I removed and shipped my driver side window regulator to RegulatorUSA and they rebuilt it for $105. Installed it and it worked fine a few times. The car sat a few months. Now same problem - stuck in up position. Can hear a click when press down button. Is this a relay problem instead? I obviously read everything - that's how I managed to do the job myself. This is driving me crazy!

 

It's probably the relays. Contact "Bakersfield" on the forum. He knows how to fix them. He rebuilt my module and it works fine. You can do a search using his user name and find a lot of posts regarding the issue. He is a great guy to deal with.

 

Yes, there are a lot of posts regarding this issue. I think you are right. I probably wasted my time and money on the window regulator job. By the way, it's a 2003 Z06 with 40k miles. It took me about 30 minutes to completely remove the door control module. I wish I were able to get to the actual contacts inside the relay and just clean them but it looks like something beyond me. I going to try to contact "Bakersfield" and see if he''ll do the same for me. I wonder what he charges? Does he replace everything or just the relays? Thanks!

 

My experience is that most of the time, it is not a relay problem if you can hear it click. It is a design problem.
I replaced both my window regulators with brand new ones, and within a few months the passenger side window stuck again.
Since there are no limit switches in the system, the motor just drives the glass up until it stalls out, which leaves the motor and drive gears in a bind. Then when you close the door, the weatherstrip puts even more pressure on the glass and drive system.
I have found that if I bump the window down a fraction of an inch (1/16"), then it reverses the motor just enough to unload the drive gears, and I have not had a window stick since then. By the way, I got the passenger window freed up, and it has continued to work with this method.
I have found that I can hit the down and then up buttons quickly enough that the glass barely moves, so there is no problem with the glass still sealing in the weatherstripping.

 

I`ve been doing exactly the same thing! I`ve had the prob with pass. window on & off since I got the car 6 years ago. Had the stuff replaced under warr. & was ok for awhile then the pass. window would quit for awhile then work for awhile Always heard a click. Someone on here posred about the thing jamming all the way up. So I started leaving it cracked about 1 16th. & no more probs.! Never had any probs. with the Driver`s side! Knock on wood.

 

I installed a rebuilt window regular just a few months ago and only used the window once or twice just to check that it still works and now it's stuck in the up position again darn it. And when I did use the window, I never let the motor run freely all the way open or closed. Instead I got it close to full close or open and then gently the rest of the way. I haven't confirmed that it is the relay by electrical test but I did hear a click. Are you saying that if I can get it unstuck manually, I should try lowering the window adjustment screws a tad so the window doesn't come too tight against the molding and this prevents it from getting bound up? Come to think of it. Mine gets stuck in the up or "closed" position only.

 

What works for me is leaving the window cracked down just a tad as the theory is that in the up pos. it gets jammed making the gears lock I`ve been doing this for awhile now & haven`t had a prob. 1/16th inch is good & mine doesn`t leak when I wash it. I could always hear it click before so I knew it was getting power.

 

Adjusting the stops on the window regulator assembly may keep the glass from fitting so tight in the weatherstrip, but it will not solve the primary cause of the problem, which is the motor driving the window regulator up against the stops until it stalls the motor.
IF you are going to try bumping the glass down to relieve the pressure on the drive gears, you probably want it to start out fitting tight in the weatherstrip, so it will still seal when the glass is lowered a bit.
Yes, you will have to tap on the motor, or somehow manually unstick the motor/drive assembly before you can do anything else. My guess is, that once the motor is unstuck, it will work again.

When you look at the motor drive cables you will also notice that the ends are spring loaded. I first thought I could stop the glass short of full up position and keep the springs from putting a load on the drive gears and motor, but when I watched the window regulator in action, I noticed that the springs compress when you first start to move the glass, not at the end of the cycle.

 

Try tapping the down button several times maybe for 20 min. the contacts prob got dirt on it. it happens when the windows switches arent used in a long time. usually the passenger side since most of the time vette owners drive by themselves and we hardly use the button on the passenger side panel.

 

Looks like a lot of good info for a newbie Vetter owner - 2004 C5 - in finding out issues.

My passenger window has stuck in the down position twice - this last time on a trip back from Padre Island and hitting rain along the way back. Needless to say - my Vette was looking too cool then.

The window will go down and at first went partially up, but every time we tried to lower it (which it did), then bring it back up - it went up less and less until nothing at all - just the clicking in the door.

I had this happen before a couple of months ago - but then went out later and the window worked fine until this last time - with maybe the window being used 20-30 times in between.

It is stuck down now and I've got to try and get it fixed so that I can drive it and the weather is not cooperating to drive it in the down mode to dealer or somewhere else to be fixed.

Anybody got any good suggestions on fixing it at least temporarily and any good shops in the DFW area that don't require a mortgage loan to fix things like this as they come up?

Terry Swift
2004 Silver C5 - just lowered a bit, otherwise stock.

 

Was the window making any noise before it got stuck? If the motor was working, then it could be the drive cables are frayed. See if you can look inside the door and tell if the cables look alright. Replacing the whole window regulator assembly is not difficult, but the part is $200 to $300.

 

PM sent....

 

I had the relay replaced on the DCM by local electronics shop for $40, put back together and still nothing. This time I tested voltage to the motor and got good 12v both up and down so now the relay is working for sure but still stuck solid. I also pryed open the old relay to see and the contacts looked perfect. I took the regular and motor off and disassembled. The gear inside was definitely bound up tight to the motor gear. Everything still looked good, i.e., I couldn't see any damaged gears - but I don't want to chance it failing again so am going to order a brand new Delco OEM part. I wouldn't trust the rebuilt by RegulatorUSA because I don't think they replace the motor or the parts that can get bound up. I now agree with the people who believe it is a design problem in that normal use of the window gets it bound up. You can't just hit the auto down or hold the up all the way closed and expect it to be fine. So we're just going to have to live with the situation and baby it up and down and not close it too tight. Sounds ridiculous but that's the best I got right now.

 

If you were to look at the schematic, it shows there is an internal overload device of some kind inside the motor. That is what turns off the power to the motor once it is fully open or closed. But most of the time the armature binds up and doesn't move back into a neutral position after the power is removed. I never have trusted "rebuilt or re manufactured" parts after I had two rebuilt water pumps go out on my 72 Dodge Challenger with in 6 months. After I put in Dodge OEM pump, it never failed again. Good luck with it....

 

This seems like a Common problem... so I'm not alone Not sure if that's a good thing though.

My passenger window is stuck in the UP mode. It's up all the way, and I can hear the clicks when I push the down or up button. Either way I push it, it clicks or double clicks. I can hear it, but the window won't go down. I'm not trying to mess with it during winter, so just leaving it in the up mode for now. Also, don't wanna invest into fixing it right now....

Any other bright ideas? Maybe a little hammer tap...

 

Hold the down button and slam the door shut hard several times. That works a lot of the times.

 

Try Bakersfield suggestion. If it gets unstuck and goes down, then from then on, baby the window by not closing too fast or too tight. If it doesn't work, then plan on replacing the regulator/motor assembly. I'm not a mechanic but have done it twice. It's not that hard. I just bought one at GMPartsDirect for $140 and it takes a couple of hours to install. I also had my original one rebuilt by RegulatorsUSA and it failed after a few times, so I'd go for a OEM Delco part. This is basically an engineering design flaw that we all have to live with until someone comes up with a better solution. Just another side note: I bought my 2003 Z06 new and this is really the only problem I've ever had. So I guess that's not too bad considering!

 

Hmmm I havent had my passenger window down in months....It just goes down about an inch or so and makes a terrible scraping noise. It used to stop half way up or down. Can anyone tell what this issue may be I never heard of anyone having there window go down partially.. And it does not go up very easily either it has to be played with to get it all the way back up

thanks,
Rob

 

Check the drive cables to make sure they are not frayed. They are steel stranded cables.

 

RegulatorsUSA will only replace the drive cables and pulleys. They do not repair motors, so if the problem is with the motor and drive gears (which most are), then a rebuild will not help.

As I mentioned, I have had brand new, GM window regulators stick after only a couple of months. So I don't think it is because of a malfunction within the motor or drive cables.
Once I got the window working, the practice of bumping it down slighly seems to work. You can hit the down and then up buttons fast enough that the glass only drops 1/16", so sealing is not a problem.