My passenger door needs the actuator changed. Is there a thread that shows step by step on changing it? Seen a few YouTube clips, but also see so many part numbers for actuators. If you've changed yours and have some tips let me know thanks!

 

I just did this on my C5 two weeks ago. YouTube videos are good. Here's what else I learned:
1. Corvette tax is real - the actuator from a Chevy dealer is over $400. A similar actuator I bought from O'Reilly's was $275. There are actuators for sale on eBay, but I didn't trust that they were of sufficient quality, so I went the O'Reilly route. The actuator that Chevrolet sells in fact requires an additional "pigtail patch cord" because the actuator's plug doesn't exactly match the door's electrical plug. That would add $40 - $50 to the cost of the parts needed if you went the GM route. My O'Reilly-sourced actuator did not require this pigtail. [O'Reilly actually sells two optional harnesses, one of which DID require that pigtail, so do your research to determine the correct one to buy.] Also, some eBay actuators may have improper wiring that might require snipping wiring to reverse polarity. Again, the O'Reilly harness I purchased did not have this defect.
2. If you haven't done this before, installation wasn't technically challenging or difficult. The harness actually bolts into place, so it's very difficult to screw it up. It only takes a bit of fiddling to remove the old harness and replace it with the new one.
3. Aligning the window is key. YouTube may not emphasize this enough. Before removing the window, be sure to mark where it sits (vertically) AND how it is oriented (horizontally) between the A pillar and the back of the door. I used masking tape. Others suggested using a black marker. Alignment is made more difficult because the clamp mechanisms (that hold the window to the harness) in the replacement harness are likely not identical to those in the OEM harness. That issue, alone, can complicate aligning the window (it did for me, but again, it was only a very minor issue).

My "learning curve" (i.e. screw-up) was not properly aligning the window - front to back - when I re-installed it. As a result, the window did not properly fit, I had to adjust it via trial and error - raising and lowering the window - and in the process the window tint (inside window surface) was scratched. So I had to remove the old tint and then spend extra $$ to have an installer re-tint that window. Lucky for me the window tint place was still in business. So the owner, after consulting his records, was able to exactly match the tint. (Also, removal of the old tint was straight-forward - just get a hair dryer, heat up the tint and then slowly peel it off.)

Otherwise this was a relatively painless process.

Full disclosure: In 2013 I had previously taken apart the door to (a) install custom speakers, (b) replace the door card with a custom-leather version, and (c) install lots of sound deadening materials. I had done all of this myself, so I was unafraid to replace the actuator harness. Despite being an old guy (71 year old) I had zero problems replacing that harness. If I can do it, you can, too.

Hope this helps. Reach out to me if you want more info.

The Lizzard

 

...if I can jump off a bridge, you can too .......sorry but no way i would try doing what you did.....

 

Moved to C5 Tech.

 

Would someone please tell me what a "Door actuator" is?

Are you talking about a window regulator?

You guys have lost me.

 

Door actuator is the replacement for the Flux Capacitor.

 

For the door locks

 

Door control module.