How to Fix a Power Window Motor

Power window motors are extremely reliable, and when something does go bad, diagnosing and fixing the problem is usually quite easy. There's not a lot that can go wrong. A power window motor is made up of a reel, a sector gear and the motor drive, all of which are replaceable. Before fixing the power window motor, first disconnect the negative lead from the vehicle's main battery. Use caution when working with moving parts inside the vehicle door.

Instructions

1

Tape the window glass in the closed position to hold it in place while working the mechanical parts inside the vehicle door. Unfasten the door panel by prying on the fasteners around the edge of the paneling, using a screwdriver, and remove the panel. Also remove the weather sheeting and retain it for later.

2

Remove the four or six bolts on the door holding the regulator assembly. The regulator assembly is the part that holds the window glass and moves it up and down on the framework track inside the door. Next, unscrew two Phillips screws holding the window glass in the regulator clamp. Now you can remove the regulator assembly and the framework track from the door cavity while the duct tape holds the window glass in place. Attached to the framework is the motor mechanism.

3

Unplug the electrical cable attached to the motor from the wiring in the door. Examine the motor mechanism. The motor drive is attached to a rotating reel, which, in turn, is attached to a sector gear. This sector gear turns the attached linkage that physically moves the window glass up and down. Let the wiring hang from the door cavity for now, and lay the motor assembly on the ground with the motor drive face up.

4

Unscrew the four or six bolts holding the failed motor drive to the rotating reel, using the wrench. Remove the failed motor and replace with the new motor, inserting the round housing of the new motor over the exposed rotating reel. Tighten the four or six bolts, and connect the cable from the new motor to the wiring hanging from the door cavity.

5

Insert the framework and motor assembly into the door cavity, and replace the four or six bolts that hold it to the door. Be sure to stuff the cabling back into the door so it does not interfere with any of the moving parts. Manually move the regulator assembly up so you can clamp the window glass back in and tighten the two Phillips screws. Replace the plastic weather sheeting, and the door panel. You can remove the duct tape when the window glass is securely fastened in the regulator assembly. Reconnect the battery and test the window.