Window Motors
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Window Motors I have been looking at threads and it seems like peoples window motors have all gone bad. My passenger widow takes forever to go up and down. Does anyone know a cheap way to fix or prevent this? It is such a pain in the rear! Please help!
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,535
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From: The Houndstooth
I changed out a window lift motor in my old 94 TA ... ONCE 
I have and will pay the glass place the $40 dollar install charge.
Was a huge PITA for me.
BTW, you can get a window motor replacement from autozone, advance etc. that has a lifetime warranty. Just swap it out if it goes ever goes bad again.
Went through 3 on my 94 total... 2 passenger 1 driver.
Replaced 1 passenger on my 2000 so far.
I have and will pay the glass place the $40 dollar install charge.
Was a huge PITA for me.
BTW, you can get a window motor replacement from autozone, advance etc. that has a lifetime warranty. Just swap it out if it goes ever goes bad again.
Went through 3 on my 94 total... 2 passenger 1 driver.
Replaced 1 passenger on my 2000 so far.
More people need to know that its not always the motor, but the regulator that goes out too. I had both my window motors go out and all that pontiac did was replace the regulators and not the motors, and bam, brand new again.
^^^ didn't think about that...... I just pulled the plug from my old motor and plugged it in to the new motor to see if it worked and in my case it did. Obviously if it didn't then something else was the problem. Not sure how you can test the regulators though, other then replacing. If it turns out not to be the motor you can always return it.
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Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
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From: Eastern MA
I replaced my driver's-side motor myself,
It was easy and took less than an hour.
If I had to do it again, I can do it in 30min.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showpost....1&postcount=18
It was easy and took less than an hour.
If I had to do it again, I can do it in 30min.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showpost....1&postcount=18
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 964
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From: Atlanta, GA
Yeah i replaced my driver side motor a few months back. The ONLY part that pissed me off and made me not want to do it again for the other side is all the dust created by drilling the holes. That friggin sucked.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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From: SW Florida
I have put a new motor in other cars, such as a 94 grand prix and an 87 cutlass. I'm assuming this can't be much harder than any other car am I correct? about how long does it normally take to replace the motors, being I plan on doing both of mine at the same time. I also noticed in a post above there was a link to a write up, but the pictures didnt show up, is there any other one available that have pictures? Thanks!!
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 26
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From: OP, KS
This is the write up I used to change the motors in my TA, worked great. Once you do the first one, the second one's easy. Took me around 2 hours total, taking my time to do it right 
Window Motor Writeup
Window Motor Writeup
Now if mine only had ur mileage 
Originally Posted by Arcticws6
This is the write up I used to change the motors in my TA, worked great. Once you do the first one, the second one's easy. Took me around 2 hours total, taking my time to do it right
Window Motor Writeup
Window Motor Writeup
That's the same writeup I used when I did mine. I had never changed a window motor in any vehicle before and I did my driver's side in less than an hour from start to finish. One of the easiest things I've ever fixed on the car.
yeh man, i think also there is a hi-torque version of ther power window motor for us ta's... i might be wrong. but keep ur eye on that nylon gear inside your headlights...its another pita...they make this steel unit or metal, its great I have heard...
What exactly does the regulator do ? I think my regulator is also bad because even after I changed my window motor out when I put the window down all the way the door bulges out before the motor stops. Is this because of the regulator or something else ?
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 22
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From: MoCo, Maryland
Originally Posted by Arcticws6
This is the write up I used to change the motors in my TA, worked great. Once you do the first one, the second one's easy. Took me around 2 hours total, taking my time to do it right
Window Motor Writeup
Window Motor Writeup
yeah thats the write up me and my buddy Eric95 used to change his passenger window it would get stuck and slow to roll up...we'll do the other one whe it gets warmer...
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
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From: Eastern MA
The bulge is normal.
I've had that since my car was new.
The bracket to which to motor is attached is held in with a few rivets attaching it to the inner door skin. Well, they ground their holes larger and the whole bracket moved making the door bulge worse and the window tilted when reaching a certain position while going up/down. So I made a brace from 2"X3/8" aluminum to place on the side of the inner door skin facing the interior and drilled/bolted through it to the bracket on the other side of the inner door skin making a sandwich (Motor bracket - Inner Door Skin - New Brace).
Sorry, I dont have pictures.
Getting pictures isnt the easiest now either since I added sound deadening over everything and getting the panel lined-up correctly afterwards was a PITA, so I'd rather no go in there again.
Here is a rough drawing using a pic I found. (attached)
I also had to make a notch for the motor bracket's tab to fit over the new brace I made. The notch is only big enough (and beveled) for the tab to fit over the new brace. It looks bigger in the drawing than it really is.
I've had that since my car was new.
The bracket to which to motor is attached is held in with a few rivets attaching it to the inner door skin. Well, they ground their holes larger and the whole bracket moved making the door bulge worse and the window tilted when reaching a certain position while going up/down. So I made a brace from 2"X3/8" aluminum to place on the side of the inner door skin facing the interior and drilled/bolted through it to the bracket on the other side of the inner door skin making a sandwich (Motor bracket - Inner Door Skin - New Brace).
Sorry, I dont have pictures.
Getting pictures isnt the easiest now either since I added sound deadening over everything and getting the panel lined-up correctly afterwards was a PITA, so I'd rather no go in there again.
Here is a rough drawing using a pic I found. (attached)
I also had to make a notch for the motor bracket's tab to fit over the new brace I made. The notch is only big enough (and beveled) for the tab to fit over the new brace. It looks bigger in the drawing than it really is.
