Friday, November 1, 2013
How to Replace a Window Handle in a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
The manual windows in a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire use a plastic crank to move the regulator down, lowering the window. With age or due to abuse, the handle can break making it nearly impossible to roll down the window. Unlike some other vehicles, the 1997 Sunfires window handle is not secured by a bolt. The window handle on the Sunfire requires a careful hand to release the clip that secures the handle to the metal crank on the regulator.
Instructions
- 1
Crank the handle until it is facing upward, toward the window. This gives you the room needed to negotiate the tools.
2Insert the window handle tool between the crank and the washer until it meets the small clip holding the handle to the regulator shaft. Press downward on the metal ears on the clip with the tool until the clip is free from the crank. If a tool is unavailable, you can use two small flathead screwdrivers, one on each ear, to remove the clip.
3Pull the Sunfires window handle toward you and off of the door.
4Place the metal clip through the slot on the rear of the new handle, just as it was placed on the new handle.
5Line the rear of the new widow handle up with splined metal shaft protruding from where the old handle was and press the window handle onto the shaft. The shaft has a light taper, so the clip will engage automatically once the window crank is fully seated.
