Anyone else replaced their power window motors? I have a 97 Cavy 2.2 Coupe, driver's side window motor is dying.

I got the replacement window motor from Advance Auto Parts, from what I can see, it looks like it will work.

Anything I need to watch out for?



George (geozinger)
'95 Sunfire GT-my second Pontiac from Hell!
'97 Cavy Beater-still running like a champ!
'04 Sunfire - my kid's car, but I get the bills...
'09 Pontiac G6 - Sport Package 1

Patience is key. It's a tight fit in there, and it is real easy to lose your cool. One of the problems I ran into was with the return spring (it helps assist the window in going back up). I eventually gave up on it and just deal with my windows going up a second slower. I've changed my motor about 2 times on both sides. Another thing is you're going to have to drill out your rivets, which aren't too bad, but i wouldn't recommend using the bolts they give you in the pack. Go to Ace or wherever and get some bigger heavier duty bolts.

The job will most likely suck the first time, but once you do it, it isn't too bad after that. I would recommend using your Chilton's or whatever manual you have, to make things easier.

Thanks, Beachz24

Just a couple of dumb questions and I will leave you alone.

When the motor comes out of the door, does the sash just fall down? Do I need to prop the thing up in position? How about that assist spring, will that pop out or something? Or is it real tough to put back in? I can't see a damned thing and I hate working on stuff where I can't see it or at least visualize how it all fits together. I have a Haynes manual, but it really doesn't show much, either. Maybe I will check out a Chilton's book.

BTW, I looked the bolts in the kit, and thought - what crap! I will probably pop-rivet the whole thing together, I don't want it to get loose or flop around and f-up the gears...




George (geozinger)
'95 Sunfire GT-my second Pontiac from Hell!
'97 Cavy Beater-still running like a champ!
'04 Sunfire - my kid's car, but I get the bills...
'09 Pontiac G6 - Sport Package 1

You have to remove the glass and the entire regulator to change the motor, so there's no worries about holding anything up. It won't be there.

For the clock spring... if yours has one then be very careful when removing the motor from the regulator. When the motor comes off, the regulator will snap around like a giant set of shears. Don't lose any fingers to it.

A good practice is to drill a hole through the two main parts of the regulator and put a bolt through it to hold it in place. Then you can remove the motor without worrying about the spring.

On mine, I wrestled with getting the spring back in place for quite some time. Then, with everything reinstalled, the first time I put the window down the spring just fell right off. Obviously it wasn't in right. Curiously though, I checked the other side and it didn't even have one. Even more, the window goes faster now than it ever did before!

Mine's all bolted up. I believe the motor bolts to the regulator. Then the regulator is normally riveted to the door but I used short bolts so it would be much easier to do again if I ever need to in the future. Just use some threadlock and you'll be all set.

Thanks Wild Weasel!

The way the Haynes book describes the procedure, you don't remove the regulator from the door, but your method makes more sense. At least with the regulator out and on the driveway, I can see how it all comes apart...




George (geozinger)
'95 Sunfire GT-my second Pontiac from Hell!
'97 Cavy Beater-still running like a champ!
'04 Sunfire - my kid's car, but I get the bills...
'09 Pontiac G6 - Sport Package 1

i haven't had to REPLACE them yet, but i put in the whole assembly when i converted from manual windows. it was really easy and i didn't take the window out, i just taped it up, pulled out the manual regulator and installed the power reg and motor. was really easy actually. i think the hardest part was sliding it out of the whole in the door, and that wasn't even that hard.

i bought the motor pulled off the door panel and said, " YEAH RIGHT!!" took it to a place close to my parents house cost 75bucks to have them do it though.

03silverecocav (Gabe) wrote:i bought the motor pulled off the door panel and said, " YEAH RIGHT!!" took it to a place close to my parents house cost 75bucks to have them do it though.

If anyone in the GTA needs this done, I'll do it for $75 and probably do a better job.

Mat C had a window put in by a shop and they did it wrong. When it then didn't line up properly, they wanted to charge him hundreds of dollars for a new regulator to fix it.

Turned out that they were just ripping him off. Be wary of scammers!!

I didn't remove the glass, just the regulator. Drill out the rivets, find some bolts, and bolt up. PITA and very messy. Also, before you drill out the rivets that hold the motor to the regulator, clamp it down w. vise-grips so nothing flys anywhere and so you can remember the position when you put the new one on the regulator.

Also, you do not need that braket it comes w. That is what the bolts are for, for mounting the braket to the motor, not for bolting the motor back to the door. You should have read the directions in the box.

Sam


Ban low-performance cars, not high-performance ones.

Thanks everyone for their input.

I wanted to get a few ideas before I jumped into this job tomorrow morning. The hell of it is, the Haynes manual isn't real descriptive (I guess that's what shop manuals are for) and the instructions in the box are for every f***in' GM car since 1948 that has power windows!




George (geozinger)
'95 Sunfire GT-my second Pontiac from Hell!
'97 Cavy Beater-still running like a champ!
'04 Sunfire - my kid's car, but I get the bills...
'09 Pontiac G6 - Sport Package 1

Amen to that. Haynes has really crappy directions when it comes to the windows. As its sits, my vert has almost all the rivets drilled out. After a day or two of wondering, i finally just put the door skin back on and said screw it till i get some money. THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE GIVEN INPUT!!!!!!!