Corvette C4 Forum 1984 through 1996

Sloooww WIndows

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  #1  
Old 11-06-2006, 10:06 PM
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Power windows on my 85 go up and down very slow. why are they doing this? Someone told me to have the alternator checked but it was in good shape. Is the window track dirty? does the ribbon have to be replaced? I think part of the problem was because of the bad window weatherstripping on the door causing water to leak in the door panel.
 
  #2  
Old 11-06-2006, 10:17 PM
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Default RE: Sloooww WIndows

New ribbon no doubt. Also possibly a new motor and dirt build up in there. Our late models windows are slow so upgrade to the ribbion. Goodluck.
 
  #3  
Old 11-07-2006, 09:23 AM
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Default RE: Sloooww WIndows

Lots of things can cause that. Low voltage to motor, bad switch, bad motor, dirty tracks. Pull door panels and lube the ladder track with some good lithium spray and while you are there you can check the output to the motor with a volt meter. If you have good B+ voltage and the tracks are lubed well, then you possibly have a weak motor. [8D]
 
  #4  
Old 11-07-2006, 11:29 AM
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Default RE: Sloooww WIndows

Sorry I messed up. I didnt read the post right. It was late last night. GM used a poorly designed window regulator in our C4s. Upgrade it to the L86-96 regulator. It will zoom up alot quicker. Also mechs soloutions also may fix your problem but I suggest upgrading anyway as it will be better than stock working at its best. Good luck. If you want instrutions on how to upgrade I will gladly post them for you. It takes about 2 hours installation.
 
  #5  
Old 11-07-2006, 01:00 PM
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Default RE: Sloooww WIndows

could you post the instructions for the upgrade? thanks for the help.
 
  #6  
Old 11-07-2006, 01:51 PM
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Default RE: Sloooww WIndows

Of course. I am in the process of making my own website with alot of C4 information so everyone can read it. Lots of mods that do/dont work pics ect. Heres the window instructions Good luck. ***DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SCREW UPS***

TOOLS NEEDED:

PORTABLE DRILL
1/4 DRILL BIT
RULER/TAPE MEASUER/SHARPIE
METRIC SOCKET OR NUT DRIVER SET
PHILLIPS # 2 SCREWDRIVER
FLAT SCREWDRIVER(this is for prying purposes BE GENTLE)***
AUTOMOTIVE GREASE
WIRE CUTTERS AND WIRE STRIPPERS
ELECTRICAL TAPE
SOLDER AND SOLDERING GUN***(THIS IS OPTIONAL NOT REQUIRED)***

THIS IS GOING TO TAKE YOU ABOUT 2- 2 1/2 HOURS **TAKE YOUR TIME**



Ok put down both windows in the down postition. DISCONECT THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL. This is for saftey reasons as it could start without warning.

DRIVERS SIDE:

First, slide the manual door lock lever forward. Now get a finger behind the front edge of it, and pry the plastic piece outward towards you. If it feels like you're going to break it, or your finger, you're on the right track. This is the most difficult part of the entire process. After that little piece comes flying off, push the lock rod rearward, and slip it up behind the clearance cut into the plastic surround, otherwise it will get interfere with removal of the door panel.

The inner door panel is held on by phillips screws. There are several spaced out along the lower edge of the carpet, one behind the door handle, three in the plastic that surrounds it, two in the arm rest hole, four in the speaker cover, and one on the back edge of the door panel near the hatch release switch. After removing these, slide the door panel upwards and it should come loose. Be careful, since there are still electrical harnesses attached to it. Unplug the rear hatch switch's wiring, and the window washer control harness. The door lock switch's plug must be pried out evenly. I found this quite difficult to remove, so I took the extra step of removing the plastic door latch surround first. To do this, first remove the two phillips screws that go upward into the courtesy light. The arm rest pad also needs to be removed. There are two molded-in teeth that clip it on to the door panel. One is located about 1/3 of the way toward the back of the fat horizontal part of the pad. The other is near the top of the inclined part up front. Push the pad inwards towards the door panel while pulling up on the inside edge of the pad (in each tooth location). Once this is loose, remove the arm rest plastic piece and set the pad aside. The plastic door latch surround can now be dislodged from the door panel, and fished back through it with the wiring still attached. Set the door panel aside. The courtesy light plug is brown, and the door lock switch can now be accessed more easily. Three pins protrude into the plug, so pry the plug off evenly, so as not to damage the pins.

Next, the inner door metal needs to be removed next. It's held on by hex screws, door lock/latch rods, and the wire harness clips. First, detach the wire harness from it, and remove all the hex bolts and screws. The two lock rod clips are circled below. You'll need to get your flat blade screwdriver back there and pry the rods out of the plastic clips

Description:
Initially, GM used a very poorly designed power window regulator in the C4. This regulator, commonly referred to as the "ribbon style" was prone to failure, and wisely redesigned midway through the 1986 production run.

The early style regulator, show at left, has a sealed motor, and can't be easily serviced. If the flimsy ribbon doesn't break, then over time, the grease on the ribbon attracts dirt and hardens, packing grime into the motor, slowing it down and eventually overloading it.

The newer style regulator, at right, uses a "scissor style" assembly, driven by a steel gear. It operates quickly, quietly, and doesn't depend on a thin nylon ribbon to carry the weight of the window. They can be purchased for anywhere from $120 used to $500 for a new set. The only modifications required involve drilling two carefully placed holes in the bottom side of the door, and a very simple modification of the passenger side motor wiring harness.





Driver's Side Procedure:
Put both windows in the down position. For safety reasons, disconnect the battery's negative terminal or pull the courtesy and power window fuses.

We'll start out by gutting the driver's side door. First, slide the manual door lock lever forward. Now get a finger behind the front edge of it, and pry the plastic piece outward towards you. If it feels like you're going to break it, or your finger, you're on the right track. This is the most difficult part of the entire process. After that little piece comes flying off, push the lock rod rearward, and slip it up behind the clearance cut into the plastic surround, otherwise it will get interfere with removal of the door panel.

The inner door panel is held on by phillips screws. There are several spaced out along the lower edge of the carpet, one behind the door handle, three in the plastic that surrounds it, two in the arm rest hole, four in the speaker cover, and one on the back edge of the door panel near the hatch release switch. After removing these, slide the door panel upwards and it should come loose. Be careful, since there are still electrical harnesses attached to it. Unplug the rear hatch switch's wiring, and the window washer control harness. The door lock switch's plug must be pried out evenly. I found this quite difficult to remove, so I took the extra step of removing the plastic door latch surround first. To do this, first remove the two phillips screws that go upward into the courtesy light. The arm rest pad also needs to be removed. There are two molded-in teeth that clip it on to the door panel. One is located about 1/3 of the way toward the back of the fat horizontal part of the pad. The other is near the top of the inclined part up front. Push the pad inwards towards the door panel while pulling up on the inside edge of the pad (in each tooth location). Once this is loose, remove the arm rest plastic piece and set the pad aside. The plastic door latch surround can now be dislodged from the door panel, and fished back through it with the wiring still attached. Set the door panel aside. The courtesy light plug is brown, and the door lock switch can now be accessed more easily. Three pins protrude into the plug, so pry the plug off evenly, so as not to damage the pins.


Next, the inner door metal needs to be removed next. It's held on by hex screws, door lock/latch rods, and the wire harness clips. First, detach the wire harness from it, and remove all the hex bolts and screws. You'll need to get your flat blade screwdriver back there and pry the rods out of the plastic clips.



The door latch rod is held onto door handle by a small metal clip. The clip can be slid partway off, allowing the end of the rod to slip up and out of the hole. The lock rock is a little more tricky. It loops through a metal pivot that also attaches to the door lock solenoid rod. I simply bent the metal tangs enough to slip the lock rod out. The door lock solenoid rod is attached to the pivot with a small nylon clip. Rotate the clip slightly and pull the rod out the slit in the backside. Make sure to lay the loose lock rod outward on the fiberglass, so it doesn't get interfere with the regulator's movement. The inner panel should now be completely detached from the fiberglass door frame. Push it downwards into the door until it clears the top edge of the frame, and slide it out. You'll need to really slide it forward and around to get the lock rod disentangled from it.


The next, very important step is to remove the window stops. There's one in front, a simplisti
 
  #7  
Old 11-07-2006, 02:15 PM
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Default RE: Sloooww WIndows

This is your new regulator. See the difference???

[IMG]local://upfiles/3722/F5076E8D56BD487A864F17FDD6829F3C.jpg[/IMG]
 
  #8  
Old 11-07-2006, 02:17 PM
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Default RE: Sloooww WIndows

After removing your door panel this is what it should look like. The 4 wire harnesses are highlighted.

[IMG]local://upfiles/3722/9819B9302F264D14ACB15C94A31DABD7.jpg[/IMG]
 
  #9  
Old 11-07-2006, 02:19 PM
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Posts: 924
Default RE: Sloooww WIndows

Next, the inner door metal needs to be removed next. It's held on by hex screws, door lock/latch rods, and the wire harness clips. First, detach the wire harness from it, and remove all the hex bolts and screws. The two lock rod clips are circled below. You'll need to get your flat blade screwdriver back there and pry the rods out of the plastic clips.




[IMG]local://upfiles/3722/36528C1CDA9349B9A23709E430D49B4E.jpg[/IMG]
 
  #10  
Old 11-07-2006, 02:21 PM
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Default RE: Sloooww WIndows

This is with the new regulator installed.

[IMG]local://upfiles/3722/BA8376A3ED0E4C748E46D1F83B7B1A9B.jpg[/IMG]
 


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