Power Window Motor Replacement

[GP403]

Well, the driver's side window motor finally went out after 26 years. lol. Was hoping it was just the switch but no luck!

Grabbed the body manual to see how much of a PITA this was going to be. Really wasn't as bad as I thought. I expected I'd need to remove the entire assembly but as it turns out the motor is a separate piece and just comes right out...

... but only after you drill out a couple holes in the door (!) to get at the bolts that hold the motor in! Of course the hole saw bit I bought broke the pilot after 1 hole so I had to take the die grinder to the 2nd hole... :evil:

I took a couple of photos (will post later), but the gist of it goes something like this:

- remove the inside door panel
- drill out 2 or three ~3/4" - 1" holes over the bolts holding the motor in. The manual says three, but one was already accessible, there are a couple of little dimples that'll tell you where you need to drill. The bolts are located so there's no way to get a wrench behind there, and even if you did, you couldn't back them out. They were 13mm on mine btw.
- tape up your window, just in case, so it won't fall. Mine didn't move, but YMMV.
- pull the 3 bolts and drop the motor into the door so you can disconnect the wiring connector. I couldn't reach the plug until I did that, again YMMV.
- The replacement motor had a bracket so you could install it on either door, put this on the correct way. It also came with some other brackets and screws which I didn't need. Maybe they're for a different application or something. Put some grease on the new motor gear.
- pull the old motor out through one of the access holes and put the new one in. Plug the power back in, line it up and make sure the gears are connected, and then bolt her up.
- Take the tape off yer window and test it out. Hopefully it worked!
- Put your door back together again!

Will add photos to this when I get them off the camera...

 

[jerrycad472]

Thanks for the info. I need to swap my Power Locks and Windows into my new Doors one of these days.

 

[GP403]

NP!

Although I'll bet a total swap will be a lot more complicated. I didn't have to touch the window mechanism at all, and I think they're different from power to manual. Then you're talking about driling rivets out and all sorts of other junk.

 

[srercrcr]

Hope you took the opportunity to lube things up while you had it open.
I adjusted the tilt on one of my windows....too tight. I also relaced the pads the glass rides against on its way up. I got rid of the fuzzy stuff (it had worn down to steel) and glued commercial carpet on the brackets....working good so far.

 

[jerrycad472]

I started to do the swap a few months ago, got as far as reading the manual once it started talking about drilling out rivets, I decided it was better off being put off till later, lol.

 

[srercrcr]

Anybody have a clue why GM didn't just put holes instead of the divets?

 

[GP403]

Yeah I still have to put the panels back on, so I'll probably grease up what I can reach, which isn't much. Replaced my window sill chrome while I was in there and tweaked the window tilt too.

Dunno why they did it that way. I imagine at the factory the whole window assembly went into the door before the skin was put on, otherwise I don't see how they'd have done it.

 

[GP403]

Photos of the door pre-drilled, post-drilled, and the old vs. new motors

http://gbodyforum.com/photos/thumbnails-88.html

 

[joesregalproject]

Re:

Yeah I still have to put the panels back on, so I'll probably grease up what I can reach, which isn't much. Replaced my window sill chrome while I was in there and tweaked the window tilt too.

Dunno why they did it that way. I imagine at the factory the whole window assembly went into the door before the skin was put on, otherwise I don't see how they'd have done it.

I know this thread is 5 years old, but how do you remove the window sill chrome? I'm trying to figure this out without taking too much apart. I'd at least like to have an idea as to what I am doing before I do it.

 

[cashmoneyspeed]

Re: Re:

I know this thread is 5 years old, but how do you remove the window sill chrome? I'm trying to figure this out without taking too much apart. I'd at least like to have an idea as to what I am doing before I do it.

Remove the door panel, then Remove the glass, now you'll be able to access the Phillips screws that hold it to the door. Great time to lubricate stuff and replace broken door panel clips to tighten things up.