Top 4 Common Causes of Power Window Failure

You won’t realize how much you use your power windows until they stop working. It’s not just to let a blast of air in on a warm day or a trickle of fresh air on a cool day when your car is misting up.

You also need to open your window to talk to a friend, collect a ticket at the car park, or even grab a passing snack! The problem is that all the mechanisms for your window are hidden inside the car door, making it appear difficult, if not impossible, for you to locate the issue.

Fortunately, power windows are not complicated, you can work out what is wrong fairly easily. But, working out what is wrong doesn’t always mean you can fix it; you’ll need the number of a good automotive window specialist on hand to help you out.

• Stress

It’s not just people that get stressed. Window motors can be put under unnecessary stress if the window is thicker than the manufacturer intended. Something as simple as adding window tint can stop the window from sliding up and down as easily as it should.

Even using the window when the car is frosted over can place additional stress on the motor and other components; shortening their life.

• Window Regulator

This is one of the most common issues as the regulator controls the up and down movement of the window. If your window is doing one, or all of the following there’s a good chance the regulator needs to be replaced:

• The window doesn’t move when you hit the button.
• Pushing the button causes a loud sound, different from the normal sound.
• Your window is dropping on one side only.
• The window goes up very slowly, it may not even reach the top.

To verify that this is not an issue with the switch, operate the window with the master switch in the driver’s seat and from the actual window that has the fault.

If it works normally from one of the switches then you have a faulty switch, which is very easy to replace. It’s also worth checking the lock button hasn’t been knocked accidentally, preventing the door window button from being operated normally.

• Fuses

This is another common issue although it will usually affect more than one window. If you have no sound when you push the button then you may have no power to the switch. Check the power windows fuse in the car’s fuse box and replace if necessary.

• The Motor

If you’ve failed to find any other issue then there is a good chance that the motor is faulty or lacking power. You’ll need to completely remove the door panel to locate the motor and check the connections are secure. You can also check there is power to the motor; you’ll be looking for a reading of 12 volts on the window side of your motor.

Prolonging the life of your electric windows is as simple as taking a little care of them, lubricating the seals regularly is one of the best things you can do.