Ok, so I spent a good weekend with my windows going up and down and just suddenly, the driver's side window decides to stay down. I can hear clicking from the regulator in the door, and I've cleaned the contacts and still isn't working. I have seen pictures of people who have the entire motor,tracks and all laying in their living room for them to work on. How on earth do those people get all the stuff out? I can't even begin to tell you how little I know of electrical systems or how the power windows work. I have a set of questions.

Question 1: how do I remove the motor, I have a friend who says he has a spare, but I wouldn't know how to replace it, or even pull mine to clean off and test.

Question 2: is there a way to manually get my window up? like a pin I can pull, lift my window, and replace or something?

Question 3: my old FC had the power windows fail, this car has had them fail, my friend's 240SX has had the windows fail. Old cars just don't have good luck with power windows. If it keep bugging me I'm ditching the system all together. what pieces do I need and how hard is it to convert from power windows to manual ones (I'd plan on keeping my door panels and just drilling a hole for the handle)?

 

I converted my 80 the other way - - pulled the manual regulators and installed power units from a later year in the same holes; I put the control switches in the console where the coin holders were & added my own wiring and relays. There was no power window option in '80, so no electrical in my harness.
Worked out pretty well, only difference being the window glass leaves about a quarter inch visible when all the way "down."
Theoretically, at least, going electric->manual should be easier.
Not sure if the same holds for the later generations, though. Pulling the parts fiche and looking at the Mazda part numbers will tell you if there were part changes year-to-year and build-to-build.

 

Well I've seen people with the entire window system out? Did they pull the door skins apart? or is the system built in a way that all the pieces can be disassembled and re assembled through those "cutouts"? If I can,I might go to a pull-a-part and grab the usually unwanted manual setup, but if the motor isn't too hard to swap out, I think I have access to one to replace mine.

 

Again, can only speak for the older models, but once you have the inside trim cover off, and take the glass out (only 2 screws hold it in), the regulator comes out as an assembly. Around four bolts, as I recall.

I haven't ever tried swapping the motor without pulling the regulator.

 

Well thanks, that helps me out a little bit.

 

Chris just diagnose and fix the units you've got - any window regulator mechanism, power or manual, is going to need some maintenance once in a while, especially in a 25 year old car.

They were working fine a few days ago, right? Then something quit - a connection, a railing, maybe a switch or motor. You need to find it and make that repair - a whole lot easier than swapping to cranks that weren't meant for your GSL (like are you ready to cut some holes in your doors panels for the cranks and live with the ugliness?)

Access to the window regulators is through those holes in the door, after you've removed the door panels. Like DivinDiver says, you pull the regulator unit out as a unit, then replace the motor if that's what it needs and put it back in. Everything is a very tight fit, you need to see what's broken, how it's put together and then do what needs to be done.

To get the window up temporarily, take the door panel off, you will see the glass. You should be able to push the glass up into the closed position and use some duck tape to hold it in place.

I've got some spare power regulators if you need them.

Ray

 

Ok, well I removed the assembly and I don't see anything that looks like it isn't working. I don't know how to test the motor or regulator but I can try and clean things up a bit. The widnow is temporarily held up by some home made carboard supports, I am NOT driving the car in this state,so don't worry, butif I do drive the door panels are still of so I can just remove the cardboard supports, lower the glass and drive(better to be down in the door than to fall down from driving and get destroyed. I will look at the regulator/motor and clean it up a bit later. I didn't think it was gonig to be as easy to remove as it was, the little cutout didn't look big enough to remove everything to me, guess I was wrong, I just didn't think it would be so easy to work on when I said I'd switch to manual windows. I might a new regulator, or motor, but the connection works, I tested ghitting the switch with the wire connected, then again when disconnected to make sure the clickI was hearing wasn't just the switch itself. The door definitely makes noises when I hit the switch and the connection is made. When this happened to my friend's 240, it was the motor, so I am guessing that is my problem.

 

Power windows usually last longer than manual windows because the limit switches eliminate over-stressing the regulator.

post a WTB in the classifieds. Look around there for someone who's parting out a car.

 

hook up 12v to the contacts on the motor. if it doesnt spin, tap the motor with a small mallet. if it works after tapping it, the carbon brushes are worn that ride on the armature, the bushings are dry, spring tension is gone from the backside of the brushes, or the armature is so dirty it cant make a connection.

 

Has anyone ever rebuilt a window motor? I keep a spare drivers side motor, but the passenger side is different.

 

My window just craped out on me also, any advice ? thanks

 

I recently went through this and thought it was the motor until I realized that the front part of the window was riding on the outside of the channel. It would go down (once) then not come up too far.

Might want to check the track and make sure this looks ok as well while you have it all apart.