JLFIII

iTrader: (1)

Alright, so my passenger side door skin has been separated on the top near the door handle since I bought the car a year ago, but other pressing issues with the car and this horrible winter meant that fixing it was low on the priority list.

Well it finally started to warm us here in NY so I glued the door using the method below (not my pic but I did the same thing)

[IMG]skin by jlfalcone3rd, on Flickr[/IMG]

And so now after I let the glue cure for 24hrs everything is great. The window has stopped banging around and the seal is nice and tight BUT....

Now the window will only roll up all the way if the door is open. The alignment is perfect but now that the window is tight to the weatherstripping the motor runs out of steam with about 3/4 of an inch to go... If I open the door, it goes up no problem

I changed the drivers side motor and regulator when I got the car, and the passengers side was always slow, so I guess this means that passenger's side motor is dying right?

Should I be preemptive and change it soon??

MTN_Z

iTrader: (7)

It's gonna fail eventually anyways, so you might as well replace it.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

It could be the motor - at a minimum, I'd say the motor is getting weak.

If your window stabilizers (top of door) are out of adjustment, that could be causing extra strain on the motor as the glass goes up with the door shut. Check out the shbox thread on window adjustment and you'll see how to make sure those are right.

Pseudonym

iTrader: (3)

The passenger window on these cars are always slower than the driver side, because of the way the car is wired. There is a passenger window fix offered by some sponsors.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

This is absolutely incorrect and is mythology spread by people justifying their investment in these kits. (Right or wrong.) The wiring is just fine and two new motors (excluding the many remans out there sold as "new) work identicially on both sides when installed in properly adjusted door mechanisms.

Pseudonym

iTrader: (3)

Really? Ive seen so many people say that the passenger side motor gets less power since the switch is piggybacked off the driver side.

If I replace both stock window motors with dorman motors, will they reach a fully open and fully closed state simultaneously or will the passenger side still be slower?

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

I think that most people are confused. There is a slight voltage drop on the passenger side due to the length of wiring, but its very very small. The voltage is still above 12V, which is just fine for any automotive accessory. As well, if the voltage drop was a design defect, you'd see the issue on the cars coming from the factory and there would have been a recall or TSB. The cars were all fine off the assembly line and there is no engineering defect.

If a motor is weak, then the additional voltage from the kit could make the motor perform better better. This is what the fans of the kit rave about. The way my math works out, its more economical to purchase a lifetime warranty motor and change it out when it goes bad vs. spend the money for the kit. If folks get really annoyed by changing the motors, then may be the extra money for the kit (to buy some extra longevity) is worth it?

That being said...


Theoretically, yes. In practicality, probably not. I've had my driver's side slower than the passenger side after a swap. Then I tinker with the door adjustments, and then they flip flop. On a well "loved" car, you could probably tinker with the doors for a couple of days and get the resistance perfect on both sides to so the windows operate at the exact same speed. I'm not sure going to the kit would solve this, either.


At one point, I switched to an aftermarket motor/regulator combo. They performed much better than the stock units and opened very close to the same speed. But... those motors burned out, too and the replacement was $150 ea! (So, I put my old regulators back in after that one.)

Pseudonym

iTrader: (3)

Good info. Do you have a preferred replacement window motor? I was looking at dorman 741-886 and 741-887.

JLFIII

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for all the replies. Since that day that I had the initial problem the passenger's window has begun to go all the way up. I think that b/c I was playing with it that first day I may have overheated it? Still, it barely makes it to the top with the car running and will not go all the way off with just accessory power on. I ordered a new motor and will change it out when the current one finally dies out.