Best Brand Power Window Motor??? and lube etc.?

**thomasterrible** · 04-05-2014, 11:31 AM

What is the best brand power window motor? AC Delco? or are some rebuilt or aftermarket even better? Dorman? I need to get it right this time!

I just bought a pair of new cheap no-name made in China motors ($36/pair shipped 2day) and while it worked once I got it in I don't like the performance. It seems weak. Not quite as fast as the old OEM in the drivers side but also I can hear a noise (errr, errr, errr) while it is operating which tells me it is laboring, did not make the noise until installed. I always at least find a AC Delco part cheap somewhere if I don't know of a better brand. This sort of thing is exactly why. But I am not going to keep that substandard motor in there. I do need my car back together asap though. It is raining, I am doing this outside and I have to drive the car.

Before I replaced the motor it would only work with either the drivers or passenger side window. When I replaced the motor now the passenger window works with either switch.

But aside from not being thrilled with the cheapo motor the drivers side that has always worked well is now starting to have the overheating issue, at least when I was testing it and running both windows up and down a few times each in a row or at the same time. I realize that there are some stock wiring deficiencies but don't understand why the OEM motor has these issues and am guessing that I need to replace it too. I will buy two and install the new good brand motor and see how things work.

I have seen the Autotrix power window electrical parts but I really don't have an extra $135 a side for that. I would be OK with them working as well as new for now.

I did drill out the mounting holes slightly larger on the new motor and mounts to install stronger 1/4 inch strong good screws with nylocks. I don't see how this could have any negative effect, I think the gears mesh properly and believe the trouble is all in using a $16 cheapo motor. But perhaps using the cheap motor that is weaker puts more strain on the wiring which is why it is making the other motor have issues it did not before. That is my best guess anyway.

So far it seems that AC Delco or Dorman or Cardone are all about $35 each from a quick look. I would really appreciate anyone that is knowledgeable about the various brands and which is the best so I can go find the best price and get a couple ordered. If the wiring kit were only $35 I might buy them too. But I just don't have the extra $270 for extra wiring right now. If there is another alternative fix for the wiring that is not so expensive and not difficult to install I would also appreciate any information on that.

I am not putting the passenger window door panel and items back together with the cheap motor in it. So will be happy to get some solid advice on the motor. I would also any lubrication points I should hit and with what products while I have things apart. I have factory manuals but am moving so they are buried. Also there are sometimes some even better alternatives people come up with that are not in the manual. It makes sense to me to do the lubrication right now too at least.

Thanks in advance for any help.

**theorangeguy** · 04-05-2014, 01:47 PM

I have used both dorman and delco motors in the past and had zero issues. Have you done the Autotrix passenger side window motor fix yet? I would recommend that while you are replacing the passenger side motor...I used some cheap brand motor I found on one of my old Camaro's when I was like 18 and had very similar results to what you described when it comes to the clicking and noise coming from the motor itself.

The last motors I used were dorman and I actually have one on the way from summit right now for my passenger side motor. It has not been replaced since I've owned it...I did the Autotrix fix on it about a year ago and it brought it back to life but it's starting to have issues again.

**thomasterrible** · 04-05-2014, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by theorangeguy

I have used both dorman and delco motors in the past and had zero issues. Have you done the Autotrix passenger side window motor fix yet? I would recommend that while you are replacing the passenger side motor...I used some cheap brand motor I found on one of my old Camaro's when I was like 18 and had very similar results to what you described when it comes to the clicking and noise coming from the motor itself.

The last motors I used were dorman and I actually have one on the way from summit right now for my passenger side motor. It has not been replaced since I've owned it...I did the Autotrix fix on it about a year ago and it brought it back to life but it's starting to have issues again.

I had a recommendation to go with ACI as supposedly they make motors for AC Delco. I found some new ones on sale for $25 each which is much lower than typical for that brand.
I will install one and hope. I am going to yank the cheap one and put the ACI in at least.

I have thought about the power window fix and if it would have any effect of helping the drivers side or not. I have an email in to Autotrix about that.
I would pay $35 and might even give up the express down for a better operating window if the $35 fix worked for the driver side. Not sure why so much difference between the two. I am getting ride of the crap motors though. I think that just is adding too much to a system that is weak to begin with so will try the new supposedly good brand motor and see how they both operate. If that doesn't work and pending information back from Autotrix I might do something about the wiring.

BTW I don't get a clicking noise. The cheap motor works. It sounds fine if you plug it in to test it. Under load however when rolling the window up and down it has an 'errrr, errrr, errrr" sound coming from it. A bit like some battery powered item might sound when it is low on batteries. So I think the cheap motor is just weak and then with the addition of not getting full power it not enough. More power would be great getting to the motor and I may end up doing that kit. But with a good motor inside too. My guess would be that if that kit wires the passenger side directly to the battery that means that the drivers side is the only motor running off the existing wiring which would mean it would be the only motor drawing off the stock system and that might be enough to both make the passenger window work better than stock and allow the drivers side more to at least work as well as it was or perhaps better. I may not have to replace the drivers side motor right now if I do those things. But will still have a second decent motor for if and when I do need to replace the drivers side.

How easy was that kit to install for Autotrix?

Thanks, T

**theorangeguy** · 04-05-2014, 02:43 PM

The Autotrix passenger side fix will prolong the life of the passenger side window because it does not get adequate juice with the factory setup. So even if you replace they passenger side window it will work, but it won't fly up and down and eventually it'll start to stop after going up to a certain point. They are notorious for that...had it with every Fbody I've ever owned.

The fix wasn't that hard to install...hardest part was running the wires from the engine bay and the aux post by the fuse box to the door itself. Have to go through the firewall, under the dash, and into the door to the switch itself. You will have to loosen the PCM on the passenger side engine bay to get to the hole in the firewall, but you don't have to unplug anything. You have to remove the glove box on the passenger side and the plastic piece that is in the bottom right corner on the passenger side. Once that is removed you can get to the rubber piece the factory wires run through in the door. Run the wires to the switch, splice a few wires and put it all back together. Had mine done in roughly 1.5hours. Its got a really simple wiring diagram...if you can read one it'll be pretty easy.

**thomasterrible** · 04-05-2014, 03:03 PM

Thanks for the details, I can do it for sure but it is nice what I would be getting in to before starting. I will get the good motor in and see how things go. I did watch the video's so I can see that it does make the windows faster and that would be a good thing for that window at least. It sounds like it won't make any difference if I were to do that wiring fix after having put the door back together which is good too.

I appreciate the information. Have a great weekend! Tom