I tried searching for this, but didn't see my situation described exactly the same so her goes:

My kids roled down the rear passenger window in my mother-in-laws 2001 Deville. As they were rolling it back up we heard a loud crack and the window was obviously not being controlled anymore. It's currently held up by tape and I really would like to fix it for her but need a little help. Am I looking to replace the window motor or another part? Will the panel removal directions from this thread work for her model? Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. She really helps our family out a lot and I'd like to save her a few hundred dollars and fix this myself.

Thanks,
S

 

loud crack ?
that does not sound like the motor.

you are going to have to open the panel and see what let go.

it could simply be something that came off track or a gear jumped or
a drive belt slipped, but it can also be a damaged component.

were the kids hanging off the glass when this happened?

 

No, suprisingly, the kids weren't doing anything to cause the problem...this time

What's odd is the dealership seemed to know exactly what was wrong when she called as they quoted her a price of $300+ without even seeing the car. I asked her what they said had happened and she wasn't exactly sure.....

S

 

More than likely the regulator cable broke loose from the window attachment.
It really doesn't matter, the motor/regulator come together as an assembly.
Taking the door panel off has been discussed in this thread.
2000 - 2005door panels come off the same way.

 

Thanks for the advice, any idea what the part might run me? I see the motor on autozone for like $60, is that about right?

S

 

a motor is a motor. some cars have gears, some have belts,
some have cables, some have linkages, some combine more than
one of these. once you open the panel, it alwasy looks simple and
access or small tools are the only challenges. sharp edges abound
in those areas - ask FLCaddy

$60 to $90 is about right for such items regardless of car model,
for all Big Three automakers - more $$ at the dealer.

labor of $300 to $450 is about right to repair any electrical door or
rear hatch electric window, regardless of car model.

i used to go through "motors" in the several Ford / Lincoln vehicles i own,
no more .. i found that usually nothing goes wrong with the motor but there is this
nylon part that i learned to replace - cost $0.50. i can take appart a panel in
15 minutes, replace the nylon part in 45 min, full re-assy in 20 ..
$$ saved? $59.50 in parts, and $300 in labor. i guess i'm worth about $200 / hr
now FLCaddy thinks i'm overpaid ...

but that buys a few bottles of Jack Daniel. or a nice bouquet for the mom-in-law

keep us posted ...









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