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Window Regulator Troubleshooting

MegaMorsels
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MegaMorsels Rookie

MegaMorsels

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Posted

Hello all.  I'm hoping someone with a bit of experience can chime in on an issue I'm having with my driver side window regulator.  I'll try to be concise as it's a bit of a long story.

I have a 1995 R33 GT-R.  About a month ago, when raising my driver side window, when the window reached end of travel, it started to make a loud, jarring clicking noise.  Honestly, it was loud enough to scare the sh*t out of me.  I immediately hit the down button and lowered the window a bit to get it to stop.  When this happened, I had used the auto-up function, so as far as I know, it probably would have kept clicking away indefinitely.  I raised the window back up and it did not happen again.

For the next couple of weeks, I watched it closely and the clicking did not re-appear until about 2 weeks later.  It only happened when putting the window up.  Another week goes by and I when I tried to raise the window, it went about half way and died.  I was able to assist the window up the rest of the way by pulling the glass up.  The next day, it completely died and would no longer go down at all.

Today, I pulled the door panel off and removed the regulator with motor attached.  With the regulator and motor not connected to anything, I plugged it back into the harness and tried hitting the switch up and down.  Nothing but the faint wine of the motor pushing against what seems like a lot of resistance.  I then removed the motor from the regulator and tried again.  Now, the motor is working fine in both directions.  I thoroughly inspected the regulator and it seems to be in ok shape.  No broken teeth on the gear and all the parts move freely with little resistance.  I even used a pair of pliers on the motor while I switched it on (to provide end of window travel like resistance) and I could not reproduce the awful clicking noise.

I reinstalled the motor on the regulator and it seems to be working fine now.  I'm a bit weary to reinstall the unit without determining what exactly caused the issue.  I suppose the motor could have a dead spot, which would explain it dying at one spot and then working again once I took it apart.  But, that doesn't explain the clicking.  Here in Japan, a new motor is about $430 USD and a new regulator is about $150 USD.  I'd hate to buy a new motor for that much just to have the same issue happen again, but I don't see anything wrong with the regulator to justify replacing it.

Does anyone have any experience with the symptoms I experienced and what you ended up replacing?  

Thanks!

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Rusty Nuts Experienced

Rusty Nuts

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Posted (edited)

The brushes crap out in these motors and are not replaceable, the armature segments short out, the gearbox jams when the bushes wear out. The regulators are pretty bulletproof, just make sure the spring is correctly installed assisting the motor to lift the glass. When mine shat themselves I found that short wheelbase Patrol's used the same motors and replaced mine with these. Also the relays in the control box overheat and become useless ( they are old after all). Many possible causes and impossible to internet diagnose.

Edited by Rusty Nuts
MegaMorsels Rookie

MegaMorsels

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Posted

Thanks for the insight.  I just went and reinstalled the assembly and it's back to doing the same thing.  Jarring clicking noise at about half way up.  The noise makes me think that 1) the teeth of the motor are slipping on the teeth of the regulator or 2) the motor has failed internally and something inside is slipping and causing the noise.  I'm leaning toward the motor because the teeth on the regulator are clean and undamaged.  I'd expect to see some wear or scraping on the teeth if that were the problem.  I've attached a couple of videos showing what I mean.  I guess all I can do is buy a new motor and hope for the best.  

Rusty Nuts Experienced

Rusty Nuts

Posted
Posted (edited)

Its not just a motor buddy, the part with four screws that attaches to the regulator is a reduction worm drive gearbox, the worm being integrated into the armature of the motor.

Edited by Rusty Nuts
MegaMorsels Rookie

MegaMorsels

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Posted

I just placed an order for a new motor assembly.  Part number was 80730-22U01 and from what I could tell on the catalog, it included the motor and reduction worm drive gearbox that you are describing.  At least, I really hope that it does for the amount of money it cost...

MegaMorsels Rookie

MegaMorsels

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Posted

When I disconnected the window from the regulator, it seems to slide without resistance all the way up and down the track.  My best guess is that the gears in the motor assembly have failed.  I'll update when I get the new motor in and installed.

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