This 2000 Ford Windstar came in with a driver’s power window inop. I did a quick test and found that the motor was bad. The quick test consists of turning the key on with the engine off. Then move the switch for the window in question up and down. While doing this look at the lights on the dash. If they dim slightly with each push of the switch it quickly confirms that the motor is getting power and ground in both directions. If it only dims in one direction more than likely the switch is faulty.
Anyways I knew the motor was faulty so I started removing the door panel. First I lifted the switch panel from the door. Hopefully you can see the spring clip that holds the panel to the door.
Next I pulled the interior handle trim plate out of the door. Pry the forward edge out and then slide the whole thing forward.
There are two 7 mm headed screws at either end of the interior pull handle.
There are two more screws along the lower door panel edge.
Next I unsnapped the upper triangle shaped cover from the door.
One more screw behind that panel.
Now the panel will slide up and off of the door. Make sure to disconnect the courtesy light from the panel.
Carefully remove the the foam insulated moisture barrier from the door. Just pull it a little at a time until it pulls loose.
Now we can see the motor, kind of. The red and yellow wires connect to the window motor. The nut is one of the fasteners for the motor and the other two bolts are behind the metal panel. Thankfully Ford almost always puts dimples in the panel to let mechanics know where to drill in order to remove the screws.
I started with a small drill bit and worked my way up to a half inch bit. The hole needs to be large enough for a 5/16″ or 8 mm socket to go through.
The holes are now large enough and I have removed the two screws. Next I removed the nut.
Then I loosened the stud so that the motor would come free. The stud stays in the hole.
The stud has a torx head as shown below.
I lined the stud up with the appropriate hole in the replacement motor and snugged it up. I left it loose enough so that I could rotate the motor around to line up the other two screw holes.
With everything back in place I vacuumed the metal shavings out of the inside of the door and sprayed some paint on the exposed metal.
I put the remaining parts back on in the reverse order.
I have a 2002 Ford Windstar and the window stopped working while it was down and my husband and can’t raise it to replace the motor. So what can we do to raise the window?? Please help!
Thanks for this posting all of this! Awesome!
if you are careful you can use a 6pt 4mm socket instead of a external torx socket to remove, or actually loosen the bolt. just be careful and watch to make sure the bolt is turning while you begin turning.
as mentioned above you need that bolt loosened to remove the motor…
Thank You for the photos, instructions, and replies on this repair. I gave the motor a harder push away from me and it dislodged from the regulator finally. Grease on the gear/sprocket and perhaps the position of the gear on the motor is what was holding it. Thanks again for your kindness in posting these helpful instructions ☺
The older Ford power window motors had plastic torque pins that would degrade. The symptom would be that the motor would work but the window would not go up or down without some assistance. Your Windstar is a newer design and does not carry that style of window motor.