[Slide81]

Last night we were at the drive-in, had all the windows down on the 03 Malibu LS, but my wife said she was getting cold, so I start to roll them up one at a time and get to the driver's rear window and hear a snap, then the window slowly sinks into the door and stops in the usual position. It will not move under motor power. I can only manually pull it up about 1/2 way then it slides back down... HELP!

I've never had a car with power windows before and I don't even know where to start with it. I have the door skin off the car already [2 bolts and 1 Phillips screw] the weather shield pulled back and...I have no idea where to go with it now. The motor still spins, but the window does nothing.

 

[Sly Bob]

The window may have broken from the track. The easiest fix would be to go to the auto recyclers and get a used one. You may have to drill out rivets that hold the regulator in the door and bolt in the new one.

It may also be a broken guide that attaches the window to the regulator. From the auto recyclers you will get everything you need. Now that you have the door panel off, you should be able to see what is broken.

It's an easy fix.

 

[Slide81]

Problem I have is that the motor works fine, but the metal cable on the guide snapped.

 

[Slide81]

And there are no known auto recyclers for 3 hours drive from here.

 

[Sly Bob]

You are going to have to get it apart so you can take the broken part somewhere to get it replaced. Calling around to auto parts stores would be a good place to start.

 

[Slide81]

Chevy stealer-ship quoted me "$313.98" to replace it....this is after I had already removed the regulator and motor WTH?

So I went over to Advance Auto and learned something interesting. According to the people there, they use the same "regulator" for the front and rear, so there is only ONE style per side. They don't list them for the rears. So here's hoping they're not lying through their teeth. The cable on my regulator is rather kinked and frayed from being wrapped around the pulley/motor. So I guess I'll carry on with replacing it. Parts cost me a total of $69 and change....a far cry from GM's 300+ or even $104.xx from gmpartsdirect.com .

 

[bballr4567]

Hate to tell you this but get at least a GOOD replacement or you will be back in the window within a year or so. Also while you have it apart, put down some grease on the tracks to make it easier on the window motor.

GM made notoriously weak power window units in all their cars from that design era.

 

[Slide81]

Honestly, I could probably restring the one I've got, but, the kinks in the wire make me feel that it now has too many weak points to be useful. I'm still not sure how the wire wrapped around the motor....but either way, we'll see.

 

[Slide81]

A friend in FL found a wrecked 97 Malibu with 152,000 on the odo. He pulled the regulator for me and had full intent to buy it until the guy at the checkout told him $40 plus core. Ebay here I come...

 

[OnDaGround]

Core? What the hell for? There is no value to a broken regulator. Go to a junk yard and pull one out. Regulators are not cheap btw. Some manufacturers have a kit, others you have to replace the cables and the lifter assembly. I would go to a JY, but that's my opinion.

 

[Slide81]

Core? What the hell for? There is no value to a broken regulator. Go to a junk yard and pull one out. Regulators are not cheap btw. Some manufacturers have a kit, others you have to replace the cables and the lifter assembly. I would go to a JY, but that's my opinion.

Brand new $62.xx shipped to the door. It's installed and working, but I'm not trusting it. The first test, it went all the way down without a hitch, but when I tried to lift it I heard a pop and the guide was out of the bottom of the window. I don't know what to think.

 

[nienburg]

Did you replace the motor? If so, did you have to drill out rivets? I have an 03, and found instructions here http://www.justanswer.com/questions/1vyxn-replace-2002-malibu-driver for an 02 (I have an 03) and it does not mention drilling out rivets. However, everyone I talk to says you have to drill them out.

Just curious before I accidentally damage my car haha.

Any insight would be much appreciated

Kevin

 

[Slide81]

On the driver's REAR window, no, there are no rivets. Two 7mm bolts and a #2 Phillips head screw hold the door skin on in the rear [the rest is plastic pop clips], once that is off and out of the way [electrical plug too] it's four 10mm bolts holding the regulator/motor assembly. And if I remember right there's 3 T10 torx screws holding the motor to the assembly. But GM only ships the motor with the regulator...

 

[zpilot]

I had a RR window problem with my Maxx, I eventually found that the Malibu regulator assembly has a plastic pin that goes through the window to attach it to the regulator. In my case the plastic pin had broken, $15. from a GM dealer, (dealer only item). Not knowing what the problem was in the beginning, I ordered a replacement regulator from Ebay on the net for only $35. This was new in the box and a GM part. I suggest that you check Ebay for a replacement first. By the way in my case the front and rear are totally different, I suspect the same for you, so be ware.

 

[Slide81]

I had a RR window problem with my Maxx, I eventually found that the Malibu regulator assembly has a plastic pin that goes through the window to attach it to the regulator. In my case the plastic pin had broken, $15. from a GM dealer, (dealer only item). Not knowing what the problem was in the beginning, I ordered a replacement regulator from Ebay on the net for only $35. This was new in the box and a GM part. I suggest that you check Ebay for a replacement first. By the way in my case the front and rear are totally different, I suspect the same for you, so be ware.

The fronts are miserable SOB's to deal with on the 03's, they have to be drilled out if I read correctly. The rears are 4 bolts and 3 screws. I'm wondering if there's a pin of some sort that holds it to the window lift. Mine popped out of the little guide at the bottom of the window the first two times I tried it.

 

[SuperDuty1]

2015 Malibu 4300 miles and July 2015 had the rear window explode at 55mph with a hole below the satellite antenna. At 5900 miles the sun roof shattered and stayed in tact. GM says it was defective glass. What's next??
The car was sitting and I took several pictures to show it wasn't hit, just cracked totally. The dealer had me drive it in and in the process it blew apart causing scratches on a 3 month old car. Dealer refused along with GM to touch up the paint. Good thing I was smart enough to wear safety goggles. Angie upon discovering it was broken, got 4 small punctures in her hand, but when she said she didn't need medical attention, they blew it off.
On the rear window, Angie had called the police thinking the car had been shot, and again McClinton Chevrolet and GM blew it off and we paid for the new glass ourselves.
We now see what appears to be small air bubbles in the side window glass and am waiting with pictures to see if anyone has problems with that.
If anyone hears or has this happen, please post.
Tom Graham

 

[DrivenDaily]

2015 Malibu 4300 miles and July 2015 had the rear window explode at 55mph with a hole below the satellite antenna. At 5900 miles the sun roof shattered and stayed in tact. GM says it was defective glass. What's next??
The car was sitting and I took several pictures to show it wasn't hit, just cracked totally. The dealer had me drive it in and in the process it blew apart causing scratches on a 3 month old car. Dealer refused along with GM to touch up the paint. Good thing I was smart enough to wear safety goggles. Angie upon discovering it was broken, got 4 small punctures in her hand, but when she said she didn't need medical attention, they blew it off.
On the rear window, Angie had called the police thinking the car had been shot, and again McClinton Chevrolet and GM blew it off and we paid for the new glass ourselves.
We now see what appears to be small air bubbles in the side window glass and am waiting with pictures to see if anyone has problems with that.
If anyone hears or has this happen, please post.
Tom Graham

Get a lawyer!

 

[bary]

one day I was riding with my wife ( not Angie) In her VW a block from home and the pass window suddenly shattered I was in the pass seat ! I yell at my wife to stop the car . i get out and start looking back an forth thinking someone had shot at the car ( people I do not live in an inner city area and I carry a loaded 9 on me most of the time because it is my second amendment right to do so ) if not for the after market tint on the window I would have been eating glass ,I run off looking for a person that is not here and my wife calls the cops . I need to explain I live in a " village " that is 2.2 miles in square area and I know the mayor very well and the police chief . the police station is just down the street at he light we just passed . by the time the cops come ( for a call of shots fired at a car ) 30 seconds latter . the cop in his hurry went to where my wife was at the car and passed by me . I saw nothing and no body . so I see the cop talking with my wife as i head back up to where she stopped . the cop is looking at the window and said he sees this all the time where a window will suddenly just break . if you were in the car you would have sworn some one just shoot at you . they just do not make glass as good as they should ! and this was her car not mine