1998 Chrysler Town & Country Rear Wing Window Motor Repair $0! -Fixing it Forward

[@LMacNeill]

That is my most favorite kind of repair. You took a part that was completely dead and not designed to be serviceable, and made it work. I love it when I manage to do stuff like that. Very rewarding.

[@simonsj15]

Repairing is a lot more satisfying than replacing.

[@FyberOptic]

Fixing things they don't want you to fix is the best.

[@hardnoxgrad5763]

Eric....you are a True Mechanic. You are Not a pull and replace kind of guy. You investigate, analyze, and fix. You are the best.

[@TrueBlueEG8]

A lesser man would have just bought new parts. Thats the difference between a mechanic and a fitter. Excellent job Eric, saving old cars, saving money, and saving the planet one job at a time.

[@AttilaTheHun333333]

Great job Eric! For everyone trying the same thing...I suggest to just polish the kommutators and not use sandpaper etc., cause if the surface of the kommutator is rough, it will eat up the carbon brush pretty fast.

[@milfordcivic6755]

Attila theHun I agree. This repair will be a comeback for sure.

[@gianfrancoa]

Attila theHun Yes I though the same thing. The commutator surface should be smooth and clean. Usually fine steel wool does the trick without roughen up the surface.

[@tomrominski4022]

Attila theHun Very true but with the intermittent use of this motor for opening and closing the rear windows it's probably safe to say that the vehicle will be long dead before the brushes wear out. I will have to keep your tip in mind when I clean my own motors...........

[@siiil21]

Attila theHun wanted to write the same :)

[@timjrvine]

Very true, I put the whole shaft in a drill and use a thin slice of 2000 grit to clean up the commutator and finish with some paper to polish them smooth.

[@bcary461]

I just bought my grandparent's old van with two jammed window motors. I was putting off buying new ones and now I know it can be fixed for free thanks to you!

[@bobceepookiewookie7908]

Really great watching you take those rear window Vents apart and fixing them to function again. Ingenious. And very cost saving. Thank you Eric.

[@chrisingram7277]

Five years ago I saw this video and today my Mom's van motor crapped out, glad you make videos this enjoyable and memorable.

[@RobbyJHope]

I feel like these type of repairs give me the best feeling. Fixing something without having to dish out any money by diagnosing the problem and going for it.

[@Darwinpasta]

Nice work. I've been amazed over the years at how many things can be brought back to life with a clean and lube. My dad dropped his cordless drill a while back and it lost power, smoke even came out of it, but a similar service to what you did here brought it back. A little grease, an 800 grit cleanup on the comm, and it's back in service.

[@ryansauto93]

Awesome! A little bit of time and no money and it's fixed. That's the best kind of repair. Great to know that issues like that can be as simple as dirty contacts.

[@chriscash710]

Awesome video eric, these new fixing it forward episodes are informative and motivate you to dig deeper into a problem cause often its quite fixable. Good job.

[@Ryzomadman]

Every time I fix something the manufacturers don't want you to fix I feel like it's a victory for common sense Win Window.

[@bustedback]

Put a 12 turn RC car motor in place of those originals and those wing windows may move fast enough for lift off.

[@pssst3]

Seeing you take a part that factory sealed unit makes me feel better about myself. It's nice to see a professional mechanic who hasn't forgotten his roots exercising his natural abilities. I don't know how many times I've been in a position where either parts weren't available or unaffordable and I had to tear something completely apart in an effort to repair it, without actually knowing how the unit was constructed inside . I always felt satisfaction of completing a job like that but when I describe it to other people they generally look at me like I'm nuts. Now that I have the resources to buy replacement parts and the common sense to buy things where replacement parts are available I think I got lazy, relying on shop manuals for instructions and eBay or salvage yards for parts.

[@ElectronicWorkshop]

I have seen a lot of that type of motors in video recorders/dvd players over the years, They suffer with the same problem, I normally sprayed contact cleaner into the motor, then connected it to power and gnd The spinning of the motor and the contact cleaner normally was enough to clean the brush contact area on the armature Another tip is, when cleaning a copper contact area, use a pencil erasure to clean it It leaves no scratches on the contact area Great video's by the way

[@thepantherchannel2988]

It's good that you are helping out people who don't have much money to spend Eric.

[@michaelchitwood6226]

Refreshing to see something serviceable.

[@marlin1838]

Love this repair video. I'm having same issues with vent windows. Soaked my motors in oil but didn't help after removing both.Thought about doing what you did but was afraid I might make a mistake, break it, and not have a replacement...Enjoy your videos, neighbors wonder how I know how to repair so much....love it...Thanks for videos

[@danielpindell1267]

Awesome job Eric and a great thanks to the viewer who suggested the cleaning tip.

[@TJEssary]

Just did a similar repair on my '04 Odyssey. In my case, the motor still worked. All the white lithium grease had baked out and allowed everything to bind up. With the Honda unit, no need to drill or melt anything, just use a pocket screwdriver and pop it open. Could've superglued it back, but used a hot nail to press 2 holes into the body and used 2 small screws to reassemble it. Just repacked the whole thing with WL grease, testing at every step, put it back together, tested again, installed and it's working like a champ. Now, to do the other side. I did discover that the carrier for the worm gear is not 2 equal pieces. 1 is a fraction of a millimeter thicker, just enough to make the difference in it working or not, if you put it back in the wrong order.

[@simonilett998]

Anyone who played with electric cars and toys as a kid would know this trick with the little motors. Repair before replace has always been my motto....especially when it costs money for parts, and my time and curiosity is free....further more I might learn something in the process, and that's a huge gain in itself you'd otherwise miss out on if you just replaced the part.. Knowledge is power...but can also save or make you money....and also that same piece of knowledge might apply to so many other similar things.....it becomes an endless wealth.... There's an example right there, ETCG himself continuously growing his wealth of knowledge.

[@bensullivan]

The best part about attempting a repair like this is you have nothing to lose. If you break the part you were going to replace it anyway, so why not try? I have always found it's more rewarding to attempt fixes like this, too. There is nothing like repairing something that's got a "non-serviceable" notation in the manual. ONWARD!

[@therealuncleevil]

These are the type of repairs I love! I much prefer reconditioning over replacing. It's more satisfying and usually a lot cheaper. Also, like you said, what's the worse that can happen with trying? It's already broken.

[@76irodriguez]

I couldn't see very well how the housing is made, but it looks as if you could have drilled and taped for a screw for future services, instead of melting the plastic. Not that there was anything wrong with melting it or gluing it back together with Q-Bond. Just another way of doing it. Grate video, keep them coming!

[@rinu123]

My friend and I did the same thing to my 2004 Accord's door lock last summer. New unit would have cost 80 eur but our repair was free. My friend is a genius with such things.

[@wesleybrabant3595]

Its a win, win when you can refurbish something ,other wise would end up in the garbage. Great video Eric!

[@MediumHalf]

Great video, nice to see something that otherwise would be in the trash brought back to life. Definitely more interesting than a standard replacement, at least for something relatively straightforward like this.

[@Rounds174]

Loved this video. I know its time consuming but I hope to see more of the "let's see if we can fix it" stuff with these free Fix it Forward repairs. It was fun to see you dive in and work it out.

[@John-rz6sp]

I think this should be considered one of ETCG's greatest hits. I would have drilled rather than soldered and used a rivet or screw rather than adhesive though but you got it done and saved money and the time it would have taken to go to the JY and find two that were working and pull them out for replacements. I've done the same thing with headlight door motors and windshield wiper motors that quit working for me. GREAT video Eric

[@InternetDude]

Good work, I like when techs actually try to repair something instead of replacing parts.

[@dufftime]

crazy that both sides failed for the same reason. great vid, eric - one of my all-time favorites

[@stevehousley8375]

Just completed the window motor on my 2006 "next comment" and there is one change on the 2006 motor, it has clips that hold the plastic sides together so no solder gun was necessary. I used 1000 grit sandpaper to clean up the inside and it took all of 1 min to get it done. Thanks for the video

[@mikemoore6784]

Lovely component repair. My tech school instructors would be proud!

[@Ri3mannZeta]

This is so awesome, fixing a part most anyone would've chalked up as dead. Great video

[@quantumleap359]

Great vid, I love bringing dead stuff back to life too! This same trick can be used on the door position motors located in the heater/ac box. They get intermittent and flakey. Biggest headache is getting to the rascals. Thanks for posting.

[@shadetreegiants9407]

I enjoyed this video because it's really a basic guide on how to fix any small motor in a car. Thanks!

[@AmyAndrewAdventures]

I like all your videos but this is one of my favorites. I haven't seen anyone get into a plastic welded case before. Good info, thanks!

[@krazyhartin]

I recently discovered how I can restore electrical components instead of replacing them simply by cleaning them with electrical cleaning solvents which I never knew existed. I have problems with my central locking when I unlock the driver's door with the key, only the driver's door unlocks. The other doors stay locked and the security LED light remains flashing meaning it's still armed, until I turn on the ignition and press the unlock doors button. Driver's locking electrical unit just needs cleaning. It's a common problem with my car. I now just learned from watching your video how to open plastic housings with a solder if there are no screws, and how to stick it back together. Thanks for putting up the video.

[@tpthellboy]

thank you so much for showing this am going to try this tomorrow on the van mom doesnt have the money for new or used motors for the vent windows and they are stuck open the last 4 months really really appreciate it

[@colliedogboy]

Dang, man, you have steady hands! I can see me doing that tedious kind of work...I wish. Thanks for the video!

[@jamesmskipper]

I love it! Since DIYers have time to mess around and then repeat or replace with a new one, it's nice to see how that can be done. But I understand that it is best for mechanics to install new parts to save time and the potential for a repeat problem for the customer.

[@beauxtx1959]

Good old-fashioned ingenuity. LOVE it! Good on ya, Eric!

[@modernvisionscc]

Awesome repair. You could also melt zip tires to reseal the plastic. I've used it a few times to fix plastic.

[@johnkirkland3888]

Awesome video Eric. Pretty cool trick to use in the future. I'll have to remember this in case the windows on my Expedition go out. It's definitely worth a shot.

[@mminc81]

WOW...Who would of thunk it?!?!?! Great suggestion viewers! Awesome Vid Eric!!!!!

[@RoyCousins]

Good work, Eric! I've tried this with various electric motors and it's usually unsuccessful. But it's always worth a shot if you have the time.

[@mbcb8476]

good job, Eric! I'm proud of you for at the least trying....and guess what ? you DID it! Awesome!!!!!!!

[@stevehousley8375]

LOVE IT, my 2006 window is not working and I was going to replace the motor but now I will try this. If you can save $55 go for it.

[@miketambini8747]

Hey Eric, been subscribed to you for a couple months now and love this new fixing it forward series. Would you consider making the video titles on them labeled with episode and episode number instead of in this case window motor repair, for viewers and subscribers even newer than me so they know which video to start at in this series. Just a suggestion, either way love the vids. Keep up the work!

[@hardnoxgrad5763]

Excellent video again. Love it. You going all the way with the project. Please Keep doing that with all your videos. You are the best. I learn so much from you.

[@MrDannyd9]

I love this exploratory repair work. good job Eric.

[@louisjansen3520]

Great one! I also like these kind of repairs. Fiddling with it and making it work again!

[@davidscott5903]

Awesome fix! Reminds me of when I was a kid and didn't have a penny to my name, but I would take things apart that weren't working and my parents were going to throw away, and I would try to make them work again. It worked about 25% of the time. If it was dead, there was usually a circuit board involved with bad components on it. I saved some items, and the only difference with the dead ones was the number of pieces that went in the garbage. One time when I was melting plastic in my room with a soldering iron, my dad came in and started screaming at me that I was going to kill myself with the fumes. He told me to never do it in a small room because melting plastic releases cyanide gas. OOPS!😁

[@natethompson6394]

Great Video #EricTheCarGuy !! I'm surprised that you had the patience to do all that meticulous work and it paid off for you in the end. Awesome Video!

[@Joe_JesusWins_Lewis]

$0.00 parts. $200 labor. $400 JOAT experience. $200 cameraman. For everything else, there's Jesus.

[@ericthecarguy]

I get the feeling you're really going to like this one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4bPqWdnrJx_Z6c

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

EricTheCarGuy Your videos, made out of the possession of more time than sense, are even better than the rest! ;)

[@JeffsFreedomGarage]

EricTheCarGuy I just checked with my parts guy to see how much money you saved. His company sells each motor assembly for $85 plus tax. That's $180.20 for both with Michigan sales tax. I know you're not located in Michigan, but I'm sure your parts guys prices are at least similar to mine. Great information, thanks Eric. Edit : The motor I checked on was made by Dorman, not Chrysler.

[@JeffsFreedomGarage]

Eric Fixalot I didn't figure it would, but every now and again I here about someone getting a screaming deal on parts that make me think they must have "fallen of the back of a truck". Thank you for checking in your area.

[@lolzlarkin3059]

This was like a strange trial and error BOLTR +AvE video. Congrats on getting it working. Be interested to see how long it lasts.

[@edwardlongshanks8475]

Zero/low cost fixes like this are always the most satisfying. Plus you learn quite a bit about the innards of supposedly "non-serviceable" parts.

[@silverstreaksgarage7370]

19:42 Proper pinky position for 2 o clock tea. Actually that was an awesome video, love the $0 fixes.

[@jetjazz05]

The range switch (neutral safety switch) went in my Wife's 2000 Saab 9-3, had to take it out of the vehicle, drill out the 12 little plastic welds that held it together, clean it out good inside, and then I pretty much packed it with dielectric grease. I didn't glue it back together though, I actually used little stainless steel M2 screws and bolts lol. Now it's 100% serviceable for the next time! Also that part is $350 new, so I was more than glad to disassemble and clean it.

[@socalRooster]

Same wing motor in my van now I know how to fix them if they fail thanks Eric👍

[@aor3200]

Great work eric! This is awesome. Good for enviroment fixing old units.

[@erics9213]

Eric, Instead of rushing into a transmission rebuild, suggest you do a video on running some diagnostics that pinpoint the bad area in the trans. It could be just within the valve body, solenoid pack, torque converter, etc. I like this video on the rear vent windows.

[@ericthecarguy]

Eric S If you can, check out some of the latest pics I've posted to my social media. I think you'll agree that the trans cannot be saved.

[@38911bytefree]

EricTheCarGuy Can you do a brief vid about your findingds on this tranny ? would be wonderful. Just and slide presentation and some speech about what you have seen, for me is far enough., Make me curious. Cheers and great repair, guess no one go that far to fix a car part like in this video.

[@CMDRSweeper]

Eric S Eric mentioned he had posted some on Facebook, if you have problems viewing facebook due to NoScript or other issues, here is a direct link to the picture I could find: scontent-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11204995_10152892344157843_7531409642576223544_n.jpg?oh=9511390f92dc20dfb35050341eaa7ab7&oe=55D56123

[@38911bytefree]

Many thanks. I have no access. Still dont know what is wrong about it, is that residue or dirtiness the issue. Is neglected oil or just friction material. Thanks !!!

[@am529]

38911bytefree Did you not see all the small metal particles? That transmission is toast.

[@Erated78]

Great video Eric, took a bit of time but easily repaired! Thanks.

[@ShaunMMX]

Awesome video Eric, just sometime as simple as cleaning contacts saved a few hundred bucks. I know I helped my friend with his 08 Eclipes GT V6 with replacing the fog lights and getting it done at a the dealership or a shop would of cost us at least at least $800 for just a pair of fog lights that only took an hour to replace them.

[@supercoupe6288]

good deal, hard to believe contacts that conduct electrical current can cause enough dirty residue to stop the contact from working but it does.

[@johnsmith-sw7ii]

Great job Eric!! I have repaired many tiny motors this way and if its beyond repair try Surplus Shed. They carry many small replacement motors at reasonable prices so you can just get a motor instead of paying big bucks from the dealership for the whole part.

[@aigoru8718]

I love this kind of work. It makes you feel whole.

[@gweedomurray9923]

Eric, Buddy ! I can tell you had wicked good fun on this one. Your camera work and vid quality is AWESOME ! Thanks, Brian. ;-) - Will the audio/vid "quality on the every other week's questions and answers program ever get better ? I like your stuffed critters.

[@WiseWik]

now this was an absolutely amazing repair job! not what a flat-rate mechanic would do, eh Eric? :) great vid. more of these please.

[@boherrmannsen8219]

as for reassemble i would drill out all the way through and use a bolt and lock nut.... easy to take apart if needed :-D

[@francistheodorecatte]

Exactly what I do. I don't have much money, but I have lots of time. I rebuild before I replace when at all possible, and sometimes when not.

[@ItalianStallion1415]

Saved about $82 in parts nice job!

[@TCJC1213]

bravoyour the man. good job just saved 99.9 percent on my repairs cost.

[@February54]

My electric door lock actuator started behaving erratically, so I hunted the problem down to a faulty motor. The whole actuator is $50. I dug around and found a almost perfect match motor on ebay for $5. No problems since. And I saved $45!

[@ScottPC]

This is the sort of mad stuff I end up doing haha. Great job!

[@wo-olf]

Nice Eric, will try this on my parents car as well. Thanks for the tip.

[@luiscruz-zr2hz]

saludos con afecto,muy agradecido por tu gran aportación,gracias (pdta ¿que voltaje maneja tu control de corriente? )por tu tiempo gracias

[@teardowndan5364]

Many electronic/electrical repairs can be surprisingly cheap when you know what you are doing and do not mind spending some time on it. Sometimes, electronic repairs can be as simple as adding or replacing a $0.10 capacitor to save a $200 device.

[@ratbag359]

dirty combars glad you fixed em. that little component you called a resistor is a capacitor.

[@bobweiss8682]

It was hard to see, but it may have been a "polyswitch", generically called a PTC thermistor. A capacitor would be across the motor terminals to filter out noise. A polyswitch would be in series with the motor to limit motor current when the motor is driven into the stops at end of travel.

[@bartoszjabonski4228]

Bob Weiss nah, this is capacitor

[@xxRamD3yruxx]

its a capacitor to give the motor ooph to overcome the static friction of the window

[@bobweiss8682]

xxRamD3yruxxNope. If it is a capacitor, it is there to filter out high frequency noise generated by the motor brushes. That cap is WAY too small to act as a source of starting power for the motor. Start and Run capacitors are sometimes used on AC motors, not little DC motors like this. Even there, they act as phase shifters, not a source of starting energy.

[@xxRamD3yruxx]

Bob Weiss how does it filter sound? that's intresting. I'll look it up.

[@shepshepherd]

Free repairs are always the best repairs :)

[@AGuysGarage]

Good stuff as always, i have been known to do this to certain motorized things that go bad. Whenever they have gears i take them off can clean the teeth out with a brush. but its probably overkill for most applications. i just do it because it seems like the thing to do lol. then a little contact cleaner where the motor is energized just in case. THumbs up and great job.

[@JGonYT]

Eric, you should have used a little Dremel felt pad on the motor contact. The brushes will wear faster on the roughened surface. Your repair will probably outlast the rest of the van though :-)

[@jazzyglobe]

Excellent work Eric. Well done dude.

[@moneygeewtee]

Nice job Eric! It'd be nice to know who's suggestion that came from, give them a lil shout out, maybe a t-shirt or hat. Again, great job. Take care.

[@DJDevon3]

moneygeewtee Agreed. How much money did that viewer suggestion just save the owner? The person that suggested it doesn't even get mentioned by name. I remember when he would mention people that sent in stuff for the FATR and that wasn't even saving anyone money. Come on Eric.

[@mehine2]

***** I gave the suggestion after reconditioning my 02 Subaru Legacy rear wiper motor (that came apart a lot easier). A month later still works like a charm. BTW when I had a 626 I watched your videos & from there I found my way to Eric's channel. Both been a lot of help.

[@brendanssound]

lol that "I have more time then sense at the moment" comment.. story of my life man

[@randalldalton5475]

Very well done! Outstanding job!!!!!

[@aserta]

Moisture seized the shaft, the brushes ate at the copper then the motor seized as well. It's funny how the whole unit was designed to be serviceable then at the last moment because they were too lazy to undo that they just got the whole thing sealed shut with plastic.

[@laohantun7404]

I went to that far as well before. Really fun, satisfied.

[@AlexCesare]

These in 60 FPS are amazing.

[@MattsMotorz]

AWESOME video! Love repairs like this!

[@eggboy1987]

The best repair ever!! is the one that cost you nothing!! :)

[@bucksback3086]

Cool. Now that I know about this, when I go to replace mine. I'll keep/clean the old ones and have them on hand if ever the New ones fail. What was that plastic sealer again? Q-Bond was it?

[@theguire]

Dude! Awesome. Yah, it looks easy. We'll see how "rewarding" it is after I take a crack at it. I have been such a bonehead on my repairs lately.

[@stinkycheese804]

4 things, 1) 1000 grit sandpaper then metal polish will clean fine, or steel wool but make sure no tiny thread of wool are left behind. 2) You should have put 1/4 drop of oil on each motor bearing while it was open! 3) That electronic component on the back of the motor is probably a motor start/run capacitor, not a resistor. 4) Instead of melting it apart or drilling through the traditional way, grind off only the tops of the studs so they are flush with the surface, then pry it apart. Now you can just drill much smaller holes in the studs and use screws, adding washers if needed, to reassemble. You could still use Q-Bond, or superglue, or epoxy, etc, but using screws makes it more serviceable in the future.

[@mostlymoparih5682]

He came, he saw, he conquered er ah repaired. Good fix thanks.

[@GarthGoldberg]

I saw it on the side of the motor, those famous words, and explanation for it all, "Made in China."

[@jamesmskipper]

While I'm here I'll just mention that the solonoid contacts are easy to replace on Chrysler starters. I think that burned contacts are usually the first starting problem that shows up on those old vans.

[@Dcs-Brasil]

Thumbs up for you Eric! Good work as usual!

[@hellcat1988]

That Q-bond looks remarkably like the super glue trick used to repair the bridge on old guitars. I'm guessing it's not very different.