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Pass. Power window problem.

14K views 22 replies 9 participants last post by  HumanjetB 
#1 ·
Hi guys, my pass window doesn't want to go down. The master switch is fine. I checked the wiring in the boot in the door jamb, and all the wires were intact. I took off the door trim and i could here the motor engage when i pressed up, but nothing when i press down. Could it be the motor? or maybe is the wire for down is broken?(does anyone know the color?) If anyone can help me out with this id really appriciate it! :)

Thanks in advance!
 
#4 ·
I just changed mine a few weeks ago, pretty easy job overall (less than an hour), mine is a 99 Astro and the motor is riveted to the door, but very easy to drill those out. Search the 'internets' and you will find some helpful step-by-step instructions as well as videos.
 
#6 ·
Leeann_93 said:
This is for a Blazer, but the doors (and power window motors) are the same:
http://www.a1electric.com/s10motor.htm
Hey thanks for the link! Very helpful! The only thing i dont get is the clamping the spring part. Whats the proper way to to that the pictures werent that clear. And is the regulator arms easy to remove and put back??

thanks again!
 
#7 ·
I didn't drill a hole and use a bolt. I used a 4" C-clamp through an existing hole. Yep, it was easy to pull out and put back in - no problems at all (I did it on both of my Bravada front windows). When you pull out the regulator, you'll see where you'll have to clamp it (really tight - it is a strong spring). You have to clamp it to keep the clockspring in place so when you install the new motor, it's correctly oriented. You also have to clamp it so it doesn't unwind, spring, pop around and knock your teeth or eye out. Just above where they drill the hole and put in the bolt, I put the C-clamp through the big hole and clamp it tight. Then you can drill out the rivets, remove the motor, grease the gear and install the new motor.

For some reason, I didn't take pics of either r&r, sorry. Oh, the new motor comes with bolts to hold the motor to the regulator, but you will need bolts & nuts to hold the regulator to the door in place of the rivets.
 
#10 ·
Leeann_93 said:
This is for a Blazer, but the doors (and power window motors) are the same:
http://www.a1electric.com/s10motor.htm
I found this post and thought it would be better to add to this one rather than make a new post with the same problems.

I have a 90 astro with the same problem. Passenger power window not working. (i think it only went up too)

i bought a new motor and sadly that didnt fix it. I tested the new motor with the wires on the drivers door and it works fine up & down.

The double switch on the drivers door has a broken toggle for the pass window. Could that be the problem? No I just replaced it and the drivers side switch does not control the pass window at all.

When I put the new motor on the passenger connector it only goes up not down. 12V is at the new motor for both up & down. the new motor doesnt go down at the passenger door but it works fine at the drivers door.

I took alot apart and check wires as best as possible. I didnt find any problems with the wireing.
 
#11 ·
Wow i now find myself in the same situation as you. I just finished replacing the motor and its still only goes up, not down.
I checked the wiring in the jambs and they were all fine and i checked the connector to the motor with a test light and it was fine up and down.
I dont think that its the master switch because i dont think that the window would go up or down if it was. but it does go up.
Im getting frustrated with this and dont know what wrong. Does anyone know what it could be?? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
 
#12 ·
Br0theralex and fede,

I had the same thing with my 89. I found it quite tricky to get into the wiring harness behind the kick plate and the door jamb. However, that is a bad point for wires... I had lost both window and mirror operation, and found about 4 wires cut. Patched them up, wrapped liberal amounts of electrical tape to protect each wire and the bundle of them, buttoned it back up. I would bet that the current flows through the good wire from the switch to the motor, and back through the bad wire to ground where it's likely chafed against the door jamb. To go down, the current is short circuited through the same wire trying to make the current flow in reverse, thus no down. At least for me, I didn't have to replace my mirror or window motor. Best of luck.

EDIT: One of the reasons that it is an issue with the passenger door is because the wiring harness is routed behind the ECU behind the passenger kick panel. It's pretty tight in there.
 
#13 ·
Hey thanks for your reply. I took off the kick panel and ecu but all the wires were intact, i also checked in the door jamb because that is where they broke initially, but they were all fine. I thinking maybe the master switch is broken? Would the switch on the passenger side get any power if the master switch is broke?
 
#14 ·
The master switch has contact points for both the driver and passenger motors , so yes it is possible that the passenger side of switch can work when the drivers side is not working , it can also pass the power through the wiring to the passenger switch . Corrosion can build up on the contact points in the switch causing intermittent or no pass of voltage , sometimes you can open the switch and clean the contacts but sometimes they are just too far gone , but it is just as easy ;actually easier to go to a salvage yard and get another working switch for a couple bucks , or buy a new switch if you find one for a good price . But do continuity test on it before you assume the switch is bad . Use a test light also to see if enough voltage is passing through to light up a 12 volt bulb.
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the info. Just finished mine up, driver side was just loose motor must have been replaced prior to me buying as it was in with screws not rivets.
The passenger side was able to roll up but not down. Didn't find any broken wires in door or jamb so assumed it was motor.

Wrong.

Under passenger kick plate, under the big shiny metal box, under the black plastic shroud that the shiny thing is nestled in, lays the wire harness that comes from the door through the jamb. That's where the wire was broken. In my case it was a blue with white striped wire that runs from the drivers side switch to the passenger side.

I spliced in a wire from behind the shiny thing to passenger side door switch. I basically replaced about 2 ft of wire so I could keep the special connector on the ends of the original wire intact.

To discover that I didn't need a new motor I ran temp wire from driver switch to passenger switch across the seats disconnecting original wires from both switches one at a time. When I disconnected the blue\white wire and hooked up the temp the motor worked fine both up and down. I didn't know where the break was yet but I knew what wire was causing the problem.

So, if you have a motor that is working either up or down but not the other direction its probably a wire not a motor. Running the temp wires will save you the cost of a new motor.

My rig is a 95 with 216k on it so after tearing all that apart I figured putting the old motor back in was not a good idea with a new one sitting there. At least that's what I tell myself to feel a little smarter than I did when I realized the purchase wasn't needed.

Thats my story and I'm stickin to it

astro window wire 4.jpg


astro window wire 3.jpg


astro window wire 2.jpg
astro window wire 1.jpg
 
#23 ·
Thanks for the info. Just finished mine up, driver side was just loose motor must have been replaced prior to me buying as it was in with screws not rivets.
The passenger side was able to roll up but not down. Didn't find any broken wires in door or jamb so assumed it was motor.

Wrong.

Under passenger kick plate, under the big shiny metal box, under the black plastic shroud that the shiny thing is nestled in, lays the wire harness that comes from the door through the jamb. That's where the wire was broken. In my case it was a blue with white striped wire that runs from the drivers side switch to the passenger side.

I spliced in a wire from behind the shiny thing to passenger side door switch. I basically replaced about 2 ft of wire so I could keep the special connector on the ends of the original wire intact.

To discover that I didn't need a new motor I ran temp wire from driver switch to passenger switch across the seats disconnecting original wires from both switches one at a time. When I disconnected the blue\white wire and hooked up the temp the motor worked fine both up and down. I didn't know where the break was yet but I knew what wire was causing the problem.

So, if you have a motor that is working either up or down but not the other direction its probably a wire not a motor. Running the temp wires will save you the cost of a new motor.

My rig is a 95 with 216k on it so after tearing all that apart I figured putting the old motor back in was not a good idea with a new one sitting there. At least that's what I tell myself to feel a little smarter than I did when I realized the purchase wasn't needed.

Thats my story and I'm stickin to it

View attachment 11828

View attachment 11829

View attachment 11830 View attachment 11831
Really appreciate this post with pictures as my rig is also a 1995 and it was the same wire broken in the EXACT same place. Now it's fixed! (I also just spliced a short wire in the area in the pictures and it works just as it should).
 
#16 ·
I'm with you; there was no reason to button it back up with the old motor in place. They are a wear item on these, so it's definitely good you did it. Besides, I'm really fond of replacing things that come in pairs, in pairs.

;)
 
#18 ·
sasktrini said:
One of the reasons that it is an issue with the passenger door is because the wiring harness is routed behind the ECU behind the passenger kick panel. It's pretty tight in there.
mattinak said:
Thanks for the info. Just finished mine up, driver side was just loose motor must have been replaced prior to me buying as it was in with screws not rivets.
The passenger side was able to roll up but not down. Didn't find any broken wires in door or jamb so assumed it was motor.

Wrong.

Under passenger kick plate, under the big shiny metal box, under the black plastic shroud that the shiny thing is nestled in, lays the wire harness that comes from the door through the jamb. That's where the wire was broken. In my case it was a blue with white striped wire that runs from the drivers side switch to the passenger side.
That's a better description, but the same thing I was saying. Glad you found it mattinak

Fede, you should look behind the computer like we did... wires get terribly pinched there, and it sounds exactly like our problems.
 
#19 ·
Hey guys thanks for all the replys and info! I did like you guys said and checked the wires behind the ECU and they were all intact. I even checked in the door jamb and checked for continuity from the connector above the ECU to the switch, and from the switch to the motor and they were all fine. After that i took a second and thought about what could be wrong and i think i found the solution. I think that it is most likely the wires from the drivers side door jamb that got frayed. Its the only other option. Im gonna check it out tomorrow and see, but i really think that what it is.

Thanks again everyone! Ill let know if thats it.
 
#22 ·
Hey, well the wires were broken in the boot on the drivers door jamb. Its just because the door is opening and closing all the time it bends the wire back and forth until it eventually breaks. I even found another blue wire that was broken (which was the power door lock to the side door) and two other wires which were cut and on their way to breaking. I fixed them all up and now everything is running like new again. :D
 
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