Left rear Window will not operate

[SurfingBonnedriver]

Key in accessory position, I have 12.6 vDC on one terminal and ~3.4 vDC+/- on the other with the ground clip on the door frame when the rear window button is pushed forward, voltages reverse when pushed backwards. I can hear the relay clicking in the module. Appears that both the switches and the module are good. Regulator slides up and down when motor is removed, albeit needing some lubing.

Bad motor, or current flow issue? Is the motor grounded to the vehicle frame, or does the door control module just reverse polarity on the motor with one hot/one ground?

Thoughts from the group?

Also hate to say this, but will be selling my '01 SLE soon. Found a Subaru Outback, and you cannot fit a 9'2" longboard in a Bonneville.

Another question, how on earth do you get the dadgum lumbar star wheel off the left side of the drivers seat so the seat cover can be removed for repair?

<bump>

[SurfingBonnedriver]

bump, really need an answer on getting the star wheel adjusting knob off the driver side seat.

[SurfingBonnedriver]

BINGO!
Note, before you go out and buy a new window motor, apparently Pontiac did not learn their lesson on the 2001 Bonneville, same problem as my 2006 Torrent. I swapped in the new AC Delco window motor, hit the switch, NADA. Cussed for a few minutes then pulled out the multi-meter and began tracing continuity. Found the broken wire in the accordion conduit between the door and the B-Pillar. Ground wire was broken and the insulation gone in another place a couple inches downline. Orange hot feed insulation broken in two places, same as the ground. Pulled the harness out of the door, pulled the clip out holding the pins in the bulkhead harness, butt spliced the ground back together, did not have an extra piece of #12 black to solder in, then slipped a piece of marine grade heat shrink over both the ground and the orange hot and sealed the whole thing up. Yes, marine grade heat shrink oozes sealant when shrunk. Then wrapped the whole harness in Scotch #33 tape and reinstalled. Folks this is the same issue I had with the front passenger door of my 06 Torrent and the driver side was on the way there. See pics.

[ddalder]

It looks good, but you may run into a new problem in the future. Because of the butt splice(s) and all the tape, the harness is going to be very rigid in the flexible conduit, right at the point where it needs to have some flexibility to bend. Part of the reason the insulation split as shown in your picture is because of becoming brittle over time. The method I've used in the past is to get a 6-8" new piece of the correct gauge wire with a connector terminal and splice it in such that the entire piece in the rubber flexible conduit is continuous. If a terminal is not available, try to splice as close to the connector as possible at the one end and inside the door at the other. Very good suggestion on the heat shrink tubing with adhesive. This is the only type that should be used wherever moisture may be present. I personally despise butt splices and in all the years I've worked on electrical projects, the half dozen times I did use them I only used a very specific type.

[SurfingBonnedriver]

Wish I had thought of that, replaceable link, brilliant. I plan on selling the car. Will disclose the repair to the new owner as well as a warning in case one of the other three doors go. I might actually go back into this and correct it. I prefer twist and solder personally, but needed to get this going for time sake. Actually put a piece split loom on the Torrent when I fixed it. Just something to keep the chafe down.

[ddalder]

I prefer to twist, solder and heat shrink also because in many repairs I feel this is the "gold standard". In this instance the gauge of the wire does make it a little more challenging when working in tighter confines. GM uses a few types of splices in wiring harnesses, one that I quite like for something like this. Work will make it difficult to post pics for a couple of days but I will add some primarily for interest of yourself or anyone else that runs across the thread.

[SurfingBonnedriver]

This repair was not done in "tight confines". I actually pulled the whole harness out of the door and took it inside to the workbench. Pix were taken with harness on the hood of the car. I also cleaned up the taping along the harness that had come loose over time. Lastly, the door molding with the vinyl cover on the outside of the window, I shaved what was left of the vinyl wrap off with a utility knife, sanded to 320 to remove rust, primed and overcoated with Rustoleum satin black. Pix on next post.

[ddalder]

What I mean by tight confines is that there is only a very short distance between where you may want to spice (close to the connector body) and where the wire needs some flexibility as it passes through the rubber boot. I agree that space to do the repair in this case isn't the problem because disconnecting the harness for access is quite easy. With the splices I'm referring to, you can limit the width of the splice to about 1/2" versus a standard butt splice which will definitely intrude into the rubber boot much further.