My 98 Cav drivers window is getting really sluggish in going up and down , i'm not sure if it's the motor on the way out or whether the regulator needs lubrication , if that's at all possible.
My main question is this , does anybody know whether the motors on the front window and the back window are the same motors or are they different fits?
I was thinking that maybe a swap of the rear door motor to the front door might save me some dollars in the long run if they are the same.
Thanks for the help.
Gord
The window motors are all the same, but the regulators are different. The worst part about it all is the motors are riveted to the regulators, which are riveted to the doors. You can get aftermarket regulators with motors (for the coupes and sedans) off eBay very reasonably. You can also get the motors seperately, off eBay and many retail parts stores. Of course, you can get used motors at wrecking yards, but I wouldn't go through all that for an unknown used motor. Having done several of these, my choice would be to get an new aftermarket regulator with motor attached and only have to drill out the rivets for the regulator to replace the whole unit. If you just buy the motor, you'll have to remove the regulator anyway and then drill out the rivets for the motor too. (Sometimes the replacement motors come with rivets. Many just use small bolts instead.) There's a powerful spring in the regulator that you must neutralize before removing the motor or you could get hurt. Don't try it before asking instructions. Once you go through the trouble of removing the front door parts, I'm sure you'll think twice about doing the same just to get the used motor out of the rear. I'd recomment you get hold of the service manual PDF that's on the forum somewhere. Good luck.
markc50...formerly 1of7627 but that login doesn't work anymore.
Thanks for the info Mark , i didn't think that it could be that easy just to swap them.
The window goes down pretty freely , but starts up slower than usual and then crawls to the top from about the midway point , do you think that it just might need a little lubricating??
What my daughter finds is that when she starts to raise the window , it lags then she opens the rear windows a bit and raises the front window then goes back and raises the rear ,, she thinks it might be the switch , but i replaced that about 2 years ago , so i think what she's doing is really just giving the motor or regulator a rest and then it allows it to raise , i don't think that her lowering the rear window really has any bearing on what's happening with the front window. It just seems like it's not moving as fluidly as it should be , thus the lubricating question.
What do you think? Or just go ahead and replace the motor. I didn't see any service manual on this site , just some posts saying that posting it here would be piracy , so if it was posted , it's probably gone by now.
Gord
Gord, search this forum (Maintenance) using the keywords "haynes manual free". There's a thread that had some links and one might still be good.
I'd bet it's the motor. Sadly, the OEM motors are not very robust and the driver's door is always the first to go. These motors don't switch on or off when the travel limits are reached. Instead, they rely on the window frame and a bumper in the bottom of the door to stop the window in it's tracks. There are some aftermarket motors that are stronger, but most are imports anymore. The regulator has a channel that a plastic guide slides in and a couple of pivot points on the main arm. Check for worn guids, bent arms and worn glass run channels. I have used a little silicone grease in the channels to buy a little time, but at best it's only temporary. Wish it was easy, but I think you'll be needing a motor. Good Luck. - Mark
markc50...formerly 1of7627 but that login doesn't work anymore.
Thanks again Mark , found the link for the manual , and i guess will be shopping around for a new motor now that the nicer weather is here.
Gord
Mark , if you're still out there , i have a question regarding this quote in one of the above messages.
"There's a powerful spring in the regulator that you must neutralize before removing the motor or you could get hurt. Don't try it before asking instructions."
As i'm having a hell of a time finding a motor and regulator at a half decent price up here in Canada , and a lot of the online shops don't ship to Canadian address's , i guess i'm just going to go with the replacement motor. But i'm just a little concerned about this above quote. What about this spring and how do you neutralize this safely?.
Thanks again
Gord
Mark , if you're still out there , i have a question regarding this quote in one of the above messages.
"There's a powerful spring in the regulator that you must neutralize before removing the motor or you could get hurt. Don't try it before asking instructions."
As i'm having a hell of a time finding a motor and regulator at a half decent price up here in Canada , and a lot of the online shops don't ship to Canadian address's , i guess i'm just going to go with the replacement motor. But i'm just a little concerned about this above quote. What about this spring and how do you neutralize this safely?.
Thanks again
Gord
I had the the same problem with my 89' coupe and once I replaced the clips at the edges of glass and the round plastic roller that lifts the glass then lubricated everything it was like original.
In most cases the glass will want to bind when you put up you window due to the rear lifting action of the motor arm and the more play it has the worst the effect, detach the arm from the glass panel and test the motor without the strain of the glass panel and it should spin as freely as the rear, if not the motor needs replacement which is unlikely and unneeded.
I got my window clips from GM for $8.60 and even removed the glass without removing my door panel, it was cheap and easy
There is also some adjustment on the slide rails inside the door frame that can take some slack.
