1994 grand am door panel

[ptheimer]

Bought a 94 grand am for my son. The windows are manuel and do not roll back up. i am assuming the regulator is bad. Tried to take the door panel off to see what I had but can't get the window crank off. Can't see any type of clip on it. is there a special tool needed to remove the window handle.

[19k40rocky]

yup, there is. you can buy it at your auto parts store. It it basically just a piece of thin flat steel that is notched out that you slip in under the handle to push a little horse shaped wire clip out of a notch on the window crank handle. the clip that holds it on you really can't see. I think when you see the tool you with know what I mean. The tool is usually only a few bucks. One piece of advise when you are using it line up the tool so it is parallel under the window crank handle as that is usually the angle you have to push that clip out from. Hope this helps!

[skibum1111]

If your parts store does not have the tool, bend a paperclip into a small hook, push in on the door panel and look at the window handle. You should be able to see the retaining clip, hook it with the paper clip and pull it with a pair of pliers. Make sure you don't loose the clip. And to think people laugh at me when they see a box of paper clips in my tool box.

[Knifeblade]

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d800e5f2a.jsp



Scroll the above, shows ya what the guys are talking about. Also shows the hint by using just a thin rag as a remaval tool. Good luck. It not too hard to release, just take your time, don't lose the C-clip, lol.

[catback23]

Originally Posted by skibum1111

If your parts store does not have the tool, bend a paperclip into a small hook, push in on the door panel and look at the window handle. You should be able to see the retaining clip, hook it with the paper clip and pull it with a pair of pliers. Make sure you don't loose the clip. And to think people laugh at me when they see a box of paper clips in my tool box.

I'd still laugh at you, get a set of picks for crying out loud.

[Knifeblade]

paperclips are cheaper, more versatile, and more readily available, old school improvisation.

[skibum1111]

Exactly. That's why they are in there.

[catback23]

more versatile but they don't make good tools, if you wanna use paper clips to hook things a pick is stronger and would still be old school improvisation. A door handle or trim panel tool is the right tool and if you do the job often it's worth the few bucks it costs. It really doesn't matter how you do it as long as the job gets done but a box of paperclips still is something to laugh at. I am reminded of an old "home improvement" episode where the wife (Jill) was trying to unclog a drain with a long screwdriver when husband (Tim) came in and was in shock at the misuse of his screwdriver and he gave her a lecture about using the right tool instead of messing up good tools (his screwdrivers).

I'm curious what else do you do with your paperclips? undo bolts? check spark? undo quick connect fittings? Remove ford radios? Remove weatherstripping? I'm running out of ideas here. Not that I don't see the use of the paperclip but finding a box in a tool chest/box is something to laugh at when you see it amongst all the other mechanic tools like ratchets, wrenches, sockets, torque wrenches, etc etc.

The sum of it all is I understand but still laugh with the rest of them just as you would if I was a mechanic with a bag of ballons in my toolbox.

[skibum1111]

I laugh about it too. When its 11 pm and you need to get under something small or get that little clip out and nothing is around, you can go just about anywhere and get a paperclip. Can you do that with a pick? Nope, the parts stores are not open around here that late.

[Knifeblade]

Precisely, ski, immediacy creates creativity. Especially when you want to get it done so you can drive it to work in the morning.

I have used a paperclip to hold off the one outer tang of a two-sided tanged harness while I disengaged the second tang, didn't need the disengager tool you can get for that, and didn't spend any extra $$$ for the tool either, so LOL.