HWI

iTrader: (2)

So I'm having an odd issue with my driver side window and driver side headlight, both of them only work sometimes. For instance, I can go out to the car and the window won't go down, but 20 mins later(or the next day) it will. Or the opposite, it will go down right away, but won't come up till it feels like it. The window motor is very new and I have auto trix kit installed in both windows. It only started doing this after I had the car shipped from Hawaii to Florida. When I press the button I can hear something click even when the window doesn't move. I pulled off the door panel and see nothing wrong, when it does go up or down, it does so quietly and fast.

The headlight has a very similar issue on the driver side, when I turn it on sometimes it won't go up and sometimes it will. However, regardless if it goes up or not the light always comes on. The headlight makes no abnormal noises or anything of the sort and the problem started at the same time as the window.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated cause this is a very annoying problem. Is it possible there is something connecting the two issues seeing as they started at the same time and they are both on the drivers side?

jaysan

iTrader: (8)

motors are going out

ANTICOP RAM AIR

iTrader: (7)

search is your friend..

replace window motor, or remove the thermal switch from it...It will buy you some time if you dont have the cash to replace it...

remove the headlight motor, open it up, replace gear, or remove and rotate it 180degrees and use the other side of the it till it goes out...

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

^^^ There you go. The problems are not related (both classic issues) and this is more proof that the a voltage kit won't "fix" a bad motor.

BTW - Most "new" motors that are sold in parts stores are not really "new." Unless you have the new design Dorman motor installed, you are rolling the dice.

HWI

iTrader: (2)

I installed new Dorman window motors about 4 months ago in both the driver and passenger side at the same time I installed the auto trix kit, I highly doubt it's the window motors.

I just checked the headlight gear and it's fine. The window goes up and down sometimes and other times it won't.

I think that both of these are electrical issues, possibly a loose wire somewhere, because it happened while my car was shipped across the country.

ANTICOP RAM AIR

iTrader: (7)

If you remove your window motor and take off the *** end plug

, carefully.. , flip over the plastic piece and you will see this little piece of electronic **** that looks like an m&m... This is a thermal switch... Remove it and replace with 14gage braided wire, use solder and flux and make it look like this... reassemble and reinstall motor..

ANTICOP RAM AIR

iTrader: (7)

also, clean the tracks and re-lube them with lithium grease will help.. especially in the track groove that sits behind the mirror.. the forward most channel...

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Bad motor and stripped gear are the common culprits, but your issues could also be electrical gremlins. Given that the issues are specific to one window and one motor, they are likely isolated to those individual parts and are separate problems. (If you had a global issue, both windows would have problems or both headlights would have problems.)

You can trace the circuits and see what is going on. If you don't have power at the window connector, that will confirm your motors are still good. (You could have a loose wire or relay problem with the kits you installed, etc.) For the headlight, the best place is to start at the headlight motor connector. They commonly get corroded all to hell on our cars and you may find that the signals are good at the harness and the corrosion is keeping the power from getting to the motor.

bones_c

iTrader: (3)

What is the thermal switch? I mean what does it do and what's it for

HWI

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the suggestions/info ANTICOP RAM AIR and wssix99.

Edit: As an update the window hasn't wanted to move for a full day now, so hopefully replacing the thermal switch with 14g wire will fix it.

ANTICOP RAM AIR

iTrader: (7)

well, in this sense.. when the window motor reaches its stop points, all the way up or all the way down, the motor naturally keeps trying to push the window.... the thermal switch detects the increased heat in the motor and basically shuts it off... over time, they get weak, plus the tracks of the window get crap in them making the motor work harder.. all of these things together make the motor cut off when you dont want it to... if you help the window up or down it will work fine cause the motor uses little torque therefore produces less heat so the little switch doesnt shut down.. once the switch cools down, it closes again, completing the circuit.. the older the thermal switch gets, the quicker it open (turns off)and the longer it takes to close ( turn back on)... removing the switch will not hurt the motor unless you hold it down after it has reached its limit...

this is how this system works in theory, the actual mechanical and electrical configuration is a bit more complicated.....

HWI

iTrader: (2)

Good info, thanks.