Has anyone removed the door glass (front or back) on a 2013 ES? I have the door panel off. Typically, there are bolts holding the glass to the regulator, but I don't see them. I am doing some paintless dent repair on the top of the door, but need the glass out to get to the top.

 

suggest you take a pic of the door side with your phone. maybe its hidden

 

Are you sure you need to remove the glass? I ask because I spent a lot of time doing just that once in preparation for paint less dent repair only to have the repair tech tell me he couldn't work that way and proceeded to remove the dent using his special tools and techniques very well. So much for trying to help.

Dave Mac

 

It sounds like you are planning to do the paintless dent removal yourself. Would that be a correct assumption?

The guys who do PDR professionally and who are good at it are true artists. Besides the fact that they are highly skilled, they have very specialized tools that allow them to get to most spots on the sheet metal without having to remove interior panels, glass, etc. While I know that there are some places on a vehicle that they can't get easy access to, I would be surprised if a skilled PDR technician had to remove glass to do a repair on a door.

If you are planning to try to do the PDR yourself, good luck, but know that, without the kind of skill and tools that a PDR technician has, you can easily end up making things worse than they were to start with.

 

On most cars you need to lower the window part way down in order to access the bolts holding the window glass. I expect Lexus is the same way. You can check You-tube for some videos showing the procedure being done on Toyotas.

 

I have been doing PDR for 15 years and am a master at it. I am repairing the top of the door, which requires removal of the glass to access the dents. Being in the industry, I have seen techs who drill holes to access dents. I don't drill holes.

All that said, I figured out how to remove the glass. You have to roll the window half way down, remove the regulator and slide it out of the bottom of the glass. After that, you have to remove the rear run channel (for the back door) and slide the glass out of the top.

 

I just want to explain further. The attachments show a few of the dents on my car. Back in March, we had a hail storm. The insurance paid to replace all of the damaged sheet metal on my car - fender, quarter panel, both door skins, roof, hood and deck lid. Each door had over 120 dents. The top of the doors has ~30 dents alone. PDR techs wouldn't go to the trouble of removing everything to repair 1-5 dents on the top of the door. 30+ dents on the top of the door alone and you have to go to this extent or push it to a body shop to replace the sheet metal.

 

I'm relieved to hear that you are actually a PDR technician. The thought of someone who doesn't have the proper tools or who hasn't developed the skill trying do-it-yourself PDR work sends a chill of dread through my body.

I've had a guy who has done PDR work for me for about 15 years. He works at all of the local dealerships, and, if I need something done, I give him a call and meet up with him at whatever deaker he is working at the time. When I watch him work, I'm always amazed at how quickly he can get to the right spot behind the dent, how skilled he is at being able to apply the proper amount of pressure to just the right place, and how he knows how to use his lighting and look at the area from just the right angles so that he can get a perfect repair. To me, the way that the dent disappears always seems like magic.

 

I agree Les, PDR isn't something for someone to attempt DIY. It took me a year of practicing 6-8 hours a day before I touched someone's car. I train people now and get reminded how difficult it can be. It's second nature to me now.

 

you mean the pros don't just use a plunger?