Front Passenger window problem....goes down but not up.

[srebik]

My friend owns a 2001 pt cruiser and since he's more tech savy for computers always asks me about car problems.

The other day he was driving on the freeway and his passenger side front window stopped working.
Stopped working properly, then got stuck and now is fully opened.
says he hears a grinding noise when trying to roll the window up and nothing happens.

He also took it to pep boys to have them look at it. Apparently they told him its a window regulator, this was my first guess without actually seeing the window myself. Apparently they qouted him 205+labor to fix it.

I've started reading threads on windows and it seems that the dash mounted swtich fails quite often on these vehicles....but also many people with that problem don't mention a grinding sound...just nothing happening.

I'm going to assume its not a fuse since he doesn't seem to be having any problems with the other windows and it sounds like power is reachng the passenger window.

should I look into the switch first if he wanted me to try and fix it?

Or do you think based on the noise its right away the regulator?

If it is a regulator are the window regulators from the rear windows/doors interchangable with the window regulators in the front windows/doors?

[Chromenut]

Forget the switch, it's not going to be the issue unless he burned it out trying to raise the window after it failed. I can tell you that it could be several issues but most likely it'll be the regulator, lift motor, or guide. Friend of mine, Denny, over at Cruiser Parts Warehouse has several for sale now, used but at really good prices.

Mind you, he needs to pop off his door panel and remove the plastic liner so that he can get in the door and see what the problem is. It's not that difficult, but I'd say go invest $3 in a panel removal tool at Advance Auto or AutoZone, or any big auto parts store. You will save the plastic clips/plugs and not tear your door panels up. Once he gets in it, he needs to take a flashlight and watch the track, motor and regulator. He'll be able to tell pretty quickly where the trouble lies. Sometimes it's easier to see in there using a small handheld mirror.

Denny has some pretty good parts you can look at, here's the one that includes the bottom track, regulator and motor, and it's only $45.
01-05 PT CRUISER PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW MOTOR AND REGULATOR -- OEM | eBay

Good luck and let us know how it goes. If you want to speak to Denny directly, just let me know and I'll send you his email address.

[srebik]

If I tried going to junkyard would neon regulators work as well?
is there an interchangeable regulator assuming I can't find a pt with one left in it?
are rear regulators interchanageable with front regulators? I imagine that passenger and driver regulators are pspecific to teh side they are mounted on but just curious about the possiblity of moving a rear to the front and vise versa.

[epaphroditus]

Take the switch out and clean the terminals...then try it again before going deeper....avoid extra work. I made the mistake of taking the door panel off..now I don't know how to get the cables back in...geeeeee!

[Retrofn]

Our 2001 did just this too. I bought a used center master switch off ebay for $20.00. The center switch pops right out if you get a flat bladed screw driver in behind the edge. Then just unclip the eletical and put new switch on. By far the easiest way. Our windows made no noise, they just wouldnt go up or down.