Power window motor?

[WizeOne]

Are they usually a brush type motor. Are they considered serviceable. My son's 88 Ford drivers' window has acted up before but it is now stuck down. He says he can kinda feel/hear something when he hits the switch but the window does not move. So I am assuming it is a motor issue.

I assume they do not use a relay to operate as, they certainly wouldn't use 4 seperate ones and all the other windows work.

Any PW experts out there this morning.

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: Power window motor?

If you pull the interior trim panel you should be able to see the motor.
You can usually get them at the boneyard or an auto parts store.
The ones I've seen just plug into a harness.
It helps if your arms are skinny and have three elbows.

Why do the windows always stick in the down position?
Good luck, have plenty of swear words handy.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Power window motor?

If the motor can be heard then it is not the motor... Unless what he hears is just humming from the coils... Only way to know is taking the trim panel and look what happens when the motor is pressed.

 

[guy74]

Re: Power window motor?

The ford stuff I have in that vintage, has a touque limiting clutch of sorts in the power window geartrain. That clutch has rubber peices in it, the one on the drivers window on my bronco gave up a couple years ago, I took it apart and replaced the rubber pieces with pieces of fuel hose. It's worked fine ever since. You could here the motor running when I pressed the switch, but the glass wouldn't move.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Power window motor?

I just got back from visiting my Son. I checked the continuity on the switch and it seemed good. I then located the the connector to the motor and checked the up and down voltage. All was good. Then I actuated the switch and, over the screaming door buzzer, I could hear a very slight 'click'.

It does not appear the motor is running although it is getting power to it. I know that aged motors can get flat spots on armatures that keep them from running.

The thing to do know is to figure out how to get the motor out with the window in the down position. It appears that some part of the assembly is pop rivited to the door.

 

[cmchesse]

Re: Power window motor?

Not sure if the window is still stuck down, but I had this happen on my F150 years ago. I called the service dept and was told to tap the door where the motor is with a rubber hammer or 2x4 scrap while working the switch.

Managed to get my window up before the rain came that day.

Question should be, why do the windows always get stuck in the down position with rain on the horizon.

Good Luck,

 

[guy74]

Re: Power window motor?

Not sure if the window is still stuck down, but I had this happen on my F150 years ago. I called the service dept and was told to tap the door where the motor is with a rubber hammer or 2x4 scrap while working the switch.

Managed to get my window up before the rain came that day.

Question should be, why do the windows always get stuck in the down position with rain on the horizon.

Good Luck,

The passenger window motor on my bronco sometimes stops working when it's all the way down, (flatspot on armature). I just hold on the up switch while shutting the door hard, works every time.

 

[Knot Waiting]

Re: Power window motor?

On almost all domestic autos the window motor is attatched to the regulator (arms that raise the glass). You have to remove the regulator (window up) to get the motor out. I can tell you exactly how if you tell me what model it is.

 

[POLINGPOWER]

Re: Power window motor?

should be able to take the track apart(sicissors) couple of nut on the bottom of the track push up cut a 1x2 or some thing to hold up window
yes you will need a LARGE POP REVIT GUN BIG DADDY is what we called it Been a long time since i did one good luck

 

[Coors]

Re: Power window motor?

2 Broncos, 3 motors.
Auto zone; $90; But you have to drill through sheet metal, after removing the interior panel. The sheet metal is actually indented at where you need to drill a 9?16" hole, in order to get at the 3 bolts.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Power window motor?

The motor should be replaced ,not worth the trouble to try and figure out a repair,but if you have never replaced one before which isnt that hard BE SURE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY FIRST. If the regulator arms and glass were to be accidently turned on or shorted out with your hands in there you could lose a hand, very dangerious.my motto is "safety isnt an accident "

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Power window motor?

On almost all domestic autos the window motor is attatched to the regulator (arms that raise the glass). You have to remove the regulator (window up) to get the motor out. I can tell you exactly how if you tell me what model it is.

KW, it is a 1988 Ford Crown Vic. I see the motor is the same for quite a few years so I assume the rest of the mechanism is the same as well.

Currently the window is stuck in the down position. We have not yet pulled all the armrest and moisture barrier off but their are two big rivits down low that I assume hold the window regulator/motor??? onto the door. I also assume that those rivits can be replaced with pan head screws and nuts. (locktited of course)

My questions are how to you get the window up and exactly how do you access the regulator (if necessary) and the motor.

 

[Knot Waiting]

Re: Power window motor?

KW, it is a 1988 Ford Crown Vic. I see the motor is the same for quite a few years so I assume the rest of the mechanism is the same as well.

Currently the window is stuck in the down position. We have not yet pulled all the armrest and moisture barrier off but their are two big rivits down low that I assume hold the window regulator/motor??? onto the door. I also assume that those rivits can be replaced with pan head screws and nuts. (locktited of course)

My questions are how to you get the window up and exactly how do you access the regulator (if necessary) and the motor.

On many of that era Crown Vics the window motor is hidden behind the door structure. The motor can be located by finding three small indentations in a triangular pattern (check right corner) The screws to remove the motor are behind these dents. Drill out using a 1/2 inch bit and you can access the bolt heads. (You cand try to reach around with a box wrench but its frustrating)
Motor should fall away with a little push from a screwdriver. Disconnect and replace with the new one

If the window is stuck down the glass will be locked in place by the motor pinion so unless you can force the glass up by hand while operating the switch the regulator needs to come out. (If you can get to it, removing the motor will allow the glass to slide free)

The big rivets you see hold in the regulator. They can be drilled out and replaced with bolts but getting the glass to line back into the track is a mess. It is ideal to figure out a way to remove that motor only.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Power window motor?

Thanks KW, I will re-examine the situation with the moisture barrier completely out of the way. Then we can get some leverage on the window and see if we can get it up while hitting the switch.

My son just ordered two original FoMoCo motors off of ebay for a good price. The second one is for the left rear door. That motor works but will not lower the window. We are assuming the gear is shot. I hear that is a common problem as well.

 

[arboldt]

Re: Power window motor?

Not sure how, but check to make sure the motor is indeed the problem -- it might not be.

We used to have an '84 Caravan with *manual* windows. After several years, the hand window crank got harder to turn, and eventually broke the nylon (?) tooth track the crank gear turned on to roll the window up and down. (I'm sure these are not the proper technical terms). Never did find out what was binding that window so much until that track kept breaking. Finally just traded it in.

 

[Coors]

Re: Power window motor?

the cheap gearing goes out.

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: Power window motor?

our 2001 pontiac montana pass side window started acting up... would go down no problem but not up, from any spot. Sometimes it would do it, sometimes not. We brought it in, and they said it was the regulator... and the drivers side was going bad too. $375 per side. We didn't have it fixed.

A few weeks ago my brother in law borrows it. I tell him NOT TO PUT THE WINDOW DOWN!!!

But he did.

And it wouldnt go up AT ALL, so we bring it in. they charge us $150 just to get it up, and say that its bad wiring undder the passenger floor.

We decided to go to another shop who is a little cheaper, and they tore into it. Motor good, regulator good, wiring good. Turns out it was the actual switch, that I just got off ebay like 5 min ago for $20.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Power window motor?

...Not sure how, but check to make sure the motor is indeed the problem -- it might not be....

We tested 12 v right to the motor lead so we were fairly sure it was the motor.

the cheap gearing goes out.

Hit nail on the head Coors. Here is a link showing exactly what happened. Not quite sure about the perscribed remedy though.

http://broncozone.com/forums/index.php?act=Print&client=printer&f=20&t=1563

My son received the order motor so we set about to follow the dimples (as described above) We drilled them out with a 1/2' bit and removed the old motor. Immediately we saw that the vendor had sent him the wrong side. We tested the new (wrong side) motor by hooking it up the wiring lead. It worked.

Then we hooked the old motor (once removed) and it ran also. It did not run while installed. With the motor removed, we pulled the stuck window up (fortunately we did not have to have the window up to remove the motor) It pulled up very smoothly.

We scratched our heads, then my son said "I'm going to pull the cover off the old motor gear box. What we saw was exactly what was shown in the link above. The little broken roller pieces would make the motor bind up while hooked to the resistance of the regulator.

My son's left rear window is also inoperative but you can hear the motor run when you hit the switch. We think the big nylon gear is stripped on that one.

Once we get the right motor for the drivers door we will tackle the rear door.

As it turns out you can buy the gear box nylon gear/roller and regulator contact gear for only 11.00 shipped. I wonder how many times the ford dealer sold entire motors when this was the only problem?