Topic: Broken door handle....one thing leads to another

[Craig]

I want to fix the broken passenger door handle, but the window motor seems to be frozen with the window in the up position, so I can't get to it. I probably should just wait until I tear the car apart for a repaint, but I have a few questions:

Can the window be lowered with a frozen motor?
Has anyone rebuilt the motor, or do I just buy a new one?
Same with the power lock actuator, can they be rebuilt, or buy another?
Where do I find the rivets to hold these in place? They aren't like the typical rivets.

Thanks.

[LOMILETA]

Just buy new, they are not that expensive. The window has to be up to get to the door handle anyways,  there is not alot of room to work so take it slow.

[Craig]

I did the drivers handle over the weekend and for me it was easier to do the handle with the window down.

[Hitman]

When I do the handles and the locks I take the window OUT.  New power window motors are about $180, lock actuators you can get for about $50.

[Craig]

Where do you find actuators and window motors that cheap? I've seen $82 for the actuator and $200 for the drivers motor, GM not aftermarket. No GM passenger motor.

[Tbird]

I can get aftermarket window motor here for the passanger side for $56.46 + 5.00 core charge.

[Craig]

Is it OK to do aftermarket? I ususally go OE if available.

[Tbird]

If you are trying to keep it original go with factory parts but if you are just going to drive it you could do aftermarket because no one will see it behind the panel. Its your choice.

[Craig]

I'm just going to drive it, but I've had less than good luck with aftermarket parts.

[Hitman]

For stuff like this (and we had this conversation in another post) like the lock actualtors, like was said above, they are inside the door and no one ever sees them, so why not go with the aftermarket.  If you are a stickler for GM parts and want to go that way, then you can get the GM parts that are expensive like you already have found out.  The power windows motors for $180 are GM, but the actuators for $50 are aftermarket.

[Craig]

As long as the aftermarket stuff functions like the GM parts, then I have no problem. I just haven't had good luck when I stray from origianl parts, but that's with German cars.

I haven't been around the TA market to have seen the parts go up. Expensive is a door panel for my BMW 2002 that costs almost $400 PER SIDE!!