Vinyl Tilt Window Won't Stay Open? Fix It Yourself!

The backyard of our property has a beautiful southern exposure with a wonderful view of an extended wooded lot and an uncluttered utility right-of-way beyond. The house has many large windows that allow us to enjoy this view. When the structure was built in 1999, the contractor chose to use a combination of inexpensive vinyl, single and double hung, tilt windows. I use the term inexpensive because the windows are not necessarily cheap or defective; they were just not made to last a lifetime.

Over the last couple of years, a few of the windows have experienced catastrophic failures of the balance mechanism. The balance mechanism allows the heavy, double-pane window to lift easily and to stay open at the desired height. Vintage windows used a combination of ropes, pulleys, and cast iron weights to provide this balance. Modern window designs rely on springs that are attached to the movable window frame. The failure of the balance mechanism in my house left the windows difficult to lift and in some cases, unable to stay open.

When faced with this issue, many homeowners believe they have no option and resort to replacing their windows. The fact is, just because they are broken doesn't mean they are not repairable. Since I am a bit frugal and not in a financial situation that would allow wholesale replacement of all the windows in our house, I decided to perform a relatively easy do-it-yourself repair.

I discovered that a common lifting mechanism failure for tilt windows was either the separation of the spring-loaded spiral balance from the pivot shoe or a broken pivot bar. Let me explain. One end of the  balance mechanism is attached to the top of the window, inside of the casing. A spiral rod extends out of the balance spring tube to connect to the pivot shoe. The pivot shoe slides up and down the tracks that are located in the side jambs. The pivot shoes connect to the window via two bars that extend from the side of the moving window sash into a matching socket in the pivot shoe. This simple bar and socket connection at the two sides is what allows the window to tilt inward for easy cleaning.

When working properly, the spring of the balance is sufficiently loaded to allow the window to operate with ease. Should the balance mechanism's spiral rod come disconnected from the pivot shoe, or the pivot bar break, the spring will no longer be able to assit with the operation of the window.

Fortunately, replacement pivot shoes and pivot bars are much, much less expensive than replacing an entire window; and most novice do-it-yourself types should be able to tackle the job with standard hand tools and just a little time.

The first step is to identify the correct type and size of pivot shoe or pivot bar that is required to make the repair. Release the tilt mechanism of the broken window and carefully allow it to tilt inwards until the window is roughly perpendicular to the wall. Slide one side of the window up (or down) until the pivot bars are able to clear the pivot shoes and the window can be removed. Now you can get a clear view of what the broken components look like. 

There are many sources for window components, with several retail options available online. I have found SWISCO to have an excellent selection, reasonable prices, and good customer service. Once you know what the broken components looks like, and can obtain accurate measurements to make certain the replacement parts will fit and operate correctly, you can browse the selection of parts available from your store of choice. For example, here are the pivot shoes that I needed for my windows.

In order to safely grip the spiral rod and twist it to "charge" the spring, you need a special tool. The tools are not expensive, so don't risk hurting yourself or breaking the window by trying to use a shortcut method. Here is a spiral balance charging tool for tilt windows as sold by SWISCO. It's a no-frills model, but if you are only repairing a couple of windows this is all that you need.

When you have the replacement parts on-hand, you are ready to replace the broken pivot shoe or pivot rod. Begin by removing the window as previously described. 

If you are replacing a broken pivot rod, the repair is very straight forward. With the removed window being held securely, simply remove the hardware that fastens the broken pivot rod to the frame and install the new one. Presto! The window is ready to be put back into place.

If you must replace a broken pivot shoe, the process is a bit more involved. With the window removed and set aside in a safe place, slide the broken pivot shoe to the bottom of the track. Use a utility knife (with a new, sharp blade) to cut away a small part of the track lip that holds the pivot shoe inside of the track. Be careful to only remove as little of the track material as needed. This will help to make certain that the new pivot shoe will not slip out of place or become jammed, preventing the window from operating correctly.

Using a pair of pliers, firmly grip the broken pivot shoe and remove it from the track. It may break into pieces (if it is not already broken; the reason you are replacing it). Place the new pivot shoe in-place, oriented in the correct position. The new pivot shoe may require some moderate force to "snap" into place within the track. A light hammer tap should not be a problem, just be careful not to damage the new component or the window jamb. If the new, replacement pivot shoe is sized correctly, it should slide freely along the track. A little furniture cleaner / wax (e.g. Pledge Furniture Polish) may help make the movement more smooth without creating a oily mess.

The spring of the spiral balance must be charged before it is connected to the new pivot shoe. Using the spiral balance charging tool, turn the spiral rod clock-wise about eight to ten times. With the tool still connected, pull the spiral rod down and slip the end of the rod into its corresponding slot on the top of the pivot shoe. Once the pivot shoe(s) have been replaced, carefully hold the window to place the pivot rods back into the pivot shoes, align the two shoes so that they are even in height, and snap the tilted window back into place. If the pivot shoes have been installed correctly, and the spring balance sufficiently charged, the window should move easily up and down, and stay in position when released. If the window will not remain open, you may need to remove the window and use the spiral balance charging tool to give the spiral rod a few more turns to increase the spring charge.

While these instructions may seem lengthy, the process to replace both pivot shoes on one window should take less than 30 minutes, including prep and clean-up.

I have used this process to repair several windows in our house. It's easy... Can be completed in short order... And it's a much less expensive alternative to complete window replacement.

Mazda CX-9 - Blower Motor Stays On After Key is Turned Off

A few weeks ago, our 2007 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring model started doing something rather peculiar. When we turned-off the vehicle, the rear cabin fan would power-on at full-blast speed and continue to run for a few minutes. The blower would operate as expected when the vehicle was running; it was just this odd behavior when the ignition was turned-off.

A quick web search revealed that this seems to be a fairly common problem for Mazda CX-9 vehicles that were made between 2007 and 2009, and it's probably why you wound up finding this blog post.

There is a Technical Service Bulletin ("TSB") from Mazda concerning this problem: TSB 07-008/09, 2007-2009 CX-9 - BLOWER MOTOR STAYS ON AFTER KEY OFF. The TSB details the replacement of the blower relays, Mazda Part No. G115-67-730. There are two; one for the front (dashboard) fan and one for the rear (center console) fan.

This is not a very complex repair. However, that does not stop most Mazda dealerships from generating a handsome profit from the typical customer's repair fears. We have learned that other CX-9 owners have paid $150 or more to their dealer and lost a good part of their day to have this repair done. We would like to show you how to do the very same repair for about $30 or less in a matter of a few minutes.

ANYONE can perform this easy and inexpensive repair. You do not need any mechanical training or special tools. A simple pair of pliers are all that is needed. Just follow these three steps.

1) Confirm the problem. Okay, this seems kind of silly, but you should make certain that the problem we are explaining how to fix is really your vehicle's issue. When you turn-off the ignition on your 2007, 2008, or 2009 Mazda CX-9, does the front or rear cabin blower fan suddenly turn-on and then run for a few minutes? Problem confirmed. Proceed to the next step.

2) Purchase replacement relays. Surprisingly, there are a limited number of sources for these electrical components. What's even more surprising is that we found the best price from a Mazda dealership! If you live close to a dealer, phone their parts department and ask them for the price of Mazda Part No. G115-67-730 (Blower Motor Relay). If they want to charge you more than $15 each, consider making the purchase online.

We found the best price from a Mazda dealer in Arlington, Virginia; Rosenthal Mazda. They sell the relay for $12.68 each with reasonable UPS shipping costs. We ordered the parts late one evening and received them in the afternoon two days later. CLICK HERE to go to the part listing on this dealer's online store. Here is a photo of what you should have purchased and received.

You will need two relays; one for the front blower and one for the rear blower. Even if only one fan is acting-up, we recommend that you replace both. The parts are inexpensive and the repair is easy. Fix them both while you have the hood open!

We also found these blower motor relays for sale on eBay. However, they were used parts and we cannot recommend that you purchase a used part for this repair. When a brand new relay can be purchased for such a low price, why bother with a used part that is likely to fail quicker?

3) Replace the defective relays. This step is best demonstrated through a series of photos.

Open the hood to the engine compartment and look to the far-right, near the firewall (top right corner). There you will find the relay box; the plastic box circled in red in the photo above. Press the latch on the front of the box to release the cover and expose the parts within.

Take a look at the inside of the cover after you remove it. Here you will see the layout of the various relays that are housed within this box. Note the location of the two Blower Motor Relays (F. BLOWER RELAY and R. BLOWER RELAY).

Firmly grip the sides of the Blower Motor Relay with a pair of pliers and using a slight side-to-side motion, carefully loosen the relay and pull it from its socket. Repeat for the other Blower Motor Relay.

Insert the replacement relay into the vacant socket. Be certain to align the relay's tabs correctly. The relay's tabs are oriented such that the part will only fit when positioned correctly. If it does not seat with a firm push, make certain that it is properly aligned. Repeat for the other Blower Motor Relay.

Once both relays have been replaced, place the cover back on the box and make certain that it is secure. Close the engine compartment hood and wash your hands... you are done! Wasn't that easy?

Ford Escape Hybrid Tone Ring Repair - Yet Another Problem with the FEH Brakes!

During one of the recent very hot days in the Mid-Atlantic (100+ degrees Fahrenheit temperatures) my 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid alerted me to a problem with my brakes while I was traveling in normal traffic conditions. The alert tone sounded, the yellow ABS warning lit, and the information display informed me to "Service Brake System."

With no cars directly behind me, I carefully tested my brakes and they seemed to operate as expected. The regenerative braking indicator showed that energy was flowing back to the high voltage batteries and the vehicle safely slowed down. Obviously, this was not another death-defying episode with a failed master cylinder and hydraulic control unit (Please see my previous blog posts: My Ford Escape Hybrid Brake Repair Experience - The Brakes Broke the Bank! and Ford Escape Hybrid Brake Failure - Revisited), so I carefully pointed the car towards home. But this was yet another problem with the FEH's brakes! What could it be this time?

Since the brakes seemed to operate correctly, I directed my attention to the ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System). Recalling research from my earlier brake problems, I started by resetting the vehicle's computer by disconnecting the battery for a short time. That cleared the alarm, but a short test drive resulted in the problem quickly reoccurring.

I understand that the ABS computer stores the failure codes for later review. If you have access to such a device, you will likely find the following codes: C1142 - Wheel Speed Sensor Right Front Tone Ring Tooth Missing Fault;  C1234 - Wheel Speed Right Front Input Signal Missing; U2023 - Fault Received From External Node. However, with no ABS diagnostic code scanning device available to me, I resorted to a physical, visual inspection of the brake components. It didn't take long to discover the problem. There on the passenger side, front axle was a broken tone ring.

So what is a tone ring? You may also find this component referenced as an indicator ring. This part is integral to the ABS. Coupled with an "electronic eye" sensor, this slotted ring is fitted to the axle at each wheel. The slots are used to send pulses to the ABS computer, indicating the speed of each wheel.

Since this tone ring was cracked, one of the slots was larger than the others. This sends false information to the ABS computer, resulting in the brake system malfunction that I experienced. What I discovered is that in this situation, the brakes still worked. However the ABS is apparently disabled, resulting in a potentially dangerous situation.

Why did the tone ring break? Good question. It is not a component that experiences any wear and tear; the ring is simply fitted to the axle at each wheel and allows the electronic eye to register pulses to determine the wheel speed. It appears as though corrosion (i.e. rust) between the axle and the indicator ring created enough pressure to force the ring to break. It's possible that the high ambient temperatures contributed to this failure by slightly expanding the size of the axle. However, based on my previous bad experiences with Ford's brake system design, I will chalk this one up to another poor component design; a potentially dangerous situation that never should have occurred! My research could not identify a technical service bulletin ("TSB") or recall notice associated with this issue, so if your warranty has expired, the repair is up to you.

How can you repair the broken tone ring? I determined that it's not a particularly difficult project. However, it may be beyond the scope of some shade tree mechanics as it does require some tools that are not often found in the typical household toolbox. I'll provide the steps that I took to complete the work, but I will recommend that you enlist the assistance of a more experienced mechanic if you are not skilled in these types of repairs.

I easily found the replacement part online at several retail sales websites. The original part number from Ford is 7L8Z-2C182-B. However, it has apparently been changed to AL8Z-2C182-A. You may want to try performing a search on both numbers in order to get the best comparison. Prices varied widely; I found that a single ring sold for between $7 and $35 (plus applicable taxes, handling, and shipping). I found what looked to be a reputable retailer that sold the "Genuine Ford Part" for about $15. It arrived just a couple of days after online purchase, so I was ready to tackle the project!

To complete the replacement of this important ABS component, start by carefully blocking the wheels of your Ford Escape Hybrid, engaging the parking brake, and lifting the corner of the vehicle that has the broken tone ring. After placing jack stands (or some other kind of safety blocks) under the car, remove the wheel. Then remove the two bolts that hold the brake caliper in place. A generous application of penetrating oil on the fasteners you will be removing goes a long way towards making your life easier for these kinds of projects. Buy a can and you will be very grateful... I promise!

After you have unfastened the brake caliper, you may want to carefully suspend it out of the way using a rubber strap / bungee cord to avoid placing too much stress on the hydraulic brake line; don't just let it hang there.

Next, remove the brake rotor. This can be a challenge as the part is often temporarily fixed to the axle, adhered by time and corrosion. If you cannot remove the brake rotor after a couple of simple taps with a hammer, follow the helpful advice provided in this instructional video before you do something silly and break or damage your vehicle's brakes.

Now remove the electronic eye sensor that is coupled to the tone ring and move it out of the way; a single, small fastener holds it in-place. Disconnect the tie rod and remove the two bolts that connect the hub to the suspension strut. You can conveniently leave the hub connected to the lower ball joint while you finish the repair.

Now remove the nut connecting the hub to the axle. If the axle does not easily dislodge from the hub, you may need to use a gear puller (like I did) to push the axle out of the hub to get access to the tone ring. Allow the hub to lay to the side, out of the way, while you get down to business replacing the tone ring.

Once the axle was free, the broken tone ring simply fell off the axle to the floor. Based on my observation, the area of the axle where the ring resided was slightly corroded and the original ring had only the one crack. The replacement ring looked virtually identical to the broken one (except for the crack!). It did not appear that Ford had done anything obvious to improve the design of the replacement part unless the metal alloy was somehow changed.

The replacement indicator ring would not easily fit in-place of the original, so I cleaned up the surface area with a small die grinder with a sandpaper barrel bit. Use special care not to remove too much material, just the obvious surface corrosion. I found that the new ring would not simply slide into place, which I was glad to see since I wanted the new ring to have a nice and tight fit on the axle. I carefully heated the new ring with a propane torch; not too hot, just enough to expand the diameter enough so that it could be tapped into place on the axle with a small hammer. Once cooled, the ring appeared to be fastened tightly in-place.

With the new tone ring installed, I proceeded to reassemble the rest of the axle and hub assembly, including the brake rotor and caliper. Once the wheel was mounted, I was able to remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle to the ground. A brief test drive in a safe area that allowed me to perform several hard-braking, quick stops, demonstrated that the ABS was working correctly and that the new indicator ring had resolved the problem.

In the end, the repair process took less than three hours, including preparation and clean-up time. The total out-of-pocket cost was less than $20, including a fresh can of penetrating oil. Assuming the usual labor and shop charges, performing this repair myself must have easily saved me a few hundred dollars.

I hope that these instructions may help you fix your own Ford Escape / Mercury Mariner Hybrid tone ring problems. If you have experienced this or any other issues with the brakes on your Ford hybrid vehicle, please file a complaint with the Office of Defects Investigation ("ODI") at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA"). You can file a safety complaint at this web site... http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ or by calling the NHTSA Safety Hotline, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153. Maybe one of these days the NHTSA will have Ford address these potentially dangerous issues with the brake systems on their hybrid vehicles.

Ford Escape Hybrid - Electric Motor Cooling Pump, Do It Yourself Repair

[Editor's Note: This blog post is one of our most popular and it has prompted many excellent questions from interested readers. Please take the time to read through the comments at the end of this posting as the additional information may be very useful in your own efforts.]

My 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid has served me fairly well. With slightly more than 120,000 miles, it has only had one major issue (please see My Ford Escape Hybrid Brake Repair Experience - The Brakes Broke the Bank! and Ford Escape Hybrid Brake Failure - Revisited).

Do It Yourself: Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool

My daughter's Honda Element needed some routine maintenance; replacement of the serpentine belt that connects the engine's crankshaft to the power steering pump, water pump, alternator and air conditioning compressor. This is a relatively easy job for any shade tree mechanic who prides themselves on completing a Saturday afternoon do-it-yourself project.

If you are about to tackle this task on a Honda Element, you may want to review the great instructions at the Honda Element Owners Club Forum. This site includes the belt routing diagram and handy pointers on how to best get to the belt as there is not much room for you to work around the side of the engine where the serpentine belt is located.

I am a fairly competent DIY mechanic and have a reasonable collection of tools to get the typical maintenance or repair job done. What I don't own is a special tool to loosen the serpentine belt's tensioner pulley. The tensioner automatically applies pressure to the belt to keep it tight while the engine is operating. Some vehicles have a spring-loaded version, while others apply tension with a hydraulic device. All of them require a significant amount of leverage by the mechanic to loosen the tension enough to allow the old belt to be removed and the new belt to be installed.

The tensioner will typically have a standard hex-head fastener for use with the tensioner tool. This is not an actual fastener, so you will not be tightening or loosening a bolt. In the case of my Honda Element, it is a 14 mm, six-point head. There's sufficient room to apply an end-wrench to the fastener head, but the relatively short 14 mm end-wrench does not provide enough length to loosen the tensioner.

Mechanics use a tool made specifically for this purpose. You can find several different styles of tensioner tools available for purchase, like this model from MAC Tools.

Most DIY mechanics do not have a specialty tool like this, often times because they are considered relatively expensive (e.g. $30 - $50) for a job that might only be performed once or twice in a vehicle's lifetime. The cost was high enough to inspire me to seek alternatives and think creatively.

Some vehicles may have enough room so that you may simply use a socket with a short length of pipe slipped over the wrench to extend the lever enough to loosen the tensioner. In my case, the Element had limited space and required a tensioner tool that was off-set to reach around various components in the engine compartment.

It may have been possible to use two wrenches in a cheater configuration like that shown in the photo below.

Although this method may work, I hesitate to treat my tools in such a way. End wrenches are not made to be used in this configuration, and the risk of breaking them or possibly permanently ruining them is just not worth the trouble. The length of the lever is also not that much better than the single end wrench alone, making this ad-hoc tool less than ideal for loosening the tensioner. I knew that there had to be a better option.

Looking at the scrap metal under my workbench, I came upon the following idea. To create a long lever for the 14 mm end wrench that allowed it to be placed in the off-set configuration required by my Honda Element. The metal is nothing special, just some bar stock from an old garage door opener. You may have something similar lying around your shop as well.

This first photo shows the components before assembly. The hardware is standard thread 1/4 inch, by the length required. 

The short strap sandwiches the open-end of the wrench to the longer lever. Once assembled, the bolts should be snug, but there is no reason to over-tighten.

In this photo you can see how the off-set is achieved.

The final photo shows the assembled tool. It worked exactly as needed without risk of damaging the belt tensioner or my tools. The best part is that the total cost for me was $0.00.

The type of serpentine belt tensioner tool that you need for your vehicle may be slightly different, but I hope that these photos help to inspire your own creativity so that you may also avoid the expense of purchasing an expensive specialty tool that you may never need to use again. Good luck with all of your shade tree repairs!