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Power Window problem in desperate need of help!

K

Kingcorvette

Guest
I have a 84 vette, and my passenger side window is really acting up. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. The motor seems to be great, it rolls up and down quickly and quietly. The problem is that sometimes I'll roll it down and it won't go back up, and then it's a waiting game to see when it decides that it would like to go up again. Most of the time it doesn't work, so I've checked behind the door panel to see if the wires were loose but I didn't go in to deep and I didn't see any cause for concern in there, and I also checked out the switch, replaced it and checked those wires, they were good too. The weird thing is that if it gets stuck down, and I keep trying to roll it up constantly, it doesn't do anything. But if I give it time, sometimes like a few hours, sometimes a few days, then I hit the button and it goes up no problem.

Does anyone have any idea what's going on?

P.S......my passenger side headlight seems to do the same type of thing, except it's very rare when it actually works.
 
Do both the driver side and pass side switches not work when the window is stuck down, or is it only one ??
 
you need to confirm that there is proper voltage at the window motor when it decides to not work.

A common sympton of a failed window motor is, intermittent or binding after a down/up sequence. After a cool down it may work for another sequence.
 
The driver's side always works, I've never had a problem with that.
 
Those 84 window setups!! :hb

I suspect the ribbon. If there is a tooth missing on it then I would imagine the motor gear wont engage it.

Mine does weird stuff to, like roll down 3/4 of the way. I know what does it, I just cant think of how to correct it. It (the ribbon) slides all the way down its rail and then catches on the rails stopper. If I advance the ribbon on the motor, it seems that the window wont have enough ribbon to go all the way up....Oh..sorry, not my thread :eyerole

IMHO, get the 85+ setups. MUCH more reliable. Thats my next project.

Good Luck!
 
I've never had the problem of the window stopping on it's way down.

The best way i can describe my situation is like this:

I use the window and then it gets stuck down....it's like I just used up all of it's power to do that. Then if I keep playing with it, it won't work.....but if I give it time to rest and charge itself up, it seems to work. It's like I'm allowed 1 touch of the button every 24 hours or more. I've had it go for weeks without working before though.
 
It sounds to me like a tired motor. Dirty and probably the electrical connections could be serviced. There is, as you can imagine, nothing to "charge" for the motor to function.

I have heard of people cleaning the motors out and they seem to work fine but it is involved. I believe it entails removing the entire aluminized plate assembly, door handle, door lock, wires and such. Personally, I have made quick connectors on all of the hard to disconnect wires. It makes it a lot easier to get in and out of there. Then, you are dealing with the motor assembly itself. There are large guage rivets that you need to drill out in order to free the motor from the rest of the mechanisim. Those can later be replaced by nuts and bolts, rather than new heavy-guage rivets.

The motor can then be cleaned and reattached with the mentioned nuts and bolts.

However, I just recently have seen two (2) used-but-in-good-shape, '85+ window/motor assemblies for $70-something a piece on E-Bay. They dont use the ribbons and I have heard they work much better. If its anything like the 84 fuel pumps, UPGRADE!
I would personally go this route rather than rely on the ribbon-style assemblies.

Like I said though....my2cents!
 
About the disconnects...

....go to your local auto parts store and grab a couple of those waterproof disconnects (like the TPS connectors). Or as many as you need. It makes SUCH a difference when you work on it. Much easier to get the whole door cover off and out of your way. Some of them (the stock connections) come off easy, but the ones that suck, like the lock/unlock buttons......well, you probably know by now.
Good luck!
 
Something else I experienced on my Jeep sounds similar to this..

After years of opening and closing the door your binding the wires in the hinge. Try to open the rubber boot up and take a look at your wires in there one may be cracked and giving you grief.

I also have the 84-85 setup in mine but mine are just slow as hell.. So Im going to do what my bud at Corvetter Corner and Evolution said and clean out the Motors (And inspect them) but also the Big Chrome guiding bars need grease as well and I was told to use White Lithium grease NOT some WD 40 stuff..

G'luck
 
The 85's use ribbon style too? I was not aware of that.
 
Not sure by Ribbon but in ALL the Catalogs the parts for the windows work 84-85 then 86-up.. Ecklers even has a conversion kit for 200 bucks a window to change the 84-85 TO an 86+ (Im heavily looking into this option if I have to start replacing stuff.
 
Thats the exact route I am looking at as well.

Aside from not rolling down all the way, mine also is slow as a ....hmmm, something witty..... a Mustang! *insert rimshot here*:( and the passenger side window has to be lowered about an inch before I shut the door or the forward corner will hit the metal "ears' from the targa top. Then someone has to push in the window before I roll it back up so it will seat in the weatherstripping correctly. You can see small chips from where this has happened before. Really sucks.

Damn, what a hoopty I have:L

So yeah, 86s for me, $400 is a little tight but I think it will be worth it in the long run.

Perhaps Ken *ahem* has some insight into this problem.
 

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