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The motor on my car window burned out. The window falls down about 2 inches, letting in rain (I only park in a garage and at work, so am fairly safe from thieves).

I can push the window up, but it drifts down again. It will be a few weeks before I can get it to a workshop. In the meantime, I thought to stick something between the window and the car body, on the inside, to keep the window up.

Preferably not something long & thin that might fall into the door. Maybe something wedge shaped, T-shaped, or with a hook or other part which will stop it falling into the car door.

I would guess 1/8th to 1/4 inch wide?

[Update] I have barely 1/16th of an inch to play with, if that. I think I might be able to use something the width of a hacksaw blade, at most.

Which everyday, easy to find object can I wedge between the window and the car door, to prevent the window from slipping down. Preferably nothing too intrusive. It would help if I can just order it from Amazon, as I don't have much access to shops.

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7 Answers 7

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Use one of those 3M Command hooks designed to attach to a wall or appliance until you are ready to remove it.

Raise the car window to the closed position and stick the hook at the bottom of the window to hold it in place. It will not come off until you need it to, and when you are ready to make repairs, you just pull that little glue "tab" at the bottom of the hook and the adhesive will come off quickly and cleanly. You may want to place that tab at the top of the hook instead of the bottom so you can get at it easier when you are ready to remove it.

Optionally, you can buy just the adhesive part so you can stick something else on your window if you prefer, but the small hook should do just fine, and maybe you can find another use for it to hang a pair sunglasses or something.

Product Search: 3M Command Adhesive

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I had this situation and solved it with a folded brochure/handout/envelope. Just about any piece of junk mail works for it as long as it includes some thicker type paper like they use for glossy ads, or a credit card offer envelope (finally a good use for those).

It's not a 'forever' solution but has worked for me for months without a need to adjust. The key is to fold the paper/envelope a couple times to achieve MORE than the required thickness, and then force-wedge it next to the glass so it's almost too much, only then it will hold.

Also such thick paper tends to expand a bit when moist, so if any rain moisture does get in, it should only tighten the hold. Good luck!

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Go to the window or appliance section of your local home store and pick up a "rubber or plastic shim". They are also readily available online.

They're typically used to shim up a new window, door frame, or appliance installation, or as a child-safety device to wedge a window closed.

In your case, you're going to wedge it between the window where it goes down into the car door. The wedge is non marring, so it wont scratch or grime up your window, and it looks reasonably fit-to-purpose, so it won't look overly shabby in appearance.

Product Search: Wedge Shim

Product Search: Window Wedge

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  • I did think about that (+1 for helping), but I believe that it would be far too large. I have barely 1/16th of an inch to play with, if that. I can give it a try. Any other ideas? I think I might be able to use something the width of a hacksaw blade, at most. It's a very tight fit, so I will update the question.
    – Mawg
    Commented Dec 15, 2017 at 17:09
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    @Mawg It's hard to see how the tolerance can be so tight when car windows typically use a flexible rubber gasket to fill a larger space — but if that's the case, search for a plastic or rubber "wedge shim" that look like this (youtube.com/watch?v=gNm3T1_oY3s). That's what I used and they are tiny tiny; definitely small enough to fit into that space. And they're stackable if you need something larger.
    – Robert Cartaino
    Commented Dec 15, 2017 at 17:26
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For a less temporary solution, you can open the interior door panel (typically just a few screws and several snap fittings hold them in place) and use something like a paint stir stick to prop the glass up.

The stick can be secured in place using hose clamps around the stick and the metal track the window slides up and down on.

This will avoid damaging the rubber trim, won't look unsightly, and will be more secure than simply wedging something against the glass.

Note: Look for instructions/videos online first if you're not familiar how to remove the door panel on your vehicle. It's not always obvious whether a stubborn area is being held in place by a screw or a snap fitting, and you can damage things if you aren't careful.

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As I'm also having this issue I just found the simplest fix suggested, have not personally tried yet but as soon as I get home to my craft / junk drawer I'm on it... a simple suction cup like to hang projects with or to mount your phone in your car.. you just slide it at the base if your window and suction voila, or so they say.. hope it helps and better yet I hope it works for you and me both.. 🤞

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  • In the end, I got some small rubber or hard plstic wedges from eBay
    – Mawg
    Commented Jan 20, 2021 at 13:29
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Half a spring-type clothes peg. Also works for wobbly tables and to keep doors open.

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I got a paint stir stick and cut it into 2 inch pieces and jammed 2 pieces in the top corner so far 2 weeks in no leaks and window stays all the way up. Before this I used 3m hooks and suction cups all sagged a tiny bit and leaked only the wood wedge has held it 100% in the to position over bumps and highway driving.

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