I noticed from other posts that stargrrrl and icemike89 both seemed to have window motor problems as well, doesn't sound like these things were designed too well haha.

Anyways, on my 1991 Sunbird LE convertible, I put my front-drivers side window down the other day and it wont go back up. When I hit the switch, the motor just makes this loud buzzing sound. Does it need to be replaced or is something jammed? To make things even worse, when I finally figured out how to get the door panel off, I was quite dismayed to find the motor is behind a metal plate with a lot of rivets in it. I would like to do the work myself but I am not sure what I should do now. I did take a video looking down into the door so you could see/hear the problem I described above, and so you can see the piece of metal the motor is behind.

Youtube Video

Thanks for your help!

Ok I listened and watched your vid.It definetly not the switch.It is the motor is well(dieing).If it were me I would drill the rivets out with a 5/32 or smaller drill bit and replace the motor.Then buy some good sheet metal screws (I recommend bolts with screw or self tap).Auto zone and advance auto parts both should sell the window motors for it to the best of my recall(I know auto zone def sells the switches I was looking yestday at them while surfing).I do not have pw but,with my vast experience electrical motors like this failing to engage the gears to move is normal failure in the motor due to age/wear.This is my recommend unless I am just out in space being I the good window crank option on my old 85! Hope this helps I would just replace the motor being it is so close to removed,and it prolly will be a biatch to do regardless.

Thanks for the reply Ron. I've never never delt with rivets before so my first attempt at drilling them out didn't go so well but I tried again with a small chisel and was able to get under the heads and break them off that way. However, after I had gotten the top row off, I heard that one of the gears or something back there is spring loaded? or under some sort of spring pressure at least? it doesn't seem to me like anything is attached to that black plate though, could it be something held onto the motor? and can I go on taking it off w/o stuff flying out at me?

This window project is getting crazier as it goes on HA!

I have no idea about the spring tension.From my older chiltons manual it covers up to 87,however the haynes goes up to 94.The chiltons shows ok pics but,no mention of the window regulator being spring loaded.I would recommend looking at some new motor pics on advance auto or auto zone to get the general idea of what the motor looks like.I have a online manual with chiltons I will research it and see if it covers that area a little better being it is a pdf.Sorry not much help but,doubt it would be spring loaded due to they had to assembly it from the factory and install and keep it all together!Ok

With the use of a hammer and a small screw driver I was able to get all of the rivets off! (I heard you could just use a drill but that didn't work for me). Sure enough , the motor was right under there, it was still a pain to reach all of the nuts and bolts but I got it out (should be a field day putting it back in haha).

The motor was making the same noise even when detached from the window so that other gear in there must have been stripped or something like that. I got a new motor today and when I was going to put it back in, I saw this just sitting in the bottom of the door:



I guess this must have been the spring I was warned about lol

I have no idea where this came from. Any Ideas?

Thanks

Well my chiltons book shows various diagrams but no spring I was like umm.Let me check my online chiltons manual.I will try and post back on tue as to where it goes.I have no idea being I never have done the window motor since mine are manual.I will check to see what I can or cannot determine.

Well my two manuals do not show a good pic of the door breakdown of parts inside it like that spring.I checkd my online chiltons and same deal no info with a diagram.I would suggest check out autozones web page and enter ur rides specs brand,model,yr,etc and at the bottom of the page there u will see some links to locate parts on the car,and so forth.It might show the parts inside the door with the panel removed in black in white diagram if they have it.Unless I find something thats what I turned up.SO far

Thank you for the continued support Ron! I will take your advice and see if I can find anything on autozone.

*** Update ***

Couldn't find anything on autozone but I found a pic of that spring on a Vette forum and I was able to find where it went. Here is the pic I used for reference:



I just borrowed a pop rivet gun from a friend so hopefully I will FINALLY be able to finish this repair! Also need to hit up the harware store to pick up some nuts and bolts cause whoever worked on this car before used 2 mixed nuts and bolts and if that isn't bad enough, there are supposed to be 4 holding the bracket on lol.