[1337f0x]

Below is an actual picture of my car. The colour lines represent a few questions I've got.http://i39.tinypic.com/ka2ykp.png

First off, recently I bought a new door (picking it up on Saturday) - the aqua blue represents a gap in my window - because my door is misalligned, can I reuse this window or am I better off using the window on the new door I'm purchasing?

The green area represents how much of my car has terrible body filler in various parts of it, and my question with regards to that (minus the door area since i got a new door) is - how will this effect painting my bird. Should I try to find fenders, go to a professional body shop and see if they can help me? (difficulty finding fenders right now)

The pink part, represents a ripped off piece of the liner that goes around the window and it looks like poop. I don't like it, and I want to fix it somehow. Do they sell this thick liner somewhere? If so, where? Can someone provide me with a link?

Unrelated to the diagram question - I'm also having difficulty with finding a headlight motor at a decent price, the guy whose selling me the door said he had one, but then e-mailed back saying he can't find it right now. In the event he doesn't. I'd like an affordable headlight motor (d/s)


THANKS EVERYONE =)

[TransAmer99]

Hi, Alana. The window issue may be due to a mechanism misalignment. You say there is excess body filler - was the car hit? If so, the window mechanism may be binding or the motor may be shot. Sometimes, windows stop working due to pinched wires or too much resistance on the circuit. Make sure you have the properly-rated fuse that controls that circuit. I read somewhere how an owner bypassed the normal harness and ran a dedicated, fused wire from the battery to the window switch and on to the window motor to solve his issue. Not saying that will fix your problem, but just throwing that out there. If your replacement door has a working window, that should also solve your problem - just make certain to properly align the door. If the body is sprung, that will create problems for any door alignment.

If you are going to have the car painted (presuming you're not trying to DIY), any competant body shop will be able to smoothe down - or remove and reapply - the body filler and prime it prior to painting the car. Realize that the majority of the outer panels are plastic or fiberglass - and any paint products used will need flex agents included to prevent cracking and orange peel from occurring.

The body shop would also be the best place to fix the 'liner'. Frome the small size of the picture, I'm not exactly sure whether you are referring to the edgine on the hatch, the 'hoop' over the roof or something inside the car.

Are you sure the headlight motor is bad. Nine times out of ten, it is the nylon gear that has been ground down that leads to the failure. The quick fix is to remove the gear and flip it - the gear rotates less than 180 degrees for operation and leaves the reverse side unused. The permanent fix is to replace the nylon gears with bronze ones. There are links on this site for that issue.

[1337f0x]

Hey Jim, thanks for all the information you provided me.

The car was hit –PRIOR to my purchasing it. I got a really good pricing deal on it for theexterior condition being my only issue and for the kms/mileage on it. Under thehood was fine (minus a wiring issue/compressor). So with all that being said,knowing about the d/s hit issue, I still purchased it. I’m saying the door isn’taligned because when I close it, I hear a clunky close sound, unlike my p/sside that closes smoothly. In addition, the window on my d/s sometimes needshelp being brought up if I open it all the way – I think this also has to dowith the hit it received. I don’t know the extent of the accident, but fromwhere the body filler is, it was a high-impact hit from either a PU or anotherhigh up vehicle.
I don’t plan ondoing a DIY like I did with my Sunfire, and although my Sunfire came outextremely nice with no chips thereafter, I’m no professional and that job wasjust for fun. This is a 100% serious fix-up project for my spring time to getit ready for road trips in the summer. So if I replace the door only, and juststick to the body filler on the fenders (let’s say a professional does it forme and knows what he’s doing) – I should be fine in that area as long as heuses the right stuff?

The body shop I’mgoing to is strictly paintjobs. I was hoping they could put the door backtogether and onto my bird prior to painting but they’re 100% paint only. There’sa shop near my work that might be able to do this extra bit of door work for meand am I ever thankful for that. The liner I’m referring to is this thickrubber around the rear windshield.

I’m sure it’s thegear. I’m just inexperienced with repairing those type of things although I’veseen tons of demos, I’m just scared of trying and messing up. If it’s an easyfix, I’ll go into my headlight motor and flip the gear this weekend just totest it. A lot of people tell me to just order the gears online – but I see thebronze ones for 80-90 and man, I don’t think I can invest that much right now.Seems a lot for a gear when the H/L motors go for the same price. I realizethat the gears much better but for now, I’ll go and flip it (first time someonegave me this suggestion) and I’ll update you on how it works. The d/s h/l isalso a bit off because of the hit. I’m picking up a new d/s cap in the hopesthat when I replace it, it’ll sit nicely back into place.

[Injuneer]

Window adjustment, courtesy of Shoebox:

http://shbox.com/1/adj_window.html

I think you are asking about the rubber moulding that wraps around the edge of the hatch glass. If so, I believe this is the factory part # (again, courtesy of Shoebox):

one piece lace for rear window
PN 10306248

old PN's 10433037 and 10294196

$64 + shipping from gmpartsdirect

http://www.gmpartsdi...number=10306248

You don't have to go into the headlight motor to move the wear surface of the gear. Read the details in Brent Franker's writeup:

http://www.bfranker....m/headlightfix/

Scroll down to "FREE Headlight Fix" almost all the way to the bottom of the page.

[1337f0x]

Fred,

Thanks so much for that. The window adjustment is going to come in very handy when I install my new door. As for the lace, that was A LOT of help. Thank you thank you thank you for that times a million! I don't have that large of a chunk missing either, but this is so helpful. :D I'm ecstatic!

[Injuneer]

I went back and added some info about the headlight fix.

[1337f0x]

Wow. That was really informative. I thought it was a simple open and rotate. I'll print that off and get to work this Sunday. Hope the weather is nice out.

[GaryDoug]

First, the metal replacement headlamp motor gears are brass or aluminum, not bronze. I prefer the plastic replacements, so as not to strip the plastic worm gear on the motor itself.

Second, he has 2001 model (same as the 98 in this regard) and the gear rotation is more than 180 degrees, more like 230. The "gear reversal" fix still works, although it will still be moving over the bad area, just not stopping there. The momentum should keep it going past the bad area, unless you are trying to lower the headlamps going 150 mph (or just a big headwind), and then it will stick in the bad position. (just in case you drive that fast ;-)

Don't rule out the possibility of the headlamp motor fuse for the bad side being blown out.

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[1337f0x]

I hear the gear running when I turn the headlights on or I start my car. The p/s doesn't keep grinding after, but the d/s does for a few seconds :/

so it maybe is the gear? idk.

[GaryDoug]

1337f0x, on 07 February 2012 - 08:52 AM, said:

I hear the gear running when I turn the headlights on or I start my car. The p/s doesn't keep grinding after, but the d/s does for a few seconds :/

so it maybe is the gear? idk.

Yes, almost certainly the larger gear. It is also possible for the motor to get very loose on the gearbox or the controller to fail, but not as likely as a stripped gear. Make sure that the replacement gear kit either comes with the rubber coupling insert, or allows you to reuse the old one. Also get a kit that includes the metal T-brace to guard against failure of the glue used to reseal the gearbox.

[1337f0x]

GaryDoug, on 07 February 2012 - 09:08 AM, said:

Yes, almost certainly the larger gear. It is also possible for the motor to get very loose on the gearbox or the controller to fail, but not as likely as a stripped gear. Make sure that the replacement gear kit either comes with the rubber coupling insert, or allows you to reuse the old one. Also get a kit that includes the metal T-brace to guard against failure of the glue used to reseal the gearbox.

I couldn't just go ahead and flip it like in the tutorial?

[GaryDoug]

Yes, you can try that. I have found that works for a while (weeks, months, a year?) before it breaks again. it all depends somewhat on how often you use the headlights.

[1337f0x]

Summers approaching so I don't think I'll be using the headlights too much. That, and I have 3 other vehicles. So the usage will be a bit lower.