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85 eldo power window ?

Started by sding, April 18, 2014, 12:21:45 AM

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sding

The driver side power window stopped working today.  Any hints on how to remove the door panel without doing any damage to the panel. Also is there a way to test the switch before I pull the door panel off to check the motor.  Any help will be appreciated.  Thanks

TJ Hopland

I don't remember the specifics anymore but I don't seem to recall anything that seemed that unusual about them.  I believe the door panel is one piece on these cars.   Be very careful, when I was working on my 80 and 81 the plastic was very brittle and shattered with very little pressure.   It looked like it had happened before because there were places where someone had added some screws to hold cracks together.  Don't know if those repairs were recent or 20 years ago.   The rest of the interior in the car was like new and not faded so I don't think it was all brittle because the car sat out in the sun for years, just must be the materials they used.

As for the window issue.  Both my 80 and 81 sporadically seem to have one or sometimes both windows decide to not work.  On the 80 I have messed with wires and switches and done testing and never find anything wrong.   Put things back together and it all works.   It seems like later the same day they will fix themselves if I just do nothing.  I have replaced the drivers door switch and it didn't help.  I assumed it was a bad connection somewhere in the 80 but my 81 does the same thing so its got to be something like a main connection that is a little loose or corroded and it was common issue for the 79-85 E bodies since the 81 is a Riviera.

My memory is shot lately but I also seem to recall that the window motors are riveted in.  I for sure remember drilling when I parted out at car.  I never ended up replacing them since its an intermittent issue I kinda figured it was not the motors fault.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

76eldo

If you have any extra switches I would try that first, or try spraying your existing one with a contact cleaner.  I own and have owned a lot of these era Eldo's and have never (so far) had to replace a window motor.  As you probably already know, the armrest area and the cut out for the switch bezel are very brittle areas with these door panels, so be careful to avoid damage.

I can't tell you which terminals to try, but if you can follow the wiring diagram in the shop manual you can jump some wires together at the switch socket to get the window to operate if it is a bad switch.

To remove the door panel (best with window down), remove the door lock knob, the inside door handle bezel and two screws concealed by the interior door pull.  I think these are the only screws but take a good look for any others.

The sides and bottom or the door panel are held on by clips.  There is a trim removal tool available at most auto stores that will make this job easier and keep you from breaking the clip retainers on the back of the door panel.  If the start pulling from the bottom and work your way around by finding the clips and using the forked took to pull them out of the door, this will leave them attached to the door panel.  You can also use a putty knife or improvise, but the idea is to pry out the clip from the door, not break the door panel retainer and have the clip stay in the door.  These are plastic clips.

It kind of hangs from the upper part of the door, so once you get all of the clips out of the holes in the door, pull the bottom out a bit as you are pulling up with the interior door pull.  With the window down, it will come right off.  With the window up, it will take a little wiggling to free it from the upper space.

Good luck,

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado