My son has a 99 Malibu and when he came home today he said his drivers window was stuck partially open and would not move. When I checked it out the motor is fine which I knew it would be as it was replaced not to long ago. I noticed the window was not sitting right as the back of the window was higher than the front. I was thinking the regulator might need replaced but now I'm not sure. I noticed that what looks like a rivet that goes the the little plastic holder and through the glass was broken off in the back of the glass. I was just hoping to be able to get the glass in the up position until I could figure out what was wrong so I drilled out that same rivet at the front of the window. I then felt I would be able to lift the glass up since nothing was holding it but I could not. I can lift the back up to almost the closed position but of course it'* way out of wack since the front won't budge. What also seems strange is that scissor mechanism which I'm calling the regulator seems to be moving okay down and okay to a degree going up but seems to stop at a certain point when going up almost like when it gets to the front section of glass that seems stuck to me. I can not budge the front part of the window but can move the back part fairly easy. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

sounds like the tracks need cleaned and greased. looking at the pics on rock auto, the front regulators use the older and better metal slides which rarely fail if you clean and grease those as well, but sounds like the window is getting cocked sideways and the track is doing it. FYI the rear are the POS new cable design and are a pain, if your rears stop working its almost always the regulator/cable assembly.

I made the comment to my son that the rugulator seemed like it was working but when it got to a certain point on the end that would move the front of the glass up and down it was stopping. Should that slide to almost the very front end of the track? I'm asking because it stops probably 3 or 4 inches from the end of the track. Also is the front of the glass attached to something else that'* keeping it from moving? Thanks for your help.

i havent worked on that car but have done a few others and it seems like if its not attached to the regulator its hard to get perfectly square to go up but shouldnt be impossible if you get it in the right position. how hard is difficult to say. if something in the front is hanging it up so it tilts it will stop being able to go up at all it has to go up perfectly strait

First, get the glass seperated from the regulator so you can manually move it up and down to see if it is hanging up somewhere. Right now you don't know if your problem is the glass getting stuck in the channels, or the regulator not functioning throught the complete range of motion. The glass will be attached to the regulator using 2 pinch clamps (metal with plastic or rubber on the glass interface). Any pinch clamps I have worked on were tightened and loosened by bolts (10 mm head on my Bonneville) but based on your description it sounds like yours are riveted. Undo both clamps and move the glass up and down. Even if it gets cocked, it should be fairly easy to straighten it and move it up and down.

If the glass moves freely, I would wedge it into the up position, and remove the regulator for inspection and repair. Last time I did this on my son'* F250, I cut 2 small wood wedges, and jammed them between the glass and the door trim to hold the glass in the up position.

I did release both pinch clips but the front of the glass is stuck and seems to be very tight and won't move.