How to Replace the Window Motor of a GMC Yukon XL
by Eli Laurens
The GMC Yukon XL is manufactured with manual or electric powered window regulators, which are pivoting arms that raise and lower a pane of glass into the door for ventilation. The electric motors can wear out, leaving the window inoperative. The average backyard mechanic can replace the window motor of a Yukon in about half an hour.
Step 1
Disconnect the battery by unbolting the positive terminal connector, and check the fuse panel for blown fuses. This simple fuse check is often overlooked.
Step 2
Remove the door panel by turning the screws in the bottom of the arm rest and door handle in a counterclockwise direction, then pulling firmly on the panel to free it from the pop rivets. The plastic pop rivets hold the door panel to the metal door frame, and are secured only by the screws.
Step 3
Remove the window motor by disconnecting it from the wiring harness at the adapter plug, then turning its mounting bolts in a counterclockwise direction. The motor can be pulled away from the gears and removed.
Step 4
Replace the window motor by positioning it into the gears, then securing the top bolt by turning it in a clockwise direction. Secure the remaining bolts, then plug it into the wiring harness with the adapter plug.
Step 5
Replace the door panel by pressing it into the pop rivets, then turning the screws in the armrest in a clockwise direction. Fasten the screw into the interior door handle in the same fashion.
Step 6
Connect the battery and test the window.
References
Tips
- Spray the window regulator's arms and gears with white lithium grease for added life, but do not get the grease onto the glass.
Things You'll Need
- Socket set
- Screwdrivers
Warnings
- Use caution when working on a vehicle's electrical system.
Writer Bio
Eli Laurens is a ninth-grade physics teacher as well as a computer programmer and writer. He studied electrical engineering and architecture at Southern Polytechnic University in Marietta, Ga., and now lives in Colorado.
