Defender Window Regulator Failure. Quick Fix Guide

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars and had a similar issue with my 2006 Discovery diesel last year. When my windows acted up, I initially thought it was just the regulator, but it turned out to be a dying battery causing electrical gremlins throughout the system. My mechanic ran a diagnostic and found the old battery wasn't providing enough consistent power for the window motors to function properly. Got it replaced for about 290 Euro, and that sorted out all the electrical issues, including the window problems. What's the battery's age in your Defender? Also, are you noticing any other electrical issues, like slow starting or dimming lights? This info would help determine if you're facing the same problem. Just to be safe, it'd be good to know if you've noticed any grinding noises when operating the windows before they stopped working completely.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My Defender just had its service at 70094 KM and the battery's actually pretty new, replaced it about 6 months ago. Haven't noticed any other electrical issues, starts fine and all lights work perfectly. But I did hear a slight grinding noise from the driver's side window last week before it completely stopped. Thinking it might be more mechanical than electrical in my case. Did your mechanic mention anything about calibration procedures for the window regulators during your repair?

Hey again! Yeah, now that you mention the grinding noise, this does sound different from what I experienced with my Discovery. When my windows acted up, it was a clean stop, no grinding or weird noises beforehand. Since you're hearing grinding noises and have a healthy battery, I'm actually leaning towards a mechanical issue with the window regulator itself. After my battery fix, I had another window problem a few months later (just my luck!), and that time it WAS the regulator, complete with that lovely grinding sound you described. The calibration procedure actually came up during that second repair. My mechanic explained that after replacing the regulator, they had to do a reset and relearn procedure. It involved holding the window switch in specific positions for a set time. But they mentioned this only works if the regulator itself is mechanically sound. Given your symptoms, I'd bet your regulator might need replacing. On my Discovery, the part was around 200 Euro, plus labor. The whole job took about 2-3 hours. Just make sure they do that calibration procedure after the replacement, it's crucial for proper operation. Keep us posted on what you find out! These window issues can be really annoying, but they're usually pretty straightforward to fix once you pinpoint the actual problem.

Thanks so much for the detailed info! You've really helped me narrow down the problem. The grinding noise combined with the fault code definitely points to the regulator, and it's good to know about that calibration procedure, I'll make sure to mention it when I take it in. I've already called my mechanic and booked it in for next week. The price you mentioned sounds about right, and honestly, I'd rather get it sorted properly than keep dealing with stuck windows. Really appreciate you sharing both your experiences, the battery issue and the regulator problem. It's helped me understand what I'm dealing with. I'll update the thread once it's fixed in case anyone else runs into similar issues with their Defender. Thanks again for taking the time to help out!