Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club

Part 6 and 7: Re-greasing all 4 window regulators and fixing the rear screenwash jet

So it’s been some time now since my last post – and I’m sure the three or four of you that have followed this project have been wondering why!?
Well! Wait no more - im pleased to report that I have been keeping busy on my little Rover but these last couple of jobs have taken me a bit more time – simply due to the scale. It turns out pulling apart 4 doors and re-greasing their regulators takes a bit more than an afternoon. While its not labour intensive, you want to work carefully (not to break any clips) and methodically – ensuring a good snug fit when it all goes back together again.
What you’ll need
 All-purpose silicone grease
 WD40
 Some rags
 Superglue
 Plastic tarpaulin
 Sturdy Tape
 3 in 1 oil
 Tissue paper
 Philips screwdriver

I didn’t particularly to sit and pull off all of the door cards but it was becoming increasingly clear that neglect, lack of use and time had all done their bit to make every window stiff (with exception to the drivers’ door). The left-hand rear window regulator was completely sized while the drivers side rear was extremely stiff. Thankfully this was a fairly easy task and a good Philips screwdriver and some grease did most of the work here - but don't be fooled - it was at least an hour per door - so if you're looking to do this make sure you have the time. For me i tackled one door a day over a period of a couple of weeks. Once you've done one though you do get quicker at it.

I started with the driver’s side rear door window. Working methodically, it’s a simple affair. Remove all the screws on the door card and undo the horse-shoe shaped clip on the window winder handle. Then gently prize away the bottom of the card and lift off the top. Once removed I noticed that the plastic membrane sheet was missing altogether. This probably allowed water vapour to rust the mechanism and explained why operating the rear window was so stiff!





Simply grease up both rails where the window goes up and down in, and then grease up the mechanism “x” shape regulator. Once greased, operate a handful of times to help the grease spread across evenly. For the missing membrane, I had a sheet of plastic tarpaulin which I measured and cut to fit, and then re-stuck down with some sturdy tape.



The passenger rear side door was better and needed no plastic membrane – though surprisingly there was about an inch of damp soggy mud caked at the bottom of the door! It also did take quite some force to unstick the mechanism - not surprising given it probably hadnt opened in years and there was no grease whatsoever on it. I was worried that by putting so much pressure on the handle it might snap. Luckily it didn’t! After a bit of force and some sweating, it did break free. I lathered in 3 in one oil and re-greased the runners and rails of the regulator.

Mechanism before unsticking - notice how dry it is


Somewhat surprisingly, the front passenger door came apart very easily (though I didn’t see the side screw at the bottom in the door card which sadly broke on removal). Unfortunately – getting the door card to sit properly where it seals against the window re-assembly took ages! I was faffing about for well over half an hour trying to get it to sit. In my frustration I accidentally broke 2 of the side door clips! Gah nevermind – a wee bit of superglue has kept it all tight once again.




Finally the drivers door was straightforward enough. Even though it was the only one which seemed to work perfectly fine I decided that a job well done is better than half begun! It gave me a chance to see the inner condition of the door along with see why the driver’s side wing mirror was fitted with a manual instead of electric.

Removing the door cards gives you a chance to remove some of the built up grime and dust


The homemade repair to the drivers side wing mirror somewhat detracts from the premium image of the rover


Thankfully the cables are all there – if anyone has a replacement electric mirror and inner door triangle cover please let me know as this looks naff!
Alternatively a manual cover will also work! Anything but this

Next up the rear washer! This was one of those little jobs that I wanted to tie up and get sorted. Unfortunately i didnt manage to get any photos of this - but a very straightforward job.

What you will need
 White spirit or hot water
 A small container for nozzle to soak in
 Screenwash top-up

I began by unplugging the pipe from the spray nozzle. I wanted to see if screen-wash flowed when operating the switch.
From this I deduced that the issue must be in the nozzle itself. I removed it and tried sucking and discovered it was indeed gummed up.
I let it soak in some white spirit for about 15 minutes while I debated boiling the kettle and leaving in boiling water. Unfortunately I did also leave its rubber gasket on which I think was a mistake as it felt looser following its bath in the white spirit! Don’t make this mistake!
Nevertheless, pressing on I tried using a very slim and small cable tie to press gently up inside the nozzle. I spent around 10 minutes cleaning out the yellow mucky “bird poo” like gunk from inside.
After this voila! It was clear. I re-fitted and tested and yes screenwash flowed for about 5 seconds before blocking again. Gah!
I figured that the gunk must still be in the system. I disconnected the nozzle and ran the screenwash for a few mins letting all of the nasty stuff out of the main pipe.
A quick clean and refit – and all was well. Screenwash now flows good. If you are looking to do this yourself follow my advice:
1.) Don’t soak the rubber gasket in white spirit
2.) Try using boiling water this may work just as well
3.) Don’t refit the nozzle too soon – once disconnected run the pump to allow all of the gunk out

Next job – To fix the wobbly horn button and give Robin the Rover a good full service!

When you've got a nozzle off, the majority of gunk should come out if you back-flush it,
as you're not trying to force gunk through a pin-hole. A squeezy bottle nozzle will probably
mate neatly with the nozzle outlet and reduce stray spurts.

Great post, many thanks for posting this!

Agreed. These project updates are really interesting and useful. Look forward to the next one.

Thanks everyone, it has been pleasant learning to work on this car and fixing the easy bits that don't require too many specialised tools ! Its often the things that get overlooked on older cars which, when they add up, make them a bit of a list of repairs.