The driver side power window has been lazy for some time, but this weekend it quit working altogether. It goes down OK, but won't go up. I haven't had a chance to look at the wiring diagram or start troubleshooting, but I was hoping some of the Forum members might have some suggestions about what the likely cause might be.

 

Same thing with my white79 when I got it.
Recommended this procedure a couple of times now.....
Take the carpeted side panel off the driver side of the console. The switch can be accessed from there. A wrench(think 5/16")will get the screws off.
Remove the switch and open it up. 4 tabs need to be bent up, some will probably break off.
Remove the guts and lightly sand the copper "leafs" that make contact.
Put the leafs back in THE SAME WAY THEY CAME OUT(backwards will cause the switch to work, but opposite)
Clamp the switch in a vise and bend the tabs back over. If needed, take a hammer and screwdriver and stake over some material along the sides of the switch. No glue or anything should be necessary.

Or...buy a new switch. But the aftermarket switches seem to fail faster than originals.

 

sounds more like a dead regulator to me, if it was going up slowly before, but not at all now, it's a dead spring.

if you help it with your hand, does it move?

tbw

 

Yes, that's how we managed to get the window up for the ride home. I held the switch and my buddy pulled it up. You figure the spring has failed? The motor wasn't making any noise, I suspect its electrical - bad wire or motor. I haven't done any troubleshooting yet, but I doubt its the switch because they were both new a couple of years ago.


Are replacement motors readily availble?

 

See if the spring has failed first. Take the door panel off and see if the spring has broken off. If it has it will be at the bottom of the door. The spring doesn't usually get weak it just breaks.

If the spring is not broken, see if you can eyeball it. I use my iphone....I hold it up there and take a picture of the spring....its tough to see otherwise. You can also use a mirror...push it up there and look down at the mirror from the top with the window down and see if you can see the spring.

Last could be a bad bround. The motor grounds to the door and the door is grounded with a wire to the harness. Run a second ground from the the battery to the motor....touch the motor anywhere. If the window goes up fine its a ground.

If its not the spring or the ground it could be the motor or the switch. No all switches are created the same. I had a new switch once and it would work randomly. I ended up repairing the old switch.

Motors are still available. Not sure where down your way. Try Willcox.

One more thing. If you choose to replace the spring it must be installed with the window regulator in the full up position. The spring compresses on roll down and helps push the window back up on roll up.

Jim

 

I have this problem with my 69. It ran one way fine but went like a snail the other. It turned out to be bad contacts and no grease on the the gear. I repaired mine by removing the window motor. I cleaned the three wiring contacts on the motor. And next I removed the gear that drives the regulator cleaned it up and re-lubed it with lithium grease. While I had the regulator gear out I tested the motor and it went just as fast in reverse as it did in forward. Hope this helps. John

 

replace the motor and lube your tracks

 

Is there a way to test the motor without removing it. Right side has power to motor but it doesnt work. May be a dirty contact issue (it was on the left side) but I have cleaned them best I can witout success. I will try the ground test but if that isnt it how can i test the motor?

 

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