99 Firebird Rear Defrost / Window & electrical problems

Hi, I own a 1999 Pontiac Firebird, and have owned it for the last 4 years. Additionally, I have owned a 1977 Trans Am for the last 23 years... and know a thing or 2 about firebirds, however... the 99 has had more than it's fair share of electrical issues.

The latest electrical issues for the 99 are these 2, first the rear defrost. It is the T-Top model with the lift gate. Up until this winter, it worked perfectly fine. Suddenly, this year, you turn it on... it comes on for a short time, then turns off. It seems to be clearing the right side of the back glass. When you go to turn it back on, it will not, until the next time you turn the car back on or something. I don't think the wire is broke on the glass, but not sure either.

The other thing that is happening is that the drivers window is going down perfectly fine, then when I go to put it back up.... it gets almost all the way up then quits. After waiting a minute or two, you can then put the window the rest of the way up. Seems heat related?

The car only has 73,000 miles on it. I got it when it had 40,000. I have had many electrical problems with the car, including the power antenna (replaced with new GM), the radio display being all giberish ( I have done nothing with that), a period of time for about 2 months where the headlights would come on for about 15 minutes, then suddenly go out and stay out until next time car was restarted (a short behind the radio the dealer found... for $400) and a headlight motor on the right side, just to name a few. Additionally, it would seem the power antenna is just about done ... again.

Any ideas on the rear defrost and/or the window... and/or the radio display would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You!

the window sounds like a motor going out...

I've heard of people having problems with the rear defroster.. it was something to do with the fuse type relay that's in the fuse box. My memory is sketchy, and I'm not sure where to find this info again. But I believe if you remove the relay, and replace it with an equal amount of amps fuse, then that should fix your problem. Or you could just replace it with another fuse-like relay, but then the same thing could happen again. The only difference this makes is that your defroster would now stay on until you manually turn it off, or you turn the car off, instead of it being on a timer (which is what the fuse-like relay does). If it doesn't fix your problem, then you must have some broken lines in the window, or some other type of bad connection.

As for the drivers side window, it's definitely the motor on its way out. Very typical, yet inconvenient, for them to do so. Here's a guide on how to replace them:
http://shbox.com/page/windowmotor.html

I would recommend you buy one from an auto parts store with a lifetime warranty. Odds are you'll be swapping them out again sooner or later. Unfortunately they're just too weak for the size of the glass, and don't last too long. No solution has been found on how to fix the drivers side, though, if you are interested in a solution to the passenger side window to help prevent the motor from going out on that side, I would suggest you check out this site:
http://www.autotrix.net/product_pages/passenger_window_fix.html

Hi to both of you and thank you for your replies.

With respect to the window, someone I know suggested that it could be just the power window switch on the drivers side.

Is that even worth a try do you think?

Also, with respect to the power window motor... I was going to buy new from GM. Is there a better place to buy from... with a lifetime warranty?

I will check the glass on the rear defrost issue when it warms up. Is there such a thing as a decent repair kit, if indeed one of the wires in the rear defrost is broken on the glass?

Thanks Again All

Hi to both of you and thank you for your replies.

With respect to the window, someone I know suggested that it could be just the power window switch on the drivers side.

Is that even worth a try do you think?

Also, with respect to the power window motor... I was going to buy new from GM. Is there a better place to buy from... with a lifetime warranty?

I will check the glass on the rear defrost issue when it warms up. Is there such a thing as a decent repair kit, if indeed one of the wires in the rear defrost is broken on the glass?

Thanks Again All
I'm 99.9% positive that the problem is not the window motor switch, it's the actual window motor itself. I'd bet $1,000 on it. Like I said, I would suggest you buy a replacement from an auto parts store, such as Autozone, Advance Auto parts, etc. It'll be significantly cheaper than a new GM part, and if it ever fails again, you can just take it out and go swap it out for another one.

Never heard of a repair kit for the rear defrost. Not that there isn't one out there though. Just not to my knowledge.

+1 on the window motor... the biggest advice i can give you on that is don't get a rebuild because then you will have the headache of replacing it 10times sooner. I have a brand new rebuild in one window and a gm in the other and the gm is almost twice as fast (the rebuild is going to crap out soon)