Hi all. I have searched the forum but can't find an answer. Was hoping somebody could pin point this one. I have a 2006 grand caravan SE with 90k. Did 81k myself. Only problems since 2007 were water pump replacement and EGR valve, both within last 2 years.

The drivers side window works most of the time. Sometimes, it just stops working. It will not go up or down or it just stops mid way. If I turn the ignition off and come back in 10 minutes or so and try again, it usually works once more. The passenger side window works fine from the drivers side. The motor sounds fine and operates at the same speed, in both up and down motion, as the passenger side. I see a $12 used window switch online. Should I take the gamble?

Regards all.

 

You can take the chance. But the problem maybe the window regulator and motor, or it could be the switch. 90% of the time, its the reguator

 

Thanks for the speedy reply. I just watched a video on tube replacing the regulator. Looks achievable with limited tools. Do you suggest replacing both the motor and the regulator?
Thanks again.

 

You might want to try removing the motor case (2 brass screws), and cleaning the carbon off of the 2 motor parts. I did this 3 months ago on my '03 when the motor stopped working, and the motor has been operating flawlessly since doing that job. Very easy to do - the most work was removing and reinstalling the door panel. The motor is located toward the bottom of the door, and it might even be possible to remove and reinstall the motor by just prying up the bottom section of the door panel (which I will try if the passenger motor ever fails). A zero dollar fix is always worth a shot!

 

Thanks, will try that first. Will post goings on....

 

This is why this forum is the best! You get the view from dodge techs and views from members that love to learn and work on their own vehicles.

 

This worked! Thank you, cv2003.

The tricky part is removing the two screws that hold together the motor. It's tough to get a screwdriver in there because the motor housing is so close to the door frame. A long screwdriver is needed. If necessary, you can pry the motor/regulator away from the door enough to get a good grip on the screw.

Pull away the motor housing (contains the two magnets) and then gently pull out the armature. The motor shaft has a worm gear to activate the regulator, and you might need to turn the armature clockwise many turns to get the armature out of the regulator.

I used Radio Shack contact cleaner/lubricant to clean the rotors on the armature and also the brushes, which remain connected to the regulator assembly in the upper housing of the motor. A tooth brush is good for gently cleaning the rotor.

Clean the brushes with a paper towel wrapped around your finger. It will take several times of spraying and wiping to remove the carbon buildup.

Tap out the motor housing upside down to get all the carbon crap out of the motor housing. You don't really need compressed air on it.

If you use steel wool on the rotor, be very sure you've removed all traces, as this could mess up the electric motor.

I did the driver's side first, and due to the learning curve, the passenger side went really fast! Like an hour on the first, and fifteen minutes on the second.

Again, the trickiest part is removing the screws (which are of uneven length, BTW) from the motor housing.

I did a lot of searching on this forum to find this solution. So many people want to "simply" replace the entire motor and regulator assembly, when this free repair is available, likely takes less time, and there's no risk of dropping the window during regulator replacement.

Oh, when you return the motor armature to the upper motor housing, push it in as far as it will go, and turn it many times counter clockwise to get it seated into the regulator, then finagle the lower motor housing onto it. Voila! Very simple.