Help!! Driver's window stuck 7/8 of the way down!

[88MercWagon]

Hey guys, last night after coming out of a toll booth, (on my way to a date no less), I couldn't get my driver's side window to roll back up. It's been acting up a bit the past week or two, but only getting stuck closed. I've tried hitting the door panel and slamming the door in case it was a dead spot in the motor to no avail. Also, the lights don't dim at all when I hit the switch which is making me believe it's the switch. Does anyone have any thoughts? I need this fixed ASAP, it's only 15 degrees out.

[marquisman]

do the lights dim when you go in the down direction? if so ill put all my money on the switch. i never had a switch die out on me in both dirrections, just in one but, it its possible. if you can get a switch, id get it ASAP. sometimes the window in the lincoln jams when its all the way down and i have to hold the switch in the up direction and slam the door to get it working again.

[88MercWagon]

No, they don't dim in either direction

[marquisman]

well, im gonna still say the switch. ando/or switch related, maybe the contacts on the wire base that the switch sits on is green or melted.

[88MercWagon]

Off to go tear it apart, I'll keep you posted. Thank you for the advice!

[88MercWagon]

So I went out there and tried it without touching anything, and it miraculously started working again. I pulled the switch panel off and everything loked almost brand new . I vote it's a dead spot in the motor...but for now I'll carry my EZpass with me and try not to use the window unless I have to. Thank you for the advice Marquisman, I really appreciate it.

[1990LTD]

Many electrical gremlins are happy to call our cars home. I think you've just met one.

[gadget73]

Sounds like the motor brushes are worn. I have one window that does the same thing, and so far I've always gotten it going by slamming the door.

[marquisman]

glad to hear it went back up, nothin worse than window issues in the winter lol

[91grandmarquis]

If you have to replace the motor you have to drill 2 holes in the door frame and only one will be covered with the interior panel when you put it back on the lower one you will just have to make look good. I got one of those little red plugs that they put in your door after they undercoat. Anyway its a bitch, you have to guess were to drill to gain access to the bolt heads then you have to finagle everything back in through the speaker hole. Best of luck. Most of the time its the bushings though, or the plastic gear is stripped, Napa sells both but you need to use the original outer gear as it is a different diameter and tooth number, needles to say you'll need to swap out only the broken parts of the gear. ( its two gears and 3 bushings ).

[88MercWagon]

glad to hear it went back up, nothin worse than window issues in the winter lol

Yeah, I was ~35 miles away from home...it was a cold ride even with a down jacket and gloves lol.

I'll sit on it for a little bit since my finances are a bit depleted and carry my Dad's EZ-pass with me for the next week or two. Thank you for the advice guys, I appreciate it.

P.S. Marquisman: If you ever want to sell that Colony Park of yours, please shoot me a PM. I drool over that thing every time I see your sig.

[1990LTD]

So, tonight, my drivers window decided to stop working. Lights don't dim and it's making absolutely no sound...earlier, it worked after some jiggling of the switch, but nothing works now. How can I test the switch?

[91grandmarquis]

if it is a bushing or stripped gear you can still hear the motor run. The switch would be a lot easier to switch out though, i would hope it is that.

[GoodSamaritan]

I've fixed quite a few of these motors simply by taking them out, pulling them apart, and cleaning everything.

Those 3 holes that you have to drill (assuming a previous owner hasn't done it already) are already dimpled for you by ford.
I drill them just big enough to get a 1/4 ratchet extension through and put the socket on from the back. If you can't reach, you can always drill the hole out big enough to stick the whole socket through. If you don't overdo it the holes WILL be covered by the door panel when you reinstall it.

Once you get the unit out, take the phillips screw out of the plate that the gear sticks out of. Pull the gear, and guts out, for cleaning, inspection and later lubrication.

Next on the back side of the motor, (end where the wires are sticking out) you'll see two screws that hold the motor together. Loosen these, and the whole motor will come off of the part that housed the gears.

Disassemble and carefully clean it of all grease, etc. Don't use any harsh solvents unless you know they won't damage the insulation on the windings.

Pay careful attention to the brushes, which look like little carbon blocks. Sometimes these get worn down and don't make good contact anymore, or else the springs get rusted/crusted/blocked. I've been known to take the spring from an ink pen (sometimes shortened a bit with a pair of wire cutters) to replace the stock spring.

I'd also suggest using a decent quality oil to lubricate the rear bearing before reinstalling. (Note, wd40 is a better solvent, than it is a lubricant... don't use it or your motor will be running dry inside of a week. 3in1 is ok a drop of engine oil is better than nothing. )

Now reassemble minus the gear, making sure to lubricate the other end of the motor shaft before inserting it fully into part where the big gear lives.

Now, tighten those long screws (they might take a try or two to get started with the magnets in the case fighting you) then plug the motor into the harness in the door, make sure the key is on and test the motor by using the window switch to make sure it spins freely.

If all is well, reinstall the big gear with a fresh coat of grease, replace the front plate and phillips screw, and reinstall it in the door.

Of course this is the perfect opportunity to replace those plastic dowels that break. I just get 6 1/4-20 nuts from the bolt bins at my local hardware store. 99.9% of them are the sort you'd need a 7/16 wrench to tighten. Be sure to get those. If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a wrench with you and double check.

Anyway hold the metal part of the gear assembly in your hand, upside down.
Stack the nuts around the edge of it where the dowels used to be, and then slide the plastic gear down over it. You will almost certainly have to try it a few times before it goes together correctly. Once it does, you'll never have to worry about the "motor makes noise but window won't move" problem again.

Now just reinstall everything and enjoy.
P.s. I spritz just a dab of paint over the holes drilled and slap a piece of duct tape over them before putting the door panel back on.

It's also a good opportunity to lube your window regulator, lock mechanism, latch, etc from the inside.


All in all, it's not a bad job. Figuring out how everything comes apart the first time is the worst of it. After that, it's not a bad job. In a rush I can fix one in about an hour, without skimping. Then again, I cheat with an electric screw gun, and I have all the materials on hand.

[91grandmarquis]

I didnt mind the panel dis assembly but the lower hole is nowhere near being coverd by my door panel, maybe they are mounter differently on later models, i also had a slot cut in the door for access to the first uppermost bolt head, i assume its factory because the car has very low miles and an old lady owned it. just had to file it out a bit.