Power Window Problems!

[idgod1]

Hey People,

I have a 93 GS 300 and the passenger side read window will not go up. I hear the motor working but windows doesn't move. I took off the door panel and found a half moon looking white plastic piese loose. The cable that moves the window is very loose. Has anyone ever had this problem before? If so is it a easy fix/cheap fix? Also, is there anyone in the Marylans area off the list that would be interested in making a few bucks and fixing it for me?

Any help would be great!

Thanks

Darren

[anthonyiez]

the regulator is bad.

[idgod1]

what part is the regulator? the motor or switch?

Thanks Again!

[anthonyiez]

neither, although the motor and regualtor are usually sold as one unit on most toyotas.

[gold93gs300]

I have a 93 GS 300 and the passenger side read window will not go up. I hear the motor working but windows doesn't move. I took off the door panel and found a half moon looking white plastic piese loose. The cable that moves the window is very loose. Has anyone ever had this problem before? If so is it a easy fix/cheap fix?

=======================

This has been a repeated problem on my car. Unfortunately, it is not that cheap nor very easy to fix.

If you hear the motor turning, don't buy a motor. All you need is the regulator. A regulator is not a motor nor a switch, but rather a track or guide that holds the window glass straight as the motor drive cable moves it up and down. You can see one here:

http://car-computers.com/images/untitled.jpg

That half moon white plastic piece (it looks like Teflon) is probably the only bad part on your regulator. It's the cable guide, and when it breaks, you are S.O.L. These @#$~!! things are always the part that was bad on all 3 of mine.

That little white piece that you need is so simple, it should be sold separately, and should only cost about fifty cents, but they make you buy and change the entire regulator, which is the entire pot metal T-shaped bracket with a pulley on it and a cable routed around on it. #@%~!!!

I'm afraid I have more bad news. I have bought 3 so far on my 93 GS300 at various dealers. These things cost $160-$200, so shop several dealers and ask for a discount.

If you're patient and handy and methodical, you can replace this yourself. I'm getting good at it but it still takes me at least an hour. This is just from memory, so feel free to correct me, anybody. The only tools you really need are:

A large Phillips screwdriver

A small Phillips screwdriver

A flat bladed screwdriver

A putty knife

A roll of masking tape

A roll of strong duct tape

Set of metric sockets and a ratchet drive with an extension

The car keys

1) Gently pry the window switchplate out using a flat screwdriver between the "wood" and the armrest. Leave the wires connected and just set it back in the hole it came out of.

2) Unscrew the two large Phillips screws on the door skin. Look 1) under the handle, 2) under the switch panel you just took off. There's another little black on under a black pad at the edge of the door. Set these aside in a dish or in your footwell.

3) GENTLY pry the door skin off starting at the bottom. You have to overcome a bunch of clip fasteners all around the edge of the door. Must be about six of 'em!

NOTE:

You have to disconnect all the wiring harnesses and courtesy light connectors so that you can get the door skin off. You may want to keep that power window switchplate installed....or at least handy. You will need to operate the window once the regulator is replaced.

4) Soon the only thing holding the skin on will be the top lip. Wiggle and lift the skin and it will come right off in your hand.

5) I hate this next part: the dreaded tarry plastic. You have to peel back enough of this @&^#!! plastic to get inside the door to work. Peel it very slowly, tar and all, starting at the door jamb (not the hinge side) and toward the hinge. Try hard not to tear it. It is a vapor barrier to protect your door skin. Drape the loose plastic over the hinge area and using masking tape, FASTEN IT to something! If you don't, it will fall back down on you while you're busy. It will stick to itself and you will never ignore my advice again.

NOTE: You'll have various wiring connectors getting in your way throughout this job. Just be patient and try to note which one goes to what.

6) Locate the little plated nuts holding the old regulator in. There are going to be 4-5 of them, 10mm or so. Remove these nuts. The regulator should now be quite loose. I think I had to remove my stereo speaker at this point also. Remove whatever it takes to get him loose.

7) I like to stick some duct tape on the glass and over the door frame to hold the glass from crashing down at this point when you unbolt it. Locate the two nuts holding the regulator to your glass. Remove these also. Your window glass will now be removable. Just grab it by the tape and lift it out of there any way you can and put it aside.

8) Right now it's time to get the motor power cable disconnected and pull the dead regulator out of there. Your new one better be identical. One dealer once gave me a RH one when I needed a LH one. GRR! The motor comes off with a few nuts.

9) Your new regulator will have a silver metal cover over a ~2 inch DIAM. Teflon pulley. You need to pry off this cover (by bending the tabs) and you'll see a square drive like a 3/4" ratchet could turn. Stick your motor drive to this new pulley and reconnect the motor to the regulator.

10) Now you are going to have a headache. You have to put the regulator in, connect the power, connect the window, etc, but the trick is going to be, you can tighten SOME of the nuts when the window is up, but you can only tighten OTHERS when the window is down. Thus you now need to hook that window switch back up and just let it hang there (while you run the glass up and down.)

11) Operate the window switch up and down as needed to give yourself access to tighten all the nuts. I recommend lightly replacing ALL the nuts first, before you tighten anything. Just don't forget to tighten them all though.

12) Replace the speaker, the plastic, etc. but make sure any cables that need to protrude out of the plastic do stick out, so you can hook up the door skin.

13) Hook up the door skin starting from the top; just bang it down with your hand. DO NOT FASTEN THE BOTTOM EDGE YET! You still have wires to hook up!

14) Connect up all the wires from the lights and switches and TEST THEM before you close up the patient! Turn on your key, and everything should work. Courtesy lights, stereo speakers, WINDOWS! Leave the window switchplate off for now. You'll see why soon.

15) Fasten the bottom edge of the door skin by just lining up those clips; once all are lined up, start tapping the door skin with the heel of your hand to pop them back in. The door looks "DONE" right now, but it's not.

16) Replace the giant Phillips screws that hold the door skin in. Also replace the little black one. Do NOT put the switchplate back in yet.

17) Test the window lift once again; if it works, NOW you can put the window switchplate back.

18) Windex your window, since it is covered with greasy fingerprints.

I'm guessing you just saved about $100-$200 each time you do this yourself. And you will do it again....once one goes, they all start going.

[punash007]

I have a 93 GS 300 and the passenger side read window will not go up. I hear the motor working but windows doesn't move. I took off the door panel and found a half moon looking white plastic piese loose. The cable that moves the window is very loose. Has anyone ever had this problem before? If so is it a easy fix/cheap fix?

=======================

This has been a repeated problem on my car. Unfortunately, it is not that cheap nor very easy to fix.

If you hear the motor turning, don't buy a motor. All you need is the regulator. A regulator is not a motor nor a switch, but rather a track or guide that holds the window glass straight as the motor drive cable moves it up and down. You can see one here:

http://car-computers.com/images/untitled.jpg

That half moon white plastic piece (it looks like Teflon) is probably the only bad part on your regulator. It's the cable guide, and when it breaks, you are S.O.L. These @#$~!! things are always the part that was bad on all 3 of mine.

That little white piece that you need is so simple, it should be sold separately, and should only cost about fifty cents, but they make you buy and change the entire regulator, which is the entire pot metal T-shaped bracket with a pulley on it and a cable routed around on it. #@%~!!!

Did you resolve your issue? I have the same problem and bought new regulator and motor and still not working, if you resolve your issue I need help. Thanks

I'm afraid I have more bad news. I have bought 3 so far on my 93 GS300 at various dealers. These things cost $160-$200, so shop several dealers and ask for a discount.

If you're patient and handy and methodical, you can replace this yourself. I'm getting good at it but it still takes me at least an hour. This is just from memory, so feel free to correct me, anybody. The only tools you really need are:

A large Phillips screwdriver

A small Phillips screwdriver

A flat bladed screwdriver

A putty knife

A roll of masking tape

A roll of strong duct tape

Set of metric sockets and a ratchet drive with an extension

The car keys

1) Gently pry the window switchplate out using a flat screwdriver between the "wood" and the armrest. Leave the wires connected and just set it back in the hole it came out of.

2) Unscrew the two large Phillips screws on the door skin. Look 1) under the handle, 2) under the switch panel you just took off. There's another little black on under a black pad at the edge of the door. Set these aside in a dish or in your footwell.

3) GENTLY pry the door skin off starting at the bottom. You have to overcome a bunch of clip fasteners all around the edge of the door. Must be about six of 'em!

NOTE:

You have to disconnect all the wiring harnesses and courtesy light connectors so that you can get the door skin off. You may want to keep that power window switchplate installed....or at least handy. You will need to operate the window once the regulator is replaced.

4) Soon the only thing holding the skin on will be the top lip. Wiggle and lift the skin and it will come right off in your hand.

5) I hate this next part: the dreaded tarry plastic. You have to peel back enough of this @&^#!! plastic to get inside the door to work. Peel it very slowly, tar and all, starting at the door jamb (not the hinge side) and toward the hinge. Try hard not to tear it. It is a vapor barrier to protect your door skin. Drape the loose plastic over the hinge area and using masking tape, FASTEN IT to something! If you don't, it will fall back down on you while you're busy. It will stick to itself and you will never ignore my advice again.

NOTE: You'll have various wiring connectors getting in your way throughout this job. Just be patient and try to note which one goes to what.

6) Locate the little plated nuts holding the old regulator in. There are going to be 4-5 of them, 10mm or so. Remove these nuts. The regulator should now be quite loose. I think I had to remove my stereo speaker at this point also. Remove whatever it takes to get him loose.

7) I like to stick some duct tape on the glass and over the door frame to hold the glass from crashing down at this point when you unbolt it. Locate the two nuts holding the regulator to your glass. Remove these also. Your window glass will now be removable. Just grab it by the tape and lift it out of there any way you can and put it aside.

8) Right now it's time to get the motor power cable disconnected and pull the dead regulator out of there. Your new one better be identical. One dealer once gave me a RH one when I needed a LH one. GRR! The motor comes off with a few nuts.

9) Your new regulator will have a silver metal cover over a ~2 inch DIAM. Teflon pulley. You need to pry off this cover (by bending the tabs) and you'll see a square drive like a 3/4" ratchet could turn. Stick your motor drive to this new pulley and reconnect the motor to the regulator.

10) Now you are going to have a headache. You have to put the regulator in, connect the power, connect the window, etc, but the trick is going to be, you can tighten SOME of the nuts when the window is up, but you can only tighten OTHERS when the window is down. Thus you now need to hook that window switch back up and just let it hang there (while you run the glass up and down.)

11) Operate the window switch up and down as needed to give yourself access to tighten all the nuts. I recommend lightly replacing ALL the nuts first, before you tighten anything. Just don't forget to tighten them all though.

12) Replace the speaker, the plastic, etc. but make sure any cables that need to protrude out of the plastic do stick out, so you can hook up the door skin.

13) Hook up the door skin starting from the top; just bang it down with your hand. DO NOT FASTEN THE BOTTOM EDGE YET! You still have wires to hook up!

14) Connect up all the wires from the lights and switches and TEST THEM before you close up the patient! Turn on your key, and everything should work. Courtesy lights, stereo speakers, WINDOWS! Leave the window switchplate off for now. You'll see why soon.

15) Fasten the bottom edge of the door skin by just lining up those clips; once all are lined up, start tapping the door skin with the heel of your hand to pop them back in. The door looks "DONE" right now, but it's not.

16) Replace the giant Phillips screws that hold the door skin in. Also replace the little black one. Do NOT put the switchplate back in yet.

17) Test the window lift once again; if it works, NOW you can put the window switchplate back.

18) Windex your window, since it is covered with greasy fingerprints.

I'm guessing you just saved about $100-$200 each time you do this yourself. And you will do it again....once one goes, they all start going.

[punash007]

I have a 93 GS 300 and the passenger side read window will not go up. I hear the motor working but windows doesn't move. I took off the door panel and found a half moon looking white plastic piese loose. The cable that moves the window is very loose. Has anyone ever had this problem before? If so is it a easy fix/cheap fix?

=======================

This has been a repeated problem on my car. Unfortunately, it is not that cheap nor very easy to fix.

If you hear the motor turning, don't buy a motor. All you need is the regulator. A regulator is not a motor nor a switch, but rather a track or guide that holds the window glass straight as the motor drive cable moves it up and down. You can see one here:

http://car-computers.com/images/untitled.jpg

That half moon white plastic piece (it looks like Teflon) is probably the only bad part on your regulator. It's the cable guide, and when it breaks, you are S.O.L. These @#$~!! things are always the part that was bad on all 3 of mine.

That little white piece that you need is so simple, it should be sold separately, and should only cost about fifty cents, but they make you buy and change the entire regulator, which is the entire pot metal T-shaped bracket with a pulley on it and a cable routed around on it. #@%~!!!

Did you resolve your issue? I have the same problem and bought new regulator and motor and still not working, if you resolve your issue I need help. Thanks

I'm afraid I have more bad news. I have bought 3 so far on my 93 GS300 at various dealers. These things cost $160-$200, so shop several dealers and ask for a discount.

If you're patient and handy and methodical, you can replace this yourself. I'm getting good at it but it still takes me at least an hour. This is just from memory, so feel free to correct me, anybody. The only tools you really need are:

A large Phillips screwdriver

A small Phillips screwdriver

A flat bladed screwdriver

A putty knife

A roll of masking tape

A roll of strong duct tape

Set of metric sockets and a ratchet drive with an extension

The car keys

1) Gently pry the window switchplate out using a flat screwdriver between the "wood" and the armrest. Leave the wires connected and just set it back in the hole it came out of.

2) Unscrew the two large Phillips screws on the door skin. Look 1) under the handle, 2) under the switch panel you just took off. There's another little black on under a black pad at the edge of the door. Set these aside in a dish or in your footwell.

3) GENTLY pry the door skin off starting at the bottom. You have to overcome a bunch of clip fasteners all around the edge of the door. Must be about six of 'em!

NOTE:

You have to disconnect all the wiring harnesses and courtesy light connectors so that you can get the door skin off. You may want to keep that power window switchplate installed....or at least handy. You will need to operate the window once the regulator is replaced.

4) Soon the only thing holding the skin on will be the top lip. Wiggle and lift the skin and it will come right off in your hand.

5) I hate this next part: the dreaded tarry plastic. You have to peel back enough of this @&^#!! plastic to get inside the door to work. Peel it very slowly, tar and all, starting at the door jamb (not the hinge side) and toward the hinge. Try hard not to tear it. It is a vapor barrier to protect your door skin. Drape the loose plastic over the hinge area and using masking tape, FASTEN IT to something! If you don't, it will fall back down on you while you're busy. It will stick to itself and you will never ignore my advice again.

NOTE: You'll have various wiring connectors getting in your way throughout this job. Just be patient and try to note which one goes to what.

6) Locate the little plated nuts holding the old regulator in. There are going to be 4-5 of them, 10mm or so. Remove these nuts. The regulator should now be quite loose. I think I had to remove my stereo speaker at this point also. Remove whatever it takes to get him loose.

7) I like to stick some duct tape on the glass and over the door frame to hold the glass from crashing down at this point when you unbolt it. Locate the two nuts holding the regulator to your glass. Remove these also. Your window glass will now be removable. Just grab it by the tape and lift it out of there any way you can and put it aside.

8) Right now it's time to get the motor power cable disconnected and pull the dead regulator out of there. Your new one better be identical. One dealer once gave me a RH one when I needed a LH one. GRR! The motor comes off with a few nuts.

9) Your new regulator will have a silver metal cover over a ~2 inch DIAM. Teflon pulley. You need to pry off this cover (by bending the tabs) and you'll see a square drive like a 3/4" ratchet could turn. Stick your motor drive to this new pulley and reconnect the motor to the regulator.

10) Now you are going to have a headache. You have to put the regulator in, connect the power, connect the window, etc, but the trick is going to be, you can tighten SOME of the nuts when the window is up, but you can only tighten OTHERS when the window is down. Thus you now need to hook that window switch back up and just let it hang there (while you run the glass up and down.)

11) Operate the window switch up and down as needed to give yourself access to tighten all the nuts. I recommend lightly replacing ALL the nuts first, before you tighten anything. Just don't forget to tighten them all though.

12) Replace the speaker, the plastic, etc. but make sure any cables that need to protrude out of the plastic do stick out, so you can hook up the door skin.

13) Hook up the door skin starting from the top; just bang it down with your hand. DO NOT FASTEN THE BOTTOM EDGE YET! You still have wires to hook up!

14) Connect up all the wires from the lights and switches and TEST THEM before you close up the patient! Turn on your key, and everything should work. Courtesy lights, stereo speakers, WINDOWS! Leave the window switchplate off for now. You'll see why soon.

15) Fasten the bottom edge of the door skin by just lining up those clips; once all are lined up, start tapping the door skin with the heel of your hand to pop them back in. The door looks "DONE" right now, but it's not.

16) Replace the giant Phillips screws that hold the door skin in. Also replace the little black one. Do NOT put the switchplate back in yet.

17) Test the window lift once again; if it works, NOW you can put the window switchplate back.

18) Windex your window, since it is covered with greasy fingerprints.

I'm guessing you just saved about $100-$200 each time you do this yourself. And you will do it again....once one goes, they all start going.

Did you resolv your issue and if so how? I have a similar issue except when I press up my motor is not working nor can I hear it working but when I press down I can hear it and it goes down smooth. I hooked it up to my battery and it goes down, I assume it is with my wires or is there a relay independent to each window motors?