Any idea what it could be? I wasn't sure if it was a temperature thing or what, but it'll work one day, but not the next

Suggestions would be great, but I will probably just end up taking it in to get it looked at.

11/3/2005 4:42:50 PM

Quote :

"just end up taking it in to get it looked at"

11/3/2005 4:48:42 PM

its the motor

11/3/2005 4:49:34 PM

depending on what kind of car we are talking about it could jsut be the switch. one of the windows in the 325i i owned stopped working and i just replaced the switch and it worked again.

what kind of car are you talking about?

11/3/2005 5:00:28 PM

Quote :

"its the motor"

Don't be too quick to replace the motor. Most likely it's a switch. What is the year, make, model? I have a friend w/ a 97 F-150 with the same exact problem. Sometimes it would work fine, sometimes it wouldn't work at all. Sometimes it would go down but not up. We thought it was the motor, but tested first by using the switch from the passenger side and it worked fine. Take your time diagnosing the problem, to make sure you don't spend more than you have to. GOOD LUCK!!

11/3/2005 5:11:20 PM

switch

11/3/2005 6:02:31 PM

classic TWW garage material, little to no background info provided with the problem, and multiple wild guesses made by novices.

11/3/2005 6:06:50 PM

Quote :

"novices"

11/3/2005 6:08:06 PM

Quote :

"and multiple wild guesses made by novices"

HEY!! I RESEMBLE THAT REMARK!!!

11/3/2005 6:09:54 PM

my car had the same problem and i know it was for sure the motor....replaced it and havent had another problem

granted all cars are not the same but i would assume without knowing your car or seeing it that that is what it would be

11/3/2005 6:23:46 PM

2003 Pontiac Grand AM GT
2 door... driver's side window doesn't work... it's possible it's the switch, but not sure how I could test it. I might pull off the little panel to see if I can try to power it with the passenger switch... if it fits.

11/3/2005 8:25:12 PM

^ yeah, plugs on the back are identical, just swap positions

11/3/2005 11:34:34 PM

if the switches are on the doors, there are two switches (TWO) on that car, the master switch on the LH door and then the single switch on the passenger. if this is the case, the plugs are NOT the same.

11/3/2005 11:44:19 PM

there are 3 switches for windows in my car

2 on driver's side (driver and passenger window) and 1 on passenger side

11/4/2005 7:06:17 AM

^thats what he meant

11/4/2005 7:14:47 AM

Quote :

"there are 3 switches for windows in my car 2 on driver's side (driver and passenger window) and 1 on passenger side "

NO

there are 2 BUTTONS there, but the driver side has only one MASTER SWITCH. the second switch is the single function switch on the passenger side.

ill tell you what, go ahead and try your idea, and we will see who is right.

11/4/2005 7:46:01 AM

so you're saying, on the driver's side, the sockets will not be universal so i cannot try to test it with the other switch... ok, gotcha

tell that makes ruling out the switch a little more difficult. I'd either have to find another Grand AM or take it somewhere... blah

11/4/2005 8:07:50 AM

nm, was thinking 2dr for some reason

[Edited on November 4, 2005 at 11:54 AM. Reason : ]

or maybe not i dunno, is it a 2dr or 4dr? if its a 2, there are two separate identical plugs on the back, if its a 4dr, then there is one giant plug

[Edited on November 4, 2005 at 11:55 AM. Reason : ]

11/4/2005 11:52:24 AM

2 door

11/4/2005 12:05:56 PM

[Edited on November 4, 2005 at 12:12 PM. Reason : double post]

11/4/2005 12:07:28 PM

Well it is a single plug and socket, so there goes trying to switch them up. I guess I'll have to take it in... who knows what that'll cost me

11/5/2005 1:07:15 PM

69: pwnt buddy. told ya so.

The next step is to have someone with knowledge of how a power window circuit works diagnose by actually getting in there and testing it, a grounded test light is ideal, for quickie testing I have a motor/actuator simulator I use.

11/7/2005 5:18:50 PM

^i agree w/ you primer, but as a quick/cheap check, maybe he could make some jumpers to go from the known good switch to the malfunctioning side of the harness/connector?? Yeah i know that's ghetto, but it could work as a diagnostic technique and requires minimal effort and resources. Then again, i know nothing about pontiac electronics, i've only ever worked with Ford auto windows.

11/7/2005 5:26:39 PM

You could do that I suppose, but it would be a LOT of guesswork without concise wiring diarams and possible connector views. A regular test light and a ground wire would help.

If it was my car, I would pull the panel and go to the connector at the motor, there should only be two wires there on this car, IIRC. Basically how it works is with the switch in the UP position one wire is hot, and the other is ground- and the opposite for when it is in the DOWN position. Easy enough to check with a test light. If nothing is erratic when you work the switch in either way, and the switch motions dont feel limited or "sticky" at all, then I personally would buy a motor/regulator assembly for it and go from there. EVEN IF the motor is available seperate from the regulator, its not worth the trouble of swapping a new motor onto a old cable type regulator (these cars dont use sector gear regulators anymore) also, they are likely much cheaper than dealer cost on eBay.

It looks like I am about to take one at least one other power window repair on the side in the near future, and I can do this one too if you are interested alexwbush. Just let me know.

11/7/2005 8:57:19 PM