Diy: Sticky For Window Motor Repairs/door Panel Removal
Originally Posted by Cassman
Autozone. If you return the old motor, it will cost just under $150. The stealership wanted $294. Ha. I will be installing mine today or tomorrow.
yes because you are providing a core to them and they will send that back off to the place that you are buying theres from and they will repair it...The ones sold at Autozone are normally refurbished ones.
Originally Posted by richie
nice extensive write up g35man !
Originally Posted by g35man04
yes because you are providing a core to them and they will send that back off to the place that you are buying theres from and they will repair it...The ones sold at Autozone are normally refurbished ones.
Originally Posted by Cassman
I replaced my window motor over the weekend. It was fairly straightforward. No major issues and it works. Thanks again!
Had your DIY sitting next to me in my garage as I did this today. My window was working terribly, sometimes would not even roll up/down at all. Now it works amazingly, and better than my pass. side which works like new! I wanted to make myself a CF Hood will all the carbon on that dmn thing haha. Thanks for saving me $300+!! Your the man! 
Registered User
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 241
Likes: 1
From: Tempe, AZ.
Whew, I did it and everything is working (knock on wood). Thanks so much for this DIY, it helped immensely!
Note to those who are about to try it, prepare for some frustration! You'll take everything apart and it's going to go fast with no real problems...then you have to put it all back together again. It doesn't sound difficult and conceptually it's not but in reality it was a somewhat of a bitch! Getting the motor back onto the panel and getting the panel to attach to the two window brackets (whatever they are called, they attack to the bottom of the window) took some trial an error.
That being said, still do it. It's easily worth the money saved. My dealership quoted me $530. I did it myself in a few hours at a cost of only $145 (Autozone). It pissed me off a couple of times but not that I've done it, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!
btw...my new motor didn't come with the clip shown in pic #34 (just below the sentence "Located to the left side where you unplug the window..."). I had to take it off the existing motor and it turned out to be a huge pain. I don't know the trick so in the end I just used some needle nose pliers to pretty much bend the hell out of the harness until the clip came out.
One more note, I tried cleaning up my old motor and it get it running. However when installed the window still rolled up kinda slow, like the motor didn't have enough torque. I'm thinking the cleaning would give it a bit more life (in my case) but would just be causing myself headaches when it failed again in a few months so I just went with the new motor.
Ok that about sums up my experience. Thanks again for the great pics!!
Note to those who are about to try it, prepare for some frustration! You'll take everything apart and it's going to go fast with no real problems...then you have to put it all back together again. It doesn't sound difficult and conceptually it's not but in reality it was a somewhat of a bitch! Getting the motor back onto the panel and getting the panel to attach to the two window brackets (whatever they are called, they attack to the bottom of the window) took some trial an error.
That being said, still do it. It's easily worth the money saved. My dealership quoted me $530. I did it myself in a few hours at a cost of only $145 (Autozone). It pissed me off a couple of times but not that I've done it, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!
btw...my new motor didn't come with the clip shown in pic #34 (just below the sentence "Located to the left side where you unplug the window..."). I had to take it off the existing motor and it turned out to be a huge pain. I don't know the trick so in the end I just used some needle nose pliers to pretty much bend the hell out of the harness until the clip came out.
One more note, I tried cleaning up my old motor and it get it running. However when installed the window still rolled up kinda slow, like the motor didn't have enough torque. I'm thinking the cleaning would give it a bit more life (in my case) but would just be causing myself headaches when it failed again in a few months so I just went with the new motor.
Ok that about sums up my experience. Thanks again for the great pics!!
Originally Posted by Sinurgy
Whew, I did it and everything is working (knock on wood). Thanks so much for this DIY, it helped immensely!
Note to those who are about to try it, prepare for some frustration! You'll take everything apart and it's going to go fast with no real problems...then you have to put it all back together again. It doesn't sound difficult and conceptually it's not but in reality it was a somewhat of a bitch! Getting the motor back onto the panel and getting the panel to attach to the two window brackets (whatever they are called, they attack to the bottom of the window) took some trial an error.
That being said, still do it. It's easily worth the money saved. My dealership quoted me $530. I did it myself in a few hours at a cost of only $145 (Autozone). It pissed me off a couple of times but not that I've done it, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!
btw...my new motor didn't come with the clip shown in pic #34 (just below the sentence "Located to the left side where you unplug the window..."). I had to take it off the existing motor and it turned out to be a huge pain. I don't know the trick so in the end I just used some needle nose pliers to pretty much bend the hell out of the harness until the clip came out.
One more note, I tried cleaning up my old motor and it get it running. However when installed the window still rolled up kinda slow, like the motor didn't have enough torque. I'm thinking the cleaning would give it a bit more life (in my case) but would just be causing myself headaches when it failed again in a few months so I just went with the new motor.
Ok that about sums up my experience. Thanks again for the great pics!!
Note to those who are about to try it, prepare for some frustration! You'll take everything apart and it's going to go fast with no real problems...then you have to put it all back together again. It doesn't sound difficult and conceptually it's not but in reality it was a somewhat of a bitch! Getting the motor back onto the panel and getting the panel to attach to the two window brackets (whatever they are called, they attack to the bottom of the window) took some trial an error.
That being said, still do it. It's easily worth the money saved. My dealership quoted me $530. I did it myself in a few hours at a cost of only $145 (Autozone). It pissed me off a couple of times but not that I've done it, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!
btw...my new motor didn't come with the clip shown in pic #34 (just below the sentence "Located to the left side where you unplug the window..."). I had to take it off the existing motor and it turned out to be a huge pain. I don't know the trick so in the end I just used some needle nose pliers to pretty much bend the hell out of the harness until the clip came out.
One more note, I tried cleaning up my old motor and it get it running. However when installed the window still rolled up kinda slow, like the motor didn't have enough torque. I'm thinking the cleaning would give it a bit more life (in my case) but would just be causing myself headaches when it failed again in a few months so I just went with the new motor.
Ok that about sums up my experience. Thanks again for the great pics!!
Registered User
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 241
Likes: 1
From: Tempe, AZ.
Originally Posted by g35man04
thanks for the reply on the experience! when I ordered my new window motor it was just plug in play.....so i am not sure what you got from autozone...I am thinking maybe a bad motor they sold you...if you remove the black plastic covers on certain parts of the metal panel you can actually fit your hand in there to align everything up..it wasnt to diffucult. But thanks for the response.
As for removing the black plastic covers, I did that but no way I could come even close to getting my hands through those holes. I'm a pretty big guy though so perhaps that was my problem. I had to slide my hand under the bottom of the metal panel to align everything which sucked because that pulls the panel away from the door making everything much more difficult.
At any rate, while there were some challenges I did it, everything seems to be working perfectly, I saved $400 and no way could I have done it without your excellent DIY. So thanks again!
Originally Posted by Sinurgy
No the motor works great, the only thing it was missing was the clip I mentioned (pic #34). Not the actual wiring harness but the little two pronged clip that is attached to it that you in turn snap onto the door to hold it in place.
As for removing the black plastic covers, I did that but no way I could come even close to getting my hands through those holes. I'm a pretty big guy though so perhaps that was my problem. I had to slide my hand under the bottom of the metal panel to align everything which sucked because that pulls the panel away from the door making everything much more difficult.
At any rate, while there were some challenges I did it, everything seems to be working perfectly, I saved $400 and no way could I have done it without your excellent DIY. So thanks again!
As for removing the black plastic covers, I did that but no way I could come even close to getting my hands through those holes. I'm a pretty big guy though so perhaps that was my problem. I had to slide my hand under the bottom of the metal panel to align everything which sucked because that pulls the panel away from the door making everything much more difficult.
At any rate, while there were some challenges I did it, everything seems to be working perfectly, I saved $400 and no way could I have done it without your excellent DIY. So thanks again!
AHH OKAY!!! makes sense then...
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
I just did this too ( actully didn't find this tread until I already had the door panel off ).
Just wanted to have the OP edit the first post. Its a 12mm, not a 13mm socket to the window track mounts.
Everyone deffinately try this before buying anything !!! Took me less than an hour. I used brake cleaner on the armature, then used a really small ziptie to push all the carbon from the grooves, then washed the brushes and everything out with brake cleaner and compressed air.
Use brake cleaner at your own risk. Its flameable and most electric motors give off sparks ( maybe not this type since automotive use ).
Just wanted to have the OP edit the first post. Its a 12mm, not a 13mm socket to the window track mounts.
Everyone deffinately try this before buying anything !!! Took me less than an hour. I used brake cleaner on the armature, then used a really small ziptie to push all the carbon from the grooves, then washed the brushes and everything out with brake cleaner and compressed air.
Use brake cleaner at your own risk. Its flameable and most electric motors give off sparks ( maybe not this type since automotive use ).