Window Regulator
There are a lot of components that allows vehicle drivers and passengers to control the different parts of the vehicle. For the driver, there's the steering wheel, ignition switch, transmission lever, and a lot of other driving controls. For the passengers, who are more concerned with comfort and convenience, there are the various controls for the audio system, entertainment system, chairs and others.
Among the many control components installed in every vehicle is the window regulator. The window regulator is the vehicle component that raises and lowers the window glasses. This allows both the vehicle driver and the passengers to raise or lower the window whenever they need to or feel to. Access to the window regulator of a particular vehicle window is usually given to the person seating close to the windows. However, new window winding mechanisms allow the driver to have full control over all the windows of the vehicle.
There are two basic types of window regulators: the manual window regulator and the electric window regulator. A typical manual window regulator set up is composed of many components including a worm gear, several spur gears, linkages, a mechanical plate and a bar used to support the window glass. The window glass is raised or lowered using a hand crank, which would then activate a worm gear/spur gears combination. The rotation of the various gears in turn activates the mechanical plate, thus raising or lowering the window glasses. The function of the window bar and the linkage arm is basically to support the window glass.
The electric window regulator, also termed as power or automatic window regulator, basically does the same thing, except that everything is performed automatically. In a power window regulator set up, the vehicle driver or passengers won't have to manually rotate a crank handle. Instead, everything is done with a touch of a button. A small electric motor integrated with the switching components of the vehicle is responsible for activating the different gears required to lift or to lower the windows.
Power or manual, window regulators are easily subjected to wearing because of constant use. In case you need to replace the window regulators of your vehicle, better be sure that it would work well for it. Of course, replacing a power window regulator would cost a bit more than what it would take you to replace a manual one.
