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Passenger side window woes

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Old 10-20-2010, 10:39 AM
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Default Passenger side window woes

My passenger side window has always been a little bit slower than my drivers side. Always worked good so I was satisfied with it. Well the other day it wouldn't go down. The next day it went down and up fine. However, now it doesn't work at all. So my question is what do I need to do next. Is there anything i should check or has my window motor just took a crap on me? All advice will be greatly appreciated.
Old 10-20-2010, 02:08 PM
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You will get a bunch of replies shortly selling you snake oil and the auto-trix kit. The auto-trix kit may make the motor go faster until it totally dies on you - but it doesn't fix the fact that the motors are junk and will eventually crap out.

But... I don't think your problem is motor related. Usually, when the motor is dying, it will go down but not up. Or it will die 100%.

Since this is intermittent, it could be one of your window switches. The next time it happens, check and see what the behavior is of both window switches. (The passenger side switch is wired through the driver's side switch. So, if one is going bad, sometimes the other will work - but not always.) If one switch works and the other doesn't its easy to find the fix. If both don't work, you'll need to do some electrical tracing.
Old 10-21-2010, 08:52 AM
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Originally Posted by wssix99
You will get a bunch of replies shortly selling you snake oil and the auto-trix kit. The auto-trix kit may make the motor go faster until it totally dies on you - but it doesn't fix the fact that the motors are junk and will eventually crap out.

But... I don't think your problem is motor related. Usually, when the motor is dying, it will go down but not up. Or it will die 100%.

Since this is intermittent, it could be one of your window switches. The next time it happens, check and see what the behavior is of both window switches. (The passenger side switch is wired through the driver's side switch. So, if one is going bad, sometimes the other will work - but not always.) If one switch works and the other doesn't its easy to find the fix. If both don't work, you'll need to do some electrical tracing.
When it was working then not working I would check the switches. When the window isn't working neither switch will make it go up or down.
Old 10-22-2010, 08:12 AM
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Them you'l want to start testing at your driver's side swithch when it happens again.
Old 10-23-2010, 12:56 PM
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It's intermittent because you're motor is dying. The reason it works one minute and not the next is because it's overheating due to bad wiring from the factory. It has a fail-safe built in that when it gets too hot it'll just shut down until it cools.

If you have the ability to, put a meter on it and meter out the voltage going to the motors. You'll find the drivers side is getting around 10v and the passenger side is getting around 7.5v. It's doing this because the stock wiring is not big enough to carry the full 12v the motor needs. Since the motor is trying to pull 12v some a wire that can't carry it, it overheats. Years of the motors doing this is what kills them.

The only proper fix for this, I've found, is the Auto-Trix fix. I built a kit myself using 12AWG wire and haven't had a problem since. It's not cheap, but it works and gives the motors the full 12v they need directly from the battery instead of the cars stock wiring. I highly doubt your switches are the problem.
Old 10-23-2010, 07:01 PM
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Yeah it worked fine most of the summer, then it would only work when the weather started cooling off, now it just doesn't work ever. I just put a sub and amp in the hatch space so T-tops are a no go right now anyways. However, I plan on getting the stealth box and fixing the window before the weather gets nice again next year.




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