Hi all,

For the last week or so everytime I'd use my power widows on the driver side that window would make almost like a grinding noise as it was rolled down. Today it did it again but this time the window was moving down much slower than normal and it stopped as if it was stuck.

I kept trying to use the power window button pressing it up and down to see if that would try and help nudge the window if it was a bit jammed but all you could hear is the motor making noise and the window not really moving, but after I tried that for a bit the button flashed orangish then back to red and smoke started coming from inside the button, now the power window motor doesn't make a sound.

I was wondering how do I go about getting access to the motor and how can I test it out.

Also, if it is the motor can I swap it for one of the motors in the rear doors, since no one ever goes back there anyways, in other words are all the motors the same and can they be swapped?

If you check out the FAQ's, I know there is one that shows how to get at the inside of the door. I am not certain that I've seen one showing a power window motor replacement, though.

I actually had my driver's side window motor go and it is fairly easy to get to. Start by peeling back the door panel trim. Be careful it is very easy to break the fasteners. Then disconnect the window/door lock control connector and panel light. Remove panel. Peel off plastic sheathing and look inside to see the motor. I believe there are three screws holding it in. You can try tapping the motor to see if it moves the window up and down faster to determine if the motor is on its way out. However, since you had some electrical problems, ie. smoking and lights dimming, it could mean you might have a short to ground or high resistance in the circuit, which would also not give the motor enough power to move the window quickly and it turn have to make it work harder possibly causing it to smoke. Hope this helps.

My passenger window quit working ( but it didn't start smoking) I thought it was the motor and went and bought a $100 motor from advance auto parts. Once I got the door apart I figured out that it was the window regulator that was bad. The window regulator can only be bought new from GM. (They will want $300 for the part and $160 to install it.) I found a rebuilt one on the internet for much cheaper and installed it myself. The regulator runs on a series of cables and pulleys. The cable in mine was frayed. and jammed up the motor. Maybe that is what is going on, and you burned the motor up trying to run it up and down. I believe the motor is the same part number for all the windows. If it is in fact the regulator, they are different for all your windows. The regulator will come with a motor in most cases. (That's also how GM sells it.)I would tear the door open and see if it is only the motor( you will have to disconnect the regulator from the motor to change the motor with the rear motor) when you do that look at the cable around the drum in the black piece that is bolted to the motor. If it is damaged just keep the motor in the rear door.(Like I said the regualtor comes with a motor.)If you get it open and have any questions email me. I'll try and help you out. I just replaced all this in my car a couple of months ago. ryankraus@coastalnow.net

I'm chasing a similar problem. Drivers side window works fine, no drag, no noise, the switch (not motor) frequently smokes and then fails to function the window in one direction (only).

Got the switch apart and found that a tiny plastic pivot that sits on the metal rocker in the switch had melted.

Each time it does this, if I replace the plastic pivot it will work until it smokes and melts again. I'm running out platic pivots from the second hand bank of switches I bought from a junkyard.

Cable seems fine
No drag or noise
Plenty of power
No bare wiring
Contacts at the motor seem clean

Motor or regulator? Or what else would cause the switch to heat up like this (I assume from too much resistance)?

I would just put a whole new switch in or one of your second hand switches. If the switch is heating up there is probably a problem inside the switch. The only way to fix that would be to replace the whole switch.

Thanks Ryan. Thing is, I replaced the whole bank of switches already (used, new was 300$) and both the original and the second one smoke out the same way.

I'm afraid that a nice shiny new one will just go up in smoke with my 300$ the same way.

What do you think?

It probably will, I didn't realize you had already changed out the bank of switches. I thought you were just changing out the little pivot piece. If the cable looks fine, and the motor works, then I am at a loss. I can't think of what else it could be. How do the rest of the windows work?

When you looked at the cables did you look just at the parts visable or did you disconnect the black piece off of the motor and check the ends where they go on the drum? If you didn't I would check that, and while you have the black piece off of the motor I would run the motor back and forth. Check the pulleys that the cable routes through. If the motor, cables and pulleys are good then it's something with the power to the switch. And I am of no help to you there.

Will do, thanks much Ryan.

Update: It hasn't smoked out after replacing the motor, even tho the old motor worked too. I guess the old one was just creating too much resistance. The cables and the regular were in perfect shape.

FYI: Just had to replace the switch on my door. Thought I troubleshot the switch right, bought the motor, went to the garage, they found it was the switch. Anyway, the front and rear motors are 4 different part numbers. You can get the motor w/o regulator, but cannot get the regulator w/o motor. My sources include GM, Autozone, Advance, Pep Boys, and Napa. I learned my lesson on the left rear door: dont play with the regulator, it'll whoop up on ya. Ryan, much respect to ya for playin with the cables.