Jump to content
CaddyInfo Cadillac Forum

WINDOW MOTOR


JOEHARRIS

Recommended Posts


Recently, my driver's side window just started doing same thing. It always goes down but then has a mind of it's own when it wants to go back up. It does this several times in a given week - and usually when I am at a location where I need to lock the car. Opening and closing the door does help - as well as holding the switch but not always. Happening one time so far, when the driver's window would not go up, the passenger window would not go down - then a few minutes later everything was working again. Any suggestions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

YESTERDAY THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP IN MY 1995 STS. I WENT OUT THIS MORNING AND IT WENT UP, WHATS GOING ON WITH THIS

WINDOW?

Mine has been doing the same for four years. I just got used to it. You should wait for a few minutes and try again. If it does not go up (or down) completely , repeat it again in a few minutes. Perhaps there is a fix, but I thought this defect was bearable. The motor or the components just wear out with age and use. I am sure your rear windows do much better since nobody used them. You also can try to swap the motors.

The saddest thing in life is wasted talent

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I swapped a "tired window motor" from the front driver's side to the rear-driver's side.

On my '94 DCS: Unbolt the arm rest, remove the door handle trim insert, lift up door panel (all vertical clips) and you'll figure it out from there. The longest part was disconnecting and re-connecting the various harnesses. The motor is actually visable and touchable (an amazing oddity with a Caddy-repair). There are just three easy bolts and the harness to change. No need to worry about gear mesh, timing etc.

Keep in mind that the rear window might work backwards though (if/when it works). ;)

Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

TDK: When you swapped motors did you loose the fast down feature? I'm intrigued by your fix, as it seems very reasonable. What were the symptoms you cured? Mine always stops halfway up if it has been raining but shows no problems in dry weather.

I actually grab the glass and pull as it is coming up through the dead spot halfway up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 96 is doing this. I called the dealer for part# and he told me there is a bulletin from GM on the switch. Seems when it goes into the auto down mode on the driver switch, it has trouble going back up. No recall or new switch of course! I checked with two dealers to get the correct part number then ordered from GM Parts Direct. Dealer =$95.32 and $51.49 from GM Parts ($10.30 S&H). Found out that there are two different swithes and guess which one I got??? I can tell you that 2566-8564 is NOT the correct switch for a 96 STS! Mine is lighted and has different plugs than the one I got. If I get the right number I will post it.

This is the second time I have gotten incorrect part # from dealer then ordered only to end up with non returnable parts. I wonder if they do it to cause just the above cost and grief. For now I am putting up with the glitch. We just got back from a week vacation and the window always goes up, you just have to do it on its schedule. Wait a few seconds between tries and it always goes up. A pain in the a** but I'm not ready to venture another $60 yet until I verify a part #. I tried emailing GM Parts and got a reply asking for my VIN after I had ordered the switch. I replied with my VIN but never got a reply. Of course I was in a hurry to get this fixed before leaving for a week in Colorado---

I'll keep after the problem and let you know how I come out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve J,

For aout a year, my driver's side window had the same "half-glass" syndrom as yours does.

I also used to grab the glass to get it started, but I was'nt quick enough one time... Yeow ! it wasn't THAT funny I told her, as she had no pity on me. :angry:

The auto-down feature still workd fine, so as Doc Fey noted, that feature is vested in the switch itself.

Good Luck :)

Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well no moisture gets into the switch because that is inside the water shield although it is peculiar how the motor can go through so many revolutions then stop at exactly the same spot each time. Perhaps the new switch pours a little more power into the motor to overcome resistance. Switching to another less used motor restores the moisture seal?

It is surprising how little rain brings on the problem. I've even seen humid weather do it which is why I think it is the motor rather than the switch. I'm wondering if the engineering solution is the quick change of the switch rather than the longer more expensive motor change.

The motor swap sounds like something I will try because I can deal with pulling up the glass but my wife has problems with it. See if I can install a plastic bag over the new motor to keep it dry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SUCCESS ! TDK, I thank you

I swapped the front motor to the rear and now the front works and the rear has the half open problem. That seems to be pretty diagnostic. If the problem follows the motor it pretty much has to be the motor. Additionally I noticed some streaks on the metal about the front motor which would indicate water dripping down toward the motor. I took care to notice that the stock number for the front and rear motor is the same. The only problem I had was the gears not lining up when reinstalling the rear motor. I had to get the front and most of the rear back together then pressing the motor inward I hit the down button and it popped right in. Because of that particular somewhat dangerous procedure I wouldn't say this is any repair for someone new to auto repair. I did wrap that front motor in a plastic bag too. Interestingly the wires for the motor come downward into the motor and might form a conduit for the water to follow into the motor so I wrapped them in the plastic bag also and sealed the wire entrance into the plastic bag with electrical tape.

If a lot of guys have this problem maybe we should write up a how-to. It would be interesting to know if the guys that get the window closed by slamming it get relief from this procedure too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A window motor problem with a different solution.

My drivers window would sometimes quit either in the up or down position, never half way.

The door slam method worked most of the time.

One day when it didn't work, I checked the power and it was getting power to the motor, however the motor wouldn't turn.

I removed the motor and tried it directly on a battery and it worked. I then tried it back in the door and it still worked.

Removing it acted as a door slam I guess.

To the point, I disassembled the motor and found no problems except that there is an adjustment at the end of the motor that seems to be for the armature end play.

This adjustment had a fairly large gap. I tighten the gap up to about .005.

The window has been working great since. Almost three years now.

Maybe the armature end play was too loose and it would get jammed ??

Barry

2008 STS V8
2016 Colorado Z71
1970 Corvette LT-1 Coupe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To the point, I disassembled the motor and found no problems except that there is an adjustment at the end of the motor that seems to be for the armature end play.

This adjustment had a fairly large gap. I tighten the gap up to about .005.

The window has been working great since. Almost three years now.

Maybe the armature end play was too loose and it would get jammed ??

Brilliant! Finally someone shed the light on the power window problem! Thanks Barry, the next generations of Cadillac owners will not forget you since GM seems to not care of the problem at all. :angry:

The saddest thing in life is wasted talent

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the endplay explanation. When the bad motor went into the rear it began stopping at several places not just in the middle. I was afraid to lower it all the way for fear it would get stuck there. Obviously something about being in the rear door exacerbated the fault. Maybe as a matter of scientific curiosity I should open the rear back up and tighten the adjustment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the endplay explanation. When the bad motor went into the rear it began stopping at several places not just in the middle. I was afraid to lower it all the way for fear it would get stuck there. Obviously something about being in the rear door exacerbated the fault. Maybe as a matter of scientific curiosity I should open the rear back up and tighten the adjustment.

I would definitely recheck the rear motor. If you can't get it to work reliably even after tightening the freeplay, replace the motor. Then you don't need to worry about the window getting stuck in the down position.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would definitely recheck the rear motor. If you can't get it to work reliably even after tightening the freeplay, replace the motor. Then you don't need to worry about the window getting stuck in the down position.

If you have the motor out, and the adjustment is loose, I would take it apart anyway, they are a very simple motor.

The brushes could be sticking, or it could just need a good cleaning and lube.

Barry

2008 STS V8
2016 Colorado Z71
1970 Corvette LT-1 Coupe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hope this helps.

The t-25 screws are the right ones. It was pretty straight forward opening up the motor. After removing the screws just pull off the motor housing, it will seem as though it is kind of stuck however this is just the magnets inside the housing holding onto the windings. With the housing off take a look at the commutator where the brushes rub on it. Mine was all black but in good shape, not melted or anything. Now just pull this out of the gear box and inspect all the windings for a burnt winding or anything else that would give you a clue that the motor will not work. Now you can see the carbon brushes attached to the copper braid they should slip right out the area that the commutator was resting. I didn't take them all the way out, just slip them out of the spring loaded slot and turn them up so you can use a small sharp knife to scrape the contact surface clean of any bad material. I scraped mine down till they were flat again, they will reshape themselfs to the shape of the commutator pretty fast. Now take some fine grit sandpaper and sand the commutator surface back to a nice shine, just wrap a small piece around and spin back and forth to polish it. Clean this with some spray electrical contact cleaner on a clean rag, also give the brushes a little wipe with the cleaner.

Now comes the fun part, the brushes have a grove in the back that the tension spring fits in so they should only go back in one way. Slide them both in just up to the spring, now start sliding the windings back into the bear box, when the commutator hits the brushes you have to slide them against the springs to let the commutator go between them. You can have someone help or get one side at a time by your self, thats what I did. Once you have this back together you will need to hold the gear so that when you slide the housing back on it doesn't pull the windings out of the gear box, the magnets want to pull it out as you try to slide it together, by holding the gear from moving you can slide it back together. Once the housing is all the way back on you can let go of the gear and put the screws back in. Plug it back in and the switch back in and check to see if it works.

Jeff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
maybe the switch? hold the switch.. like you were going to roll up the window and slam the door a few times.. it works. Thanks to logan for this tip

Yesterday my fiance' and I were getting into the car to head over to the park. Nice hot day and even hotter in the car. I go to open my window and you guessed it, nothing. Just a slight "click" sound. Funny thing was just 2 days previous I had been reading posts regarding power window failures and was thinking, "thank god that hasn't happened to me". Life definitely has a sense of humor.

So immediately I think the motor has farted out and think I'll have to access the motor, take it apart, clean the brushes, tighten the adjustment, be careful of the magnets, and on top of all that figure out how to take the door panel off. I've never had to take mine off. I figured this was sizing up to be at least a 6 pak job. Then I remembered reading about the window switch and slamming the door trick from Logan posted by CaddyShack24. Worked like a charm. Thanks for all the posts. Saved me a headache.

:D

-kg

"Burns" rubber

" I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. "

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...