the driver window on my '92 RMW sticks and struggles

my '92 RMW with about 115k miles driver window struggles going up and down.. acts like it is binding someplace..
i greased the sliders in the tracks but that did not help..
i replaced the sliders and still no joy..
i noticed the entire power window assemble seemed to be shifting about 1/16 inch when binding (by observing the POP-rivet heads move) so i drilled two of them out and replaceds them with 1/2 inch bolts to prevent any movement.. STILL no joy.. :-(
a friend who helps me thinks it might be the motor is tired but i do not concur since i have never hears of a 12 volt motor getting tired..

NOW, when searching on VATS issues i did see some remarks re. bad grounding so i think i'll check voltage drop when running the window sometime monday..

thanks

Occasionally the motors will die. You can get them from Rock Auto, and if you use the code on the forum, you can get a 5% discount. The motors are side specific. You can put a little silicone lube on the tracks, and also watch for the inside wipe rolling under, and making the glass stop going down. The wipe is not available, but you can get one from another door panel, and staple/screw (flathead screw) it on. You can put the silicone lube on the wipe, or put Rainex on the inside of the glass. You may not have the glass in the track properly, although that is unlikely. Use extreme caution if you change the motor. There is a heavy spring that can cause the arms to snap together, and has hurt some people in the past. There is a thread on swapping the motors on the forum, but I am not sure where.

Check to see if the ends of the regulator arms are bent, as that could cause binding, or alignment issues.

thanks again, fred..
the arms look to be straight but have not so bad surface rust.. this car was a jacksonville florida car for all its life.. had good care too so i really like it even though the vinyl siding is crap.. too many years under the FL sun..!
thanks for the rock auto tip, i'll check the service manual i have (it is for the '93's but i imagine they are the same as my '92) and get one if i can swap it out without too much trouble.. do you know if can the motor be changed from outside the door without removing the entire assembly..?

wipe..? you mean the rubber and felt that wipe the window as it goes up and down..?
i will look at that and other things later today..
will print out your post, above and go over it as i check things out..

as an aside, i really like these old beasts.. the wagons especially.. the fleetwood is too good for me so i think i'll put it up foe sale on bring a trailer site..

You must remove the regulator to change the motor. The 92 and 93 service manuals are identical except for the year on the cover, and the 93 has a different tan interior color. The wipes are what you have supposed. Check for drag on the lower window track.

Keep the FW. If you are good enough to ride in the other Caddies you have, you are good enough for the FW.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

You must remove the regulator to change the motor. The 92 and 93 service manuals are identical except for the year on the cover, and the 93 has a different tan interior color. The wipes are what you have supposed. Check for drag on the lower window track.

Keep the FW. If you are good enough to ride in the other Caddies you have, you are good enough for the FW.

thanks fred..

IRT the fleetwood, it should go to a museum or serious collector, it is that good..
the eldorado too..
the convertible is great for an occasional driver.. it has a lot of patina so i don't worry..
but thanks for the thought.. :-)

IRT the motor.. the manual seems to indicate it is not all that hard to R&R the regulator assembly so i'll need to button the door up but leave half the nylon 'trees' out for more easy removal when the wife gets back from her mid-oct road trip.. that '92 is the only one i trust not to have a VATS issue on the road..

IRT lower window track.. you mean the one with the wheel in it rather than the oval shaped sliders..? i greased that one too.. no change..

also, while on the subject of doors, there is serious fading on the plastic top part on the door panel.. do you know of any materiel i can use to restore the faded out blue..?

The 92 does not have a VATS system.

SEM makes excellent paint for plastics. They have a reference section that gives you their color code for the Dark Sapphire Blue interior color.

file:///C:/Users/Fred/Pictures/SEM/SEM_1992%20color%20codes.pdf

Fred Kiehl wrote:

The 92 does not have a VATS system.

i know, that is one of several reasons i like the older versions..
no optispark, no VATS, etc.. :-)

Fred Kiehl wrote:

SEM makes excellent paint for plastics. They have a reference section that gives you their color code for the Dark Sapphire Blue interior color.

file:///C:/Users/Fred/Pictures/SEM/SEM_1992%20color%20codes.pdf

fred, your link points to your computer, not a web site or other thread here..
but i found SEM paint on several parts web sites.. thanks for that hint..

The SEM code for the dark sapphire blue is 4259.

update on the sticky window..
ordered a replacement motor including mounting screws & nuts from rock auto for $15 + $15 shipping, good german made motor..
hours of time drilling the pop rivets, pulled the lock mechanism, the regulator following the manual directions and cautions the entire operation was successful with new pop rivets.. window now rolls up and down with no binding..
looking at the old motor i see there is an adjusting torx screw on the end of the worm gear SO i conclude that this might have been a cure since i think the issue was a worn worm gear moving to and fro when the motor was running BUT i shall never know since i tossed it in the trash..

perhaps others will benefit from my experience with "zippy" the '92 bashful buick.. :-)