Slow Windows

Take a look at Mike Dailey's website, he has an article there that makes a significant difference in window speed operation and costs from about $30 to $90 per window depending on whether you use parts from the junkyard or rebuilt. I did the driver window first and it was twice as fast as the passenger window!! It uses the Ford Aerostar motor and was a really easy straight forward job. The site is http://www.panteraplace.com/page164.htm

Thanks for your quick response!!
I'll check that out straight away.
Your mate from Aus
Dennis

Dennis,

The window switches are the usual suspects. If when the window stops you still hear the motor going, take a look at the window gears. If you trace it to the window motor, definitely look into the upgrade, you'll be happier.

Michael

This just happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

The nylon gear inside the gearbox that is above the window motor cracked. When the cracked part of the gear passed the worm drive of the motor the gear opened up and jammed in gearbox.

I found I could manually wind up the window with the emergency handle (from the toolkit) an inch then electric wind it about 3" until it jammed again.

I've bought replacement gears (in aluminium) and will be installing these as soon as I have the time.

Now you mentioned it I didn't hear the window motor running!
Think I'll check out the switch first.
Thanks guys

Stock windows rise slowly. Stock windows with out-of-adjustment tracks rise slower. Stock windows with cracked stock plastic gears don't rise at all. Stock windows with broken switches don't rise at all. Window tracks can be adjusted to allow for proper operation. Broken plastic gears can be replaced with brass gears available from all the vendors at about $50 apiece; this same gear is used for the headlight raising mechanism, but since the lights are not used as much as the windows, this gear is not known to break as often as the window gears. Bad switches can be replaced with switches available from all the vendors at about $50 apiece; these are not exact replacements for the stock units, but are very similar and require the console openings to be trimmed a bit for the new switches to fit. The upgrade referenced at Mike Dailey's Panteraplace uses Ford Aerostar motors, is known to be pretty easy, and you can get the motors through most auto parts houses and usually from a guy on eBay. The motors came in three and four bolt mounting styles; you want the four bolt style, probably from 90-91 Aerostars. Windows can be manually raised or lowered by removing the round, black plastic plug on the door panels and pressing and turning the piece found inside; those lacking the original tool kit handle can use an appropriate screwdriver.

Larry

Thanks Larry!
Just not too sure what attack first, I do Know that the window does go up but sometimes but stops about a third of the way up.
Then you give it a sec and try up down a few times then it goes up all the way slowly.
Does that sound like a faulty switch!
Dennis

My windows are slow too, they will stop and restart too. if i give it a rev the windows motors speed up...what's up with that????

quote:

Originally posted by Downunder:
the window does go up but sometimes but stops about a third of the way up.
Then you give it a sec and try up down a few times then it goes up all the way slowly.
Dennis

This is exactly how mine started, so you may have the same problem. This is what happened to me:-
The window would stick about a third up and again about an inch from the top. At first I could nudge the window past these points by giving it another try and this worked better with the engine running.
As a temporary fix I dismantled both window mechanisms and swapped the passenger side gear wheel to the driver side. I could see that the reason the window sticks is that crack opens up as the cracked part of the wheel passes the worm drive. The crack on the passenger side is now so bad that the window won't move at all. I expect the driver's side to fail soon as the wheel is cracked, but not all the way.
The US vendors supply bronze wheels or you can get aluminium wheels from Roland Jackel in Hamburg.

Rapier
Thanks for your advice,I will order the gears,hopefully they dont take too long to get here!
Regards Dennis

Dennis,
No problem.
It does sound like you have the same problem as me but have you removed the window mechanism yet to see if I am right? I'd hate to have misled you.

I removed my window mechanism quite recently so can give advice on this if want it. Could get you some pictures too - though not till Friday.

It sounds like your window is binding in the guides. There is a built in thermal overload in the motor and it is probably tripping due to load. When it cools it resets and that is why the window then continues up when you hit the switch the second time. Good luck.

Dennis -
Doesn't sound like a bad switch, it sounds more like binding. I've had a switch fail (you can check it by temporarily changing the wiring to the other switch and see if it behaves the same way). When my switch failed, it was completely dead.

Even a new "stock" motor doesn't raise the window all that quickly. One day I'd like to do the Aerostar conversion, but it doesn't bother me enough to motivate me....

Thanks guys!!!