I have a 1999 F150, short wheel base, single cab with power windows. The passenger side window quit coming down. I can hear the relay click and the door light dims when I push the switch, but no movement. I am almost convinced the window got "baked" onto the rubber gaskets, but not sure.
Manual says to remove glass, you have to lower the glass to get to the two bolts. However, I can't lower the glass.
Will I be able to lower the glass if I remove the motor? That is a pain, since the motor bolts are not accessible and the manual says to drill out 3/4 inch holes using a hole saw at the two dimples. Really great. They intentionally left it so you could not work on it but were kind enough to dimple the metal to tell you where to drill to fix their screwup.
On other Fords, once I removed the motor, the glass moved easily, and I espect this to work the same, but figured I would try to find someone that has worked on one and get their input. The motor may be bad and if I go to all this trouble, I will replace it anyway, but if the glass is just frozen, it would be a waste.
Any other ideas about how to get the glass down?
Thanks.

 

Here's a video that shows you how to get at the window regulator. I figured it would help you out to see how everything comes apart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GsxS...el_video_title

 

open the door, put one hand on outside and one on inside of window and squeeze and pull down while your wife pushes the button on drivers door console.. will work if its stuck.

 

Thanks Tony and Steve. I had seen the video but it only covers a manual window opener and does not show removing a window motor. I tried to get the window to come down as you described, but it won't budge. It won't even wiggle, which makes me believe it is fried to the seals all the way around. Now I am looking for a 3/4 inch hole saw to drill out the door to get at the window motor. Never used a hole saw on metal before and don't think the ones I have will cut it. Auto store had nothing to help either. Have to go to hardware store later today. I thought about removing the regulator because then I could probably just pull out the regulator with the window motor attached. However, without being able to get the window down, I can't get to the two bolts holding the regulator to the window glass. Starting to look like I have no choice but to drill out the door and get the window motor out first. Bummer.

 

The video is for a power window. But they must have removed the motor first, but didn't show that removal in the video.

Drilling holes at the dimples is no big deal. Ford first set up door panels that way about 1970. The holes just need to be big enough to pass the shell of the socket needed. A 3/4" hole sounds awful big! I don't think I have ever drilled out much more than 3/8" or so. Certainly not above 1/2". I always did it with a drill bit.

Don't remove a non-cable-operated power window regulator unless absolutely necessary. I think the video was linked to just give you an idea about how it worked.

You could have a stuck motor. It will draw high current being stuck (the dome light dims), but won't turn. Often, when a stuck P/W motor is pulled out, it will run OK bare using a 12 v battery or battery charger as a power source. And if put back in, it may indeed work again... and then get stuck again. So for the labor involved and the flexing of aging plastic panels, I always replace a stuck motor. NO REBUILTS!

With the motor out, you should be able to move the window down as steve suggests, just by hand power. Don't drop it down. Duct tape it back up over the top edge of the door to hold it for re-assembly.

 

Thanks! That is exactly what I was looking for. Drilling out even a 1/2 inch hole is no big deal. Drilling out a 3/4 inch hole is another matter, especially trying to use a hole saw drilling through metal. I'll try the smaller hole and see if that works.
I think you are also right on the motor. If the window moves freely after I pull the motor, I will just replace the motor. If the window is really stuck, I may try the old motor again.
I am going to try and loosen the window (after I have the motor out) by using the same trick they use to remove back and front window glass. I think I can run a thin piece of wire around the window to loosen it from the seals. Have to make sure the wire wraps around the window edge, and does not cut the seals in half, or I'm going to be replacing seals. I hate to use wire, but can't think of anything else thin enough and strong enough to work. I am actually hoping the motor is bad, and when I remove it the window will just drop down.

 

New issue. I followed the service manual and drilled out the two dimples. Sure enough, found the small screws and removed them. Motor would not budge. Looked online at the replacement motors and realized there should be 3 screws holding them motor on. Drilled out another hole in the door where the third screw should be, and sure enough, found a third screw. Removed it. Motor still won't budge. What am I missing? Window is still jammed shut. Is the motor possible in a bind? I thought by removing the screws, the motor should automatically loosen up and drop out. I'm stuck. Literally. Thanks for any help you can give.

 

When you run the window up tight to close it, and the window stops going up, then you release the window switch an instant later. The motor stalls when the glass goes up tight. So the motor, gear, regulator, and window glass are under pressure.

In the previous generation of trucks, you can see the upper door frame actually flex a bit when you run the window up tight. So we're talking about some pressure here.

You will have to pry or tap your motor out. Take a look in there with a mirror and light if needed, to see which way the motor case needs to go to clear to have its output gear disengage the big partial gear on the regulator assembly. Either towards the outside skin of the door, or towards the cabin.

I used to know this from many Ford motors over the years... Hmmm... the ones with self-tapping screws INTO the motor case went one way to come out (towards the door outer skin?).
And the ones with screws that PASSED THROUGH a clearance hole in the motor case went the other way to come out (towards the cabin?).

Yeah, I think that's it. But look first before prying or tapping.

Edit:
If it has self-tapping screws INTO the motor, then to move it out towards the outer door skin, use a big round flat punch or something to put through each drilled hole to press on the motor boss that the screw went into, and give it a rap with a hammer, move to the next hole and do it again, etc, for all 3 holes. It should come loose.

If it has the THROUGH HOLES in the motor case, then the only way to get the motor to move towards the cabin side of the door is to get inside there and pry. Pry from both front and then back, alternately, if possible. These were the harder ones to get out because of the limited access to pry.

 

That makes sense. It has self tapping screws into the motor, which clearly means the motor has to go towards the outer skin of the door. I will try to tap it out this evening. I was just concerned because it did not budge at all when I pressed on it and I thought that maybe I was missing another screw. I'll let you know what happens! Thanks.

 

Just a follow-up. I tapped the motor with a screwdriver right where the screws were holding it and it fell right out. Did not have to "hit" it, but just a tap. Thanks for the advice. It worked great. It turns out that my regulator was dry. I greased it up with some new light grease, including the gears that meshed with the motor, reinstalled the motor, and it works great. Didn't cost me anything but a few heated words trying to get the holes drilled and get the motor out. I love this forum! Great advice! Thanks!

 

That's great! Thanks for the update.

Many times new/few posters on car and truck websites post a problem, and board members try to help, and then we never hear from them again. So we don't find out what worked and what didn't, which sometimes makes us and want to posters like that.

But you followed up. We thank you!