dark out, but I pulled off the trim and lifted the window back into place to prevent the interior from freezing over, then went inside to pout. As I started looking on rockauto for a replacement regulator, I had this memory that I'd done this repair before... sure enough, in 2016 I bought a regulator for the same window. Given I put less than 300 miles on the car in the dead of winter before I parked it, it seemed unlikely even a cheapo regulator could have failed in that time.

This morning in the light I took another look. The issue is NOT the regulator. It still goes up and down just fine. The issue turns out to be how the glass attaches to the regulator.... There is a sheet metal bracket at the bottom of the glass with a single ball joint that engages the regulator and is secured with a little clip. My issue is that the sheet metal bracket bent, forcing the ball joint out of the clip. The window could go down as it just rode the regulator down, but couldn't go up because the regulator would jam against the window glass.

I bent the sheet metal bracket back into shape, the ball joint re-engaged the regulator easily, and the clip went right back into place.... now the window works again.

It seems the issue occurs when the window switch is held in the UP position too long - the motor will over time re-bend that sheet metal bracket and the ball joint will disengage. Probably, eventually, the sheet metal bracket just fails.

I read *somewhere* that the master window control in the center console provides a (current?) limiting function to prevent this from happening. The implication here being my regulator is fine and my switch is bad. Does anyone know anything about this? I can't be the first person to have this issue!

Guess the answer is "no."

In case anyone needs a visual, here's the score:



The lower glass support is a pretty flimsy metal bracket... I had found it had been bent by the lift (the white plastic part) forcing it upwards past the window's limit. I bent it back into shape with my fingers... that's how flimsy it is.

Over time, that bracket got bent too far, eventually forcing the ball joint out of the lift. I imagine the other failure scenario is excess wear on the lift itself... I see there are a couple "reinforcement kits" for the lift, like Steiger Performance, etc. IMO, the real issue is that bracket. If it stays in shape, it won't wear or break the lift, and it's won't ultimately disengage.

Not sure I care enough to do anything at this point... but maybe I will later.

So when it wouldn't go up you could hear the motor struggle or hum but no movement?

I remember reading about the reinforcement need.

There has to be some kind of limiting switch so kids don't decapitate their siblings when they hit the switch with their head out the window now days.

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2005 Liberty CRD, with 135,XXX miles. Rockers, exhaust valves, Provent, EGR block & butterfly delete & V6 air box at 100K

1998 XJ 4.0L, stock with 130,XXX miles

First Jeep: 1962 Willys CJ-3B

Just a CLICK from the motor, but no struggle or movement. It's totally possible that the reason for that is because when the lift is jammed against the glass the load is high enough to FINALLY trip the limit switch which would lend credence to that tech article I read. But I can't find any reference to that limit switch actually existing, and I'm hesitant to to spend a bunch of cash on a new switch hoping it fixes the issue.

OTOH, I gotta do something 'cause the thing broke again last night. Much worse this time, I think, as I heard what I *hope* is the clip go SPROING! inside the door.

From what I can tell, the limit switches are in the regular motor assembly.
And they can malfunction.

The “safety’s” are:
1. The lockout switch on the console.
2. The plastic gears in the regulator that will skip when there is too much resistance to travel.
(I can’t verify that it’s an actual safety but it does happen)

On my drivers door window the bottom limit switch works but the top doesn’t. When the window gets all the way to the top the gears skip loudly.

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U.S. Army Retired

I don't have that problem... when my window gets to the top, it just breaks.

It's up for debate whether than issue is the fault of some electrical component or a mechanical component. I'm cool with buying *another* new regulator if this one is just crap... er, well, this one *is* crap but I don't know if it's by design or what. I just don't want to buy another one and have it fail after a short while.

The metal part that is bending is glued or bonded to the bottom of the window glass looking at your picture.
Looking at the parts fiche, the metal part attached to the bottom of the window glass and is not available as a separate part, it comes with the glass
I could not find the metal bracket by itself listed anywhere.

It maybe that the metal bracket has gotten weak over time from bending and needs replacing? Boneyards may have some Libertys available and gas models windows are the same as diesel models.
I would replace the whole window glass with the bracket on it. I would also replace the regulator since something certainly overpowered that metal bracket to bend and weaken it over time.

If I might make a suggestion; buy a new regulator from AutoZone, it comes with a lifetime warranty. I had to replace a bad left rear window regulator on my Liberty right after I purchased it back in 2013. I purchased a new one up from AutoZone and it lasted about three years before it started making a popping noise when the window got fully closed. So I pulled it out, took it to AutoZone and they gave me a new one without any hassle. It has been working perfectly every since...

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Supporting Vendor and Moderator of LOST
05 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited
Ironman Springs/Bilstein/Shocks
Yeti StgIV Hot Tune
Week's BatteryTray
No FCV/EGR
Samcos/ProVent
SunCoast/Transgo
Carter Intank-pmp
2mic.Sec.Fuel Filter
Flowmaster/NO CAT
V6Airbox/noVH
GM11 Bld.fan/HDClutch
IronrockArms/wwdieselMount
98 Dodge Cummins 24 Valve

That's a good tip on Autozone, makes sense.

I took it back apart on Thursday and did more intensive job of reshaping that bottom support, and it seems to be happier. Maybe in my haste on the first pass I didn't do a good enough job... The first time is lasted three open/close cycles... Since Thursday I'm on six and it's still happy.

I gotta make a junkyard trip here soon - hopefully to find a non-broken front grille... at the very least, I will add looking at that rear glass assembly to get an idea of what it might look like. Junkyards around here are so expensive these days it's almost not worth buying from them, but they're still *great* for research projects!

You have a Pull-a-Part near you?

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2005 Liberty CRD, with 135,XXX miles. Rockers, exhaust valves, Provent, EGR block & butterfly delete & V6 air box at 100K

1998 XJ 4.0L, stock with 130,XXX miles

First Jeep: 1962 Willys CJ-3B

Nah, that's a southeast thing... there are none on the west coast.

Shame. Every part is the same price despite year, make or model.

_________________
2005 Liberty CRD, with 135,XXX miles. Rockers, exhaust valves, Provent, EGR block & butterfly delete & V6 air box at 100K

1998 XJ 4.0L, stock with 130,XXX miles

First Jeep: 1962 Willys CJ-3B

It's the same with most self service junkyards, like Pick & Pull. The issue is the prices are madness. It's just not worth paying 50% (or more) of retail price on a used part with a 30 day warranty unless there is truly no choice. Schnitzer Steel (they own Pick & Pull) and LKQ have ruined the self service junkyard on the west coast.... They bought all of the local yards up and then jacked up prices.