power windows will not go all the way up with the door closed

[BuickMike]

So I know this issue has been beat to death with everyone and I know all the common causes. So here is what does work:

I have A1 Electric replacement window motors with counter sprung regulators. Way faster that stock ones.
Yes, this has always been an issue with this car.
I tried to bypass the thermal resistor on my pass window motor and it made no difference
I tried bypassing the electric system all together and ran the motor right off another battery. That helped a little, but it still stops a hair short.

So now that we are passed all the electrical possibilities, I really think that there is something I'm missing adjustment wise. Seems I can only get the window to somewhat seal if I adjust it in the way that I have to roll it up first before closing the door. No matter what I try, the window goes up about 1/8"- 3/16" less if I roll it up with the door closed. If I adjust it so it pushes less on the weatherstripping and goes up with the door closed, then it is not pushing hard enough to seal. If I adjust the window backwards, then the front does not seal well. After YEARS I finally got the drivers side tolerable, however the passenger side is never right.

Also, the weatherstrip is NOS replacement and it does seem more bloated than the factory stuff, even though it is OEM GM seals that I paid an arm and a leg for. This is also a T top car.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Gene Van Horn]

Those windows are a bitch,esp ttops. I,see your in arizona possibly Nick could help you. Pete Hoffman, used to work at Kirbans is the window specialist but i believe his is still east coast. I believe he used to charge 150.00 per side and needed the car most of the day to do the adjustment. Kirban does sell the window adjusment book but it kinda sounds like you might already have that, keep after it you'll get it.

 

[Frederickdav]

Like Gene said, you need Kirban's book and get into window adjustments. I know I replaced the weather strip on the passenger door now the window needs adjusting. Before I do that I think I'll replace the driver's side and get some replacement belt weather strips. That way the door panels will only need removing once.

 

[BuickMike]

I have Kirban's book and have referenced it quite a bit in the past. I think I'm going to read it cover to cover tonight though and see if there is anything I missed. It really seems like the front-upper pointed part of the window really gouges itself into the seal, while the bottom of the front is barely touching the seal. Meanwhile, there is more seal showing on the top back than the bottom of the back of the window. I have the window adjusted to lean all the way back, but it still looks like it could use more. I may have to elongate the adjustment holes, although I have a feeling the gap at the top will then get screwed up.

 

[turbo87adam]

There is a video on YouTube that is fairly helpful on explaining all the adjustments .

 

[pacecarta]

the regulator is an X with three wheels , two wheels are in the glass channel front and rear ,the rear wheel is on the arm that the other end goes to the gear end at the motor, the other arm has a wheel that goes to the front of glass channel and the opposite end has a wheel that fits into a short track near middle of door , that short track bolts in at both ends and is adjustable and it controls the level of the glass as it goes up and down by changing the position of the forward wheel .. you can correct the glass level to the weather strip by moving that track. if adjusted correctly both ends of the glass will hit the top of the weatherstrip at same time and the stops should be adjusted so neither end can go further than what you need .

 

[BuickMike]

Ok, so I have literally read the book cover to cover and there is absolutely nothing I have missed.

 

[BuickMike]

I think I'm going to spin back to beefing up the window motors. They did speed up a little while jumping straight to the battery, and now that I think about it, that was a spare battery with little jumper wires. I'm gonna go ahead and do the double relay wiring to bypass the weakness of the switches. Here is what I found on the driver side window as far as a schematic goes. Really it comes down to the window not being able to seal under its own power with the doors closed.

 

[turbo87adam]

Not sure if you have already looked into it . Richard Clark made a window turbo module for this problem already. Might want to call RCG and talk to them.

 

[michael evans]

I in almost the same boat. My next step is the window turbo.

I have done new motors (helped but can be better) and new switched on both sides.

 

[Linewalker]

The Window Turbo made my windows roll up faster and tighter. YMMV.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

I am ready to convert to manual windows! LOL

 

[Frederickdav]

Has anybody tried silicone spray on the weather strips to make them slip easier?

 

[John Larkin]

I adjusted mine until I could barely drag a dollar bill anywhere between the glass and the weatherstrip and I still have one little water leak when I wash it and a teeny bit of wind, not bad. However when I try to raise the window with the door closed, the motor just does not have enough oomph to push it into the weatherstrip. I have to stop, open the door raise the window fully and close the door. Then it seals as best possible. I spent a few days working on it to get it this good. I also would consider some higher torque motors. Me need more oomph too - speed is secondary.

 

[BuickMike]

I am ready to convert to manual windows! LOL

If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought a friend's WE4 with hardtop and manual windows.

 

[BuickMike]

Has anybody tried silicone spray on the weather strips to make them slip easier?

You know what? I need to recoat them. That being said, not sure it will be enough.

 

[BuickMike]

I adjusted mine until I could barely drag a dollar bill anywhere between the glass and the weatherstrip and I still have one little water leak when I wash it and a teeny bit of wind, not bad. However when I try to raise the window with the door closed, the motor just does not have enough oomph to push it into the weatherstrip. I have to stop, open the door raise the window fully and close the door. Then it seals as best possible. I spent a few days working on it to get it this good. I also would consider some higher torque motors. Me need more oomph too - speed is secondary.

I'm in the same boat. I talked to RC today about the Window Turbo. He thinks it may help, but honestly he kept referring to the speed. I wish someone else with the same issue would have done a review on this and let us know if the windows actually rolled up tighter vs. having to open the door to get them up. I looked up some threads and nobody really states what it exactly does. It can't increase current, so I assume it just steps up the voltage. I wish someone had one I could borrow and test.

 

[BuickMike]

So update. My windows roll up plenty fast compared to others. Just not confident in Window Turbo is really going to increase the power under load. I did however figure out that my issue is amplified by the slop in the whole assembly. I'd actually like for someone else to try the following. Roll up the windows, open the door, grab the back edge of the window, and see if you can move the back side up and down. In my case, I can pivot the window about 1/4" and that is my issue. Without the pressure of the seal, it goes where I adjust it, with the door closed, The front of the window hits the stop point and the back sits down a hair. With the T top off, I can pull the window up into place with my hand after it is done. All bushings and regulator are brand new, so this is not a worn out bushing issue. They are all nice and tight. It looks like there is some flex where the arms cross over in the assembly.

 

[BuickMike]

Alrighty folks! Decided to say screw it and go back to the electrical route. I adjusted the passenger window until it was at the point where it would seal if I rolled it up with the door open and called it good adjustment wise. As much as I wanted to get the Window Turbo module, I just feel that it is somewhat of a bandaid for the lack of contact with the factory wiring and the crappy Chinese replacement switches we are forced to buy. So after I adjusted the upper stops to fix the slop issue, I said screw it and installed the double relay system in the passenger door. After I wired it up, the window went up as fast as it went down. It was going up sloppy as hell, and then I realized the upper guides were set a little loose to compensate for the weakness of the motor previously. I reset that and now it is solid! Check out the attached pic of where I mounted the relays and the video.

 

[BuickMike]

FYI the relays are mounted where they are at because of the bulge in the lower door panel. They clear it. Also, I was totally willing to do this because I already spliced the wires going from the switch to the motor because I have aftermarket motors. Those are the only splices you need to run to the factory wiring harness. The other part is running a hot and ground from under the dash. Once I do some magic with the door speaker mount, I'll move onto the drivers side and do the relays there as well. What's interesting is that the drivers door is pretty much as fast as the passenger side, however it just does not go up all the way. Stay tuned.