UPDATE. I completed my window regulator replacement today on my 1998 Mercury Mystique. Same as a Contour. Sorry no video. I recommend you have a friend assist in aligning the glass for installation. Tools needed. Phillips screwdriver (removing door panel) . Flat head screwdriver, 8mm socket and ratchet. 14mm socket. Short (3 inch) extension. Small needle nose pliers. After removing door panel ( remove all wiring connectors) and rain shielding, remove the (7) 8 mm bolts that secure the regulator to the sheet metal. They're easy enough to find. One has a spacer behind it. Remember which bolt hole it is. The regulator is now loose. Now it gets trickier. There are (2) 14mm bolts that secure the glass to the regulator. There are two hole punchouts in the sheet metal (near the middle) that allow easy access to the bolt heads but I wasn't so lucky. Mine was stuck all the way down. You'll have to maneuver the glass to get to them. Once you remove the bolts you'll have to remove the square headed plastic anchors the bolts were threaded into. They protrude through holes in the glass. This was a bit frustrating but I was able to squeeze the prongs on the back side of the glass and pop out using a small needle nose pliers. Once you've done this you can completely remove the glass. Actually, before this remove the plastic weather stripping at the top of the door frame. Inside the glass. Pops off with a flat screwdriver. Then remove the regulator assembly. Don't forget to remove the motor wiring connector first. Installation is basically the opposite of removal. You'll need your friend now. After sliding in the new regulator you'll need to slide the glass back down into the top opening and align the holes where the plastic inserts and 14 mm bolts go. It's a bit tricky but we were able to get it in a few minutes. Make sure the forward (front of car) edge of the glass is in the vertical track. Once you get the anchors back in and 14 mm bolts secure the rest is fairly simple, except for the bolt with the spacer. You may need your friend again to get the spacer in place and have your friend run in the bolt after it's aligned. At this point, it's gravy time. Install the other 6 bolts and replace the rain shield and door panel and all electrical connectors. I hope this helps someone at some point in time.
New window reg sorted!!! Also I've seen when they've come loose over time the vibration of the window going up and down can crack metal there is a lot of torque going through that motor
Ricky Day The fix is to replace the window regulator assembly. It’s best to just buy a new / OEM assembly, and pull out the old one, and install a new one. The plastic parts just wear out over time.
I came here to find some tips for my 1998 Mercury Mystique. Basically the same car. Window won't roll up. Obviously there is something broken. Got a new regulator from Rock Auto. About 30 bucks with shipping. Well no help here I'll figure it out the old way. Rip off the door panel and get after it.
Kay Bee 🐝 Ayup. You must take off the door card to replace the regulator. There is no magic trick to remove it. $30 for shipping?! That sounds like a rip-off, if you asked me. I was curious, so I checked eBay, and you can get the same part with free shipping for much less. The car is 22+ years old, so plastic parts will last only so long.
$30 total part & shipping My brother is a mechanic but doesn't have the time to fix it. He told me I'll have to punch out and remove the factory rivets (total of 7) to remove the old regulator. Then use 1/4" bolts and nuts to secure the new one. 2 hour job.
