Is it hard to replace the driver window motor?

 

nope you just have to pull the door panel back and reach inside the door and unbolt bolts.

 

FYI...

My TL had ALL the records with it as I bought it from my Company recently. (It was the President's car, so perfectly maintained.) I reviewed the records and noted the window retractor HAD been replaced... and was noted MULTIPLE times as "not working correctly". When I got it, I IMMEDIATELY noted that the passenger side front window (which was the one PREVIOUSLY replaced already) would "kick-back down" if actuated in "auto-return" mode and NOT close. Further investigation revealed that IF you actuated it WITHOUT pulling the lever ALL the way up ("MANUAL -VS- AUTO" window switch "mode") it was possible (in my case yet, as the retractor motor was NOT YET burned out) to close the window.

HOWEVER...

It was ALSO noted that the window would be going up until about MID-STROKE and then become "strained" for the rest of the stroke until closed, indicating some RESISTANCE.

Here's the reason for my post:

I have noticed that this retractor motor issue is VERY PROMINENT on these TL's. I BELIEVE that one of the primary causes is that the "channel" that the window slides through in the door is causing a LOT of friction during the stroke, thereby STRAINING the retractor mechanism and motor, resulting in premature failure of these units.

My reasoning is, there is a "decreasing radius" to the channel as the window progresses toward the top, and the rubber gets "sticky or frictious" and the motor has to work EXTRA HARD to actuate over time...

GOOD NEWS! SOLUTION:

I have found that a simple application of some general silicone LUBRICANT (available anywhere) by either spraying it carefully into the channels the window travels up/down and then WIPING excess off with shop towels -OR- coating a folded shop towel thoroughly and carefully inserting the coated paper shop towel in the channel and sliding it up/down to "moisten" the channel with lubricant will enable it to complete the whole stroke UP/DOWN VERY SMOOTHLY and WITHOUT any excess resistance!

This FIXED my retractor "kick-back-down" behavior, and enabled me to "avoid" another retractor motor failure.


I know yours may already have failed, but if my assessment IS partly to blame as the root cause in the first place, you will do well for your car to try the silicone once you DO fix the current issue. I would suggest taking a moment to do ALL the window channels similarly.

(Hope you don't mind my lengthy suggestion... I just figured YOUR thread on the window motor issue was as good as any to note this!)


-crisp