Cadillac Window regulators!! 2 in 2 days!!!

[UncleRunkle]

Like the title says, my wifes 01' cady deville recently dropped both passenger side window regulators in two days!! I have a comprehensive extended warranty so its $100 bucks a pop at the caddy dealer instead of the $495 without a warranty. I looked around on ebay and I could get a cheapo chinese made regualtor for $90 shipped and change it myself, but the OEM from the dealer comes with a 12mo 12,000mi warranty.

Does anybody know what it is about these regulators that causes them to fail so often? The service records with the car indicate that both the rear regulators had been previously replaced, and the service manager said they replace about 3 a day!! Is there some inherent design flaw in these regulators (sure seems that way)? Does anyone know of some way to fix/modify a functioning regulator to prolong it lifespan?

 

[Quest]

IMHO not a design flaw but quality issues to begin with. Even something as prestige as Caddy line of products, there's still signs of beancounters at play when it comes to quality.

So, you feeling better now?

Q.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: UncleRunkle
$495 without a warranty. I looked around on ebay and I could get a cheapo chinese made regualtor for $90 shipped and change it myself, but the OEM from the dealer comes with a 12mo 12,000mi warranty.


Do you think that they aren't identical parts from the same source?

Other than being sure everything is well aligned, clean where it's supposed to be clean and lubed where it's supposed to be lubed, there isn't much you can do.

 

[kokopelli]

It's just not Caddys... it's all of GM, it seems. My mom's s10 blazer had both driver and passneger side replaced, and the ones in my Pontiac are giving out, and will probably need replacement soon.

 

[mechtech2]

Everybody's power window systems fail.
Trying to open frozen windows in winter often speeds up this process.
I avoid power windows on my cars. Sooner or later, they break.

 

[punisher]

Oh, Fords as well. Ford upgraded their cable operated regulators at least 5 times on CV/GM/TC models. It wasn't uncommon to break a window regulator in the shop while rolling the window up/down.

One of our service managers was fresh from a Caddy dealership and he said "same stuff, different brand".

 

[XS650]

Uncle, Check this out
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cad...pair-howto.html
Refurbished regulators for $180 or a free do-it-yourself fix.

Also always check the online GM dealers for parts prices. gmpartsdirect.com is a good one. I've had good service from them and parts that list for a couple of hundred or more are usually about 60% of list delivered to my house. New GM regulators are $260 including shipping from there.

 

[MrCritical]

You can get ready for the other windows to fail as well, and after that get ready to replace the one's you've already replaced again. Same thing in Buick Lesabres.

 

[ThirdeYe]

My mom's window motor appears to be dying in her '03 Malibu on the passenger side, the one that's rarely used. My window motors in my '95 Integra are both original though, and go up and down nice and quick

 

[GMBoy]

Yep, bad design. I used to own a 2001 Olds Aurora 4.0 that had both rear regulators go out. Really sucked because when they broke the cable inside just unspooled and thus the window fell down and would not stay up - so I had to remove the door pad and prop it up. The second failure I had to wait 3 weeks because the parts were on natinal backorder. The regulator part was shared with Lesabre, Grand Prix etc and probably your DeVille. Absolute pain in the rear for sure.

However - VW also had a regulator problem with the Jettas - but it was even worse because it effected all 4 windows! I remember 2 friends of mine with their Jetta windows falling down. It was a clip issue. One Jetta was a 2000 and one was a 2001.

 

[UncleRunkle]

I don't belive the comment about the ford dealership...before I bought my Jag and the wife's caddy all we'd ever owned were fords and my parents have owned fords most of my life and I can't ever remeber a power window failure in any of them. Same for most of my co-workers with Japanese/korean cars. The only ford regulator issue I know of is the regulator in my Jag/and lincoln LS/Ford Thunderbird...they all shared a common regulator upon introduction but ford quickly (well a couple of years later) introduced an upgraded replacement.