Swapping doors getting powered windows

Troender

Troender

Member
The previous owner of my Audi A2 was an elderly woman who managed to scratch both the right and left rear doors. Now I have come across someone who sells rear doors in an identical paint color and interior in the neighbourhood.

The only difference is that they have powered windows, and my car has a manual window lift. Possibly rear speakers too? So there is a potential upgrade in the deal.

How hard is it to replace the doors and get the power windows and central locking to work properly?

Is it difficult, or complicated?
 
You would be able to transfer the manual winding windows over from your damaged doors and retain the electric windows for future sale. They are rare and valuable. The whole window and frame is removable as a seperate entity.

Good luck.
 
Physically fitting the doors to the car isn't hard, although getting them to align properly can be tricky.

The wiring looms inside the rear doors and the internal metal doorcards would also need to be swapped along with the window frames and mechanisms, otherwise you won't be able to lock the car until you can complete the electric window retrofit. For that, your car would require various additional or replacement wiring looms along with the driver's door switch hardware and some software coding. There are various connector compatibiliy issues depending on the model years of the two cars. If you're upgrading to rear speakers, the separate rear amplifier would be needed, and all the wiring right to the headunit would have to be fabricated.

This is all totally doable if you know what you're doing, but there's the big issue. The only person I'd recommend to do it would be Tom @timmus. We had someone on his most recent retrofitting residency at my place, who was in a very similar situation - having bought a rear window 'upgrade kit' from a breaker, but it was incomplete and incompatible. Tom was able to sort it all out, fabricate what was needed and get it all working 👍

Perhaps you could persuade him to come to Norway instead of Central Europe for his summer holiday next year? Alongside working on your A2 (and maybe those of some of your fellow countrymen), I'm sure there are lots of Scandinavian mountains that still need to be ticked off on his 'must-climb' list.
 
It would be fabolous to have @timmus do a viking raid in reverse! We kind of need a Scandi version of a guy like him up here! :)

It would be great to hear someone who have tried to replace manual window doors with electric ones, and hear in detail what is needed, and not.

I hoped that it would be a relatively easy job, but I realize that it may be a tad more complicated than that.

But hey - in worst case, i can just downgrade the new doors to manual action. I get them for a nice price, and they look good cosmeticly.
 
I've done a rear window retro fit . Have a read through this post I provided some detail. I also had a complete donor loom. Be aware of difference in door connectors the early A2 had a different connector on the pilar. If these are the same and the internal door looms have speakers a competent DIYer can do this. retrofit. You will also need the front door loom and the 4 button window switch.

Loom for rear electric windows

Evening folks, I’m Chris and have been lurking here for about 4 years but I am getting around to some improvements on my ‘02 plate 1.4 tdi. Having wanted rear ‘lecky windows for some time and recently bought the whole set-up from another forum member, he has sent me all the parts plus a part...
www.a2oc.net
 
Thanks devans. It kind of sounds like a fun project. Ill have a read!

The donor car is a 2001. Mine is a 2002 btw. I hope that the connections are the same.
 
Morning,

If you’ve not started the door task yet then the simple answer was provided back at Post #2 by Simon @simon martyn which shouldn’t take too long at all and will see you with the same features as you started off with but better looking door skins, winner!

As you don’t have a resident retrofitter on your shores then the alternative option available to you is of course upgrade to Rear Electric Windows using the information generously shared by David @devans. I can confirm it’s content is spot on and easy to follow if your a competent DIYer. I would suggest that the connectors will be different but you can overcome this.

Whilst you’re there you’ll have the option to add Rear Speakers which is easy enough that could be simplified by obtaining the small Blaupunkt amplifier and complete loom from the head unit to the amplifier then out to the rear speakers. Certainly a fun task to complete. The donor car supplying the doors with have all you need as I guess it’s being broken for spares anyway; it’ll take a good hour or two to completely remove the Rear Speaker loom from the car but again, another fun task!

Good luck with whichever option you decide upon, we’re here to help should you get stuck.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
I have done this task the other way round, rear doors both electric vandalised, Got two good same paint colour manual doors. Photo everything as you strip each door , in my case the door glass was also smashed, but on rebuilding door assy up on fitment found it would not sit, rig right. Stripped door again, and using original door frame new glass etc , finally got doors to fit, close nice. The task of the looms took a considerable time , patience is required I cannot emphasise enough do one side at a time photo everything , check and re-check as you go, fitting the window into the frame re-fitting the seal and gently re-locating the frame into door assy , bolts just nipped up , and check alignment .
Took me a week to do both doors , much trial and error. Final up the bolts only when you happy doors are sitting right.
Electric looms require great care, small bent elec screwdriver helps to lift seal, release catch on loom carefully or you can snap plastic retainers. ( rear doors) . Also forgot to mention the main reason you can’t use the manual door frame assy is because it has the manual window winder mechanism attached to it. Doh 🙄 which was my first mistake. You literally strip the door to its shell, everything out , door cards, aluminium panel, looms, speakers , everything , then lay all bits out swap over what’s required and re-build. ( rear electric looms and manual looms also different , be very careful to mark each loom , string guide when you pull it out. , so you get correct routing back in or fouls door glass) 2nd mistake. Long winded sorry , but it’s a far more involved task ,than just a straight door swap, ! BEWARE.
 
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