Rear passenger side window of 94 Cutty Supreme convertible not working

[M U Tiger]

My son told me his '94 Ods Cutlass Supreme convertible right rear side window quit working. He said he pressed the down button from the driver's switch set, the window moved slightly downward then he heard a click and it stopped working. Apparently, it will neither go down or up. I haven't had a chance to check it out myself since he's at school with the car, but I looked up the window section in the Factory Service Manual. There doesn't seem to be much information (at least in Sections 8 and 10) in the FSM. The diagnostic section of the FSM just says to replace the entire mechanism itf the window doesn't raise and lower and there is power to the motor.

It sounds like the gears may have stripped, but I'm not sure if Oldsmobile used a gear wheel and "tape", cables or a toothed arm to raise and lower the window. Does anyone have any information about the window mechanism that will allow me to repair it?

Thanks,

Jim

Webster Groves, MO

[swift13]

its usually the switch that goes bad. it will probably work intermittently.

[M U Tiger]

swift13,

Thanks for the reply. I tried the driver's switch and the back seat switch with the same result: just a click, no window movement. I'm going to check the relay for the window, then the motor.

Jim

Webster Groves, MO

[bg35765]

I have fought that with my passenger's side front window all summer. I replaced the master window switch and the passenger side window switch and it still did not work.

 

Then one day I hit the two rear window switches for the "all down" feature and it went down 6 inches. So I pushed that switch down again and it went all the way down. I left it down for 2 months, then put it back up on a cold morning. It never went down again.

 

I have read in Crazy K's post about the all down module under the dashboard that all of the window wiring goes through and I suspect my problem might be some corrosion there, but I have not taken it apart yet.

 

If you can't figure it out quickly you can hard wire the window motor to the battery to get it back up. (Assuming the problem is with the wiring/switches and not the motor or regulator.)

[DavidHowell3633]

There may be a mechanical issue involving the piece that slides in the track. But, you haven't mentioned hearing anything moving inside the panel even if the window is not moving. So, if all is quiet, probably electrical.

[Crazy K]

As stated above if you have a non working window it could also be a switch or an autodown issue.... You should run direct power to the motor with jumper wires and verify if they work.

 

I have found quite often that the rear window motors on earlier model years tend to bind up, they are not "bad" but can't overcome the friction of the poorly planned mechanism. Possible fix? Drill out the three rivets on the motor and use the next size smaller bolts to allow more slack.... (not yet tested)

 

the front door motors are of better quality and seem to work fine usually, but can fail too.

 

 

Don;t forget that all of these window motors also have a built it circuit breaker, too much friction or completely bound... and the circuit breaker will pop.

Edited September 21, 2010 by Crazy K

[Galaxie500XL]

On my '95, both rear windows were not working when I got it...I took some stuff off to get to the motors, then gently tapped them with a screwdriver while a helper activated the switches.

 

They've been working for over a year since then.