Sluggish windows and door locks
Sluggish windows and door locks I know the 4th gen windows are slow but mine are now at an annoyingly slow speed now. They also will just stop working midway through use then just start working again. Also my door locks don't seem to want to work as well as they once did. Sometimes I have to stand right at my car in order for the key bob to work (yes I have replaced the batteries; several times).
Would this be a BCM issue by chance? What all should I start looking into in order to fix/help speed things back up?
Would this be a BCM issue by chance? What all should I start looking into in order to fix/help speed things back up?
Window slowness is probably due to carbon build-up on switch contacts (due to arcing). The passenger window especially, since it draws power through its own switch and also through the driver side switch (poor design). The carbon means there's a voltage drop (like a resistor), so the motor slows down and heats up, bad. Don't know about the door locks.
Window slowness is probably due to carbon build-up on switch contacts (due to arcing). The passenger window especially, since it draws power through its own switch and also through the driver side switch (poor design). The carbon means there's a voltage drop (like a resistor), so the motor slows down and heats up, bad. Don't know about the door locks.
The stock design window motors were originally put in GM cars in the late 1960's. They stayed in the parts bin for decades and somehow made their way in to the 4th gen F-body when it was designed in the late 1980's/early 1990's. We got the shaft: https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...hs-truths.html
There are two notorious problems with the motor:
- The thermal cutoff switch (used to shut power to the motor when the glass is all the way up/down) will burn out and lead to the motor per-maturely cutting out as it moves. Sometimes the motor will completely die without warning due to this.
- The motors are poorly sealed against water and contaminants getting in. This leads to rust and other badness in the motor that slows it down to an eventual death.
Autozone released a new design for the motor a few years back, which was subsequently taken over by Dorman. Unfortunately, it appears that Dorman when back to the OEM design and the improved design is currently MIA from the market. We are still looking for when/where it will reappear. It was much better! I haven't hears of the updated design failing yet and they have been working in my car perfectly (and quickly) for over seven years now.
If you don't want to spend money on new / reman window motors, and aren't worried about pinched fingers, you can try this fix: "How to permanently repair your window motors (With Pics!)".
Last edited by komik; Sep 30, 2016 at 07:55 PM. Reason: link
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No. The switches are disposable. I've never heard of anyone getting increased performance from replacing the switches. If this were really the case, then the driver's side window would always be faster.
The stock design window motors were originally put in GM cars in the late 1960's. They stayed in the parts bin for decades and somehow made their way in to the 4th gen F-body when it was designed in the late 1980's/early 1990's. We got the shaft: https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...hs-truths.html
There are two notorious problems with the motor:
- The thermal cutoff switch (used to shut power to the motor when the glass is all the way up/down) will burn out and lead to the motor per-maturely cutting out as it moves. Sometimes the motor will completely die without warning due to this.
- The motors are poorly sealed against water and contaminants getting in. This leads to rust and other badness in the motor that slows it down to an eventual death.
Autozone released a new design for the motor a few years back, which was subsequently taken over by Dorman. Unfortunately, it appears that Dorman when back to the OEM design and the improved design is currently MIA from the market. We are still looking for when/where it will reappear. It was much better! I haven't hears of the updated design failing yet and they have been working in my car perfectly (and quickly) for over seven years now.
The stock design window motors were originally put in GM cars in the late 1960's. They stayed in the parts bin for decades and somehow made their way in to the 4th gen F-body when it was designed in the late 1980's/early 1990's. We got the shaft: https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...hs-truths.html
There are two notorious problems with the motor:
- The thermal cutoff switch (used to shut power to the motor when the glass is all the way up/down) will burn out and lead to the motor per-maturely cutting out as it moves. Sometimes the motor will completely die without warning due to this.
- The motors are poorly sealed against water and contaminants getting in. This leads to rust and other badness in the motor that slows it down to an eventual death.
Autozone released a new design for the motor a few years back, which was subsequently taken over by Dorman. Unfortunately, it appears that Dorman when back to the OEM design and the improved design is currently MIA from the market. We are still looking for when/where it will reappear. It was much better! I haven't hears of the updated design failing yet and they have been working in my car perfectly (and quickly) for over seven years now.
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There is actually a kit that allegedly solves the problem, which stems from lack of power in general to the passenger side door. It is mentioned in the thread that komik posted.
So it sounds like I'll probably have to buy new motors and hope they last a few years. I've been noticing a lot of electrical bugs coming up on my car lately. Had to replace my crankshaft position sensor and the cam sensor now my ABS is messing up due to the sensor on the rear diff. Windows getting worse and worse and the key fob hardly working. Guess she's just getting old...
This is not true and one of the worst internet rumors/viruses we have spreading on this site. The makers of said kit do t even make this outlandish claim: https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...hs-truths.html
Does it HELP though? If it reduces the voltage drop on a wimpy motor...... I dunno. Seems reasonable.
The previous owner of my car had the pass motor changed. Car had no fng miles on, how does it go bad with just time?
IMO - The expense of this kit is not worth it compared to the ease at changing out a motor once the initial shbox method has been followed to do an initial change-out. You can get a lifetime warranty on the replacement motor and all others after that will go in/out in 20 minutes. The additional complexity and wiring of the kit is just one more thing to keep track of that could break.
Rust. Inside the motor itself and on the thermal resistor. Even a garage-kept car will get some water in there. (The inside of the door is a wet environment and the motor bathes in rain fall and salt.)
I forget where I saw the pictures, but someone took a bad motor apart a while back and it was nasty.