Rear window sticks on way down. Motor or guides?

[evilnickwong]

Sorry no updates from my end. I had no luck getting the commutator bit out from the plastic housing, so I've left it as it is for now. :(

[Heysüß]

i went straight to the car's battery and connected the power and it worked, then I reversed the polarity and it worked the other way perfectly as well.

According to my dad he said the switch is working fine too, so the only thing we can figure is that the wires from the window switch to the motor are crapped out OR the e36 window switches that the PO wired in to the center command thing up front did a shoddy job.

Any suggestions?

[Heysüß]

any updates ? I'm dismantling mine as I type this (yes I have three arms)

[evilnickwong]

Did something happen with the forum yesterday? I'm last to post, but my thread didn't go up. *trying now*

[evilnickwong]

Ah crap, sorry about the multiple posts.

[evilnickwong]

CabbE30: I tried unscrewing it, but it seems to just spin and spin without ever coming out.

Ceeker: Yep I see the flat spots. I have a spare one from a front motor which is less worn (not as bad flat spots) which I want to swap in.
I'm not a super strong guy, but I was pulling on it with all I had and it still would not budge. :(

I know getting a straight up motor replacement is easier, but it also costs alot more here in Malaysia.

[evilnickwong]

CabbE30: I tried unscrewing it, but it seems to just spin and spin without ever coming out.

Ceeker: Yep I see the flat spots. I have a spare one from a front motor which is less worn (not as bad flat spots) which I want to swap in.
I'm not a super strong guy, but I was pulling on it with all I had and it still would not budge. :(

I know getting a straight up motor replacement is easier, but it also costs alot more here in Malaysia.

[evilnickwong]

CabbE30: I tried unscrewing it, but it seems to just spin and spin without ever coming out.

Ceeker: Yep I see the flat spots. I have a spare one from a front motor which is less worn (not as bad flat spots) which I want to swap in.
I'm not a super strong guy, but I was pulling on it with all I had and it still would not budge. :(

I know getting a straight up motor replacement is easier, but it also costs alot more here in Malaysia.

[Ceeker]

An update, I tried it again today, but still no luck. Here's a picture:



You can see I've fully disassembled the motor, except for the commutator+armature section which is still in the black plastic housing. Try as I might, I can't pull it out. The armature on this does have a bunch of flat spots, so if I can get it out, I can replace it with a better one from a spare front motor and hopefully it'll work.



Does anyone know how to get it out? :) I've already tried banging on the flat head point below the part where its stuck, I've also tried levering it out with a screwdriver, all no go.

Do you see in the 2nd pick the brush area worn down? this is why the motor is working intermittently. You need to find one that isn't worn and will solve your problem. Also maybe you should just remove the motor entirely and find a matching replacement. It is pressed in but with some force can be removed. I've played around with this set up extensively when I had my 4 door. it was a pain in the ass but I got them to work. Must have pulled several motors apart to make it work.

[CabbE30]

Unscrew it by rotating it the opposite direction of the gear.

[evilnickwong]

An update, I tried it again today, but still no luck. Here's a picture:



You can see I've fully disassembled the motor, except for the commutator+armature section which is still in the black plastic housing. Try as I might, I can't pull it out. The armature on this does have a bunch of flat spots, so if I can get it out, I can replace it with a better one from a spare front motor and hopefully it'll work.



Does anyone know how to get it out? :) I've already tried banging on the flat head point below the part where its stuck, I've also tried levering it out with a screwdriver, all no go.

[TurboJake]

All of the motors are the same. Left, Right, Early, Late, Front, Rear. It's what the motors attach to that are different.

[Heysüß]

okay. what about taking the motor from another window and installing it on the bad side to rule out if its the motor or regulator.

This brings up an interesting point. My car is a 1991 sedan.
Are the motors interchangeable from left to right? I would imagine they're not, but I dunno. I think from front to back definitely won't work since the front one is a sealed unit (at least for the innards, I know the commutator section can be removed) as compared to the rear one which can be completely taken apart.

Also, I understand that motors can obviously get weak with age.
But how are regulators the possible fault? They seem like just a simple cable/pulley system and if nothing is broken and it all moves properly, I don't see how it can be contributing to a stuck window.

Thanks for the input guys. :)

I also want to know if the 4 door e30s rear window motors are interchangeable from side to side. Mine is stock down and I'm pretty sure it's not the regulator I'm pretty sure the motor is shot.

[evilnickwong]

Bump! Would really like to know how to free the brush part from the motor housing so I can replace it with another one and see.

[evilnickwong]

if it brings the window down easy and struggles going up

Mine's the opposite, it goes up easy, struggles going down. :D

You're right about the brushes bit though. The shiny aluminum part (the fat part with horizontal lines on it), some parts are flattened down.
The copper part where the carbon brushes make contact is fine though.

If it's corrosion, any idea how I can get it out? Because I have a spare brush from a front motor that works, so if I can get this out, I can swap just that bit in and see if it works.
There is a slotted screw under the brush shaft, but it doesn't seem like I can remove it easily. It's real tight.