Hey i have been having an annoying problem with my D side power window motor. It will go up but not down again (and up is slow).

I hook it up to an external battery, it will go down and up. So i think the switch, but there is voltage getting to both the up and down sides before and after the switch. and the lights dim when you try to lower the window, so there is current getting there

I took the window regulator out and i find that two of the nylon rollers are broken, so i think AH HA i got it. Repair it, and before reinstall i test it with the cars switch, no dice. But it works fine with a car battery and jumper cables.

i checked all the gear teeth including those in the drive unit, and they are all perfect. I pull the motor apart and clean the brushes and the commutator, grease it up, put it back together and same problem.

I should try testing it with the switch when it is off of the regulator, but it didnt cross my mind until now (even with it off it will go up but not down, like it can not over come the spring).


Is it possible that the motor is just getting weak? what else could cause this?

thanks in advance,

Steve

 

i had the same problem last week. since the door was apart, i put two new motors in from a local auto parts store. they ran about $90 bucks/ each.

1. the motor could be weak and appears to run fine when there is no resistance.
2. the window/ regulator could be binding. check adjustment. you have 7/16 bolts on top and a few in the middle of the door. loosen and you will be able to move window into desired position.
3. clean the contacts on the motor and wiring. use a small screw driver to scuff and electrical spray cleaner.
4. use a multi-meter and check for good voltage on the wires when you press the switch. steady voltage means your switch is good.
5. make sure the 3 bolts that hold the motor are making a good ground.

hope this helps.

 

You may not be getting a good ground to the motor when the switch is in down. You could swap the passengerside switch and see if it works.

 

checked the ground, motor still seems weak..

 

How is the regulator spring?

Jim

 

isnt broken

 

If your ground is good and the motor is still weak I'm thinking the motor may need replacing. I'm thinking the same with mine.

I got sort of the same problem and want to eliminate everything else before I order a motor. If I can be convinced a new motor would solve my problems I would order one immediatley .

If I hook up an external battery directly to the motor the window goes up quite well. (still down very fast) I’ve replaced the spring and the rollers. The gear teeth including the drive gear are fine and I did the same as you and pulled the motor apart and cleaned the brushes and commutator. Put back together and still does the same. I added a ground wire to the motor, as I didn’t trust the mounting bolts to be enuf. (it helped a little).

I thought running a secondary wire from the switch to the motor (12ga.) to help give better power (amps?) to the motor but it didn’t help. ALTHOUGH, if I run the same wire from the switch solenoid, (it’s hot as soon as I touch the one side) to the motor’s “up side,” the window goes up just as if I run it from the external battery. Do I have to run a new wire from the switch to the solenoid? How do I check the solenoid for proper functioning? (is that a word?)

Would a poor window alignment cause it to go up slowly? Or not even all the way up? But with direct power from an external battery it goes up ALL the way ...... not as fast as the passenger but still gets there. TIA

shmoky

 

All good questions.

I went through the same thing. My window went up slower then the passengerside and not all the way. I thought it was the motor. I replaced it. It went up a bit faster but still not all the way and still not as fast as the passenger side. It stopped short of the top by about an inch. After adjusting the track I finally got it to work better but not perfect. I believe my regulator is bad, there is a lot of play in the cross section.

Adjusting the track with worn parts is a real pain. I doubt you will get it perfect. Keep that in mind if you decide to do it.

Make sure everything is lubed up...avoid heavy grease.

The switch could also be weak. Unplug the switch and use a piece of wire to direct the power through the plug....one is constant....find it....one is for up...one is for down....see if bypassing the switch changes anything.


Go to this thread for a picture of what the insides should look like.. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...er-window.html
Jim

 

Good info coming out here. Re-aligning is going to be a challenging project but I have instructions from other posts on that. Your post Jim I've seen and saved before. I will try to bypass the switch today and see what happens. Thanx Jim.

shmoky

 

Bypassed the switch as you suggested Jim. Window still won't go up all the way and it is slow.

Any other ideas?

shmoky

 

It has to be the spring or the motor or an adjustment. Is your spring in place? Remember it has to be installed in the full up position. So when you lower the window its compressed.

Only other possibility is the window needs adjustment. Is it going up freely or is there friction? Compared to te other side is it going up with equal play?

Jim

 

It's got a new spring in it and I have it as tight as I could get it. Not sure if I had the motor in the full up position. I had the unit out of the car and in a vise. Cranked the regulator arm and spring as far and tight as it would go then installed the motor and regulator. Of course had to back off (1/3 of a turn I think) to get it to line up. Will have another look at it today.

The driver's window still goes up much slower than the passenger side and down VERY fast. I checked the 2 motors against each other out of the car for rpm and they were relatively close (within 2% of each other). I have some issues with the adjustments and will be working on it with my Grandson today. Will see what happens. May have to order a new regulator mount bracket again. I could NOT get it to fit on the driver's side at all. So did some custom fab on it and it STILL won't fit. (sound like when I am cutting a piece of wood..... I'll cut it 3 times and it it still toooo short ) I'm thinking this is the start of my problems. The motor is NOT secure in the door, and it will move with only 2 bolts holding it in place and causing slight alignment problems.

Wish me luck,

shmoky

 

What do you mean by regulator mounting bracket?

You are okay with the spring so long as the regulator was up all the way up.


Jim

 

Yes the regulator goes ALL the way up. The regulator mounting bracket secures the motor to the door body with this part.



shmoky

 

Strange, I don't remember that part. It must have remained in the door.

Jim

 

Not sure if your 82 has it as I think the motor is a different design.

shmoky

just checked and the 82 IS a different design.

 

Thanks I thought I was losing it.

Jim