01greygt
June 12th, 2010, 01:53 PM
Fixing and replacing power windows can often be a costly. However, with these DIY tips, you may be able to address the problem yourself and avoid paying a repair shop for their diagnostic charge. The majority of problems relating to power windows can be diagnosed in less than a few minutes, without the help of a professional and can at least save you the cost of determining the problem.
Here are a few DIY tips for diagnosing the problem yourself.
Has your window completely stopped working?
If the glass moves only a few inches and then simply just stops, allow the motor time to cool down and it will typically move a few more inches, allowing you to get the window up. The downside of it completely stopping is that you’ll need to have the power motor replaced.
If there is absolutely no sound coming from the motor, it’s possible it may not be receiving any power or the motor itself may have an open circuit. In order to diagnose this, you’ll generally need to remove the inside door panel to access the electrical wiring. Once you’ve removed the panel, you can use a test light or multimeter to verify whether or not it’s getting power and ground.
If you’re not comfortable with removing your inside door panel, experts often suggest a simple short cut to test the motor. Turn your headlights and interior lights on, then push the window switch on your panel; if there is a slight dimming or flickering in the dash lights, that’s an indicator that the switch is functional and the motor needs to be replaced. You can always perform this test with the other window switch to gauge the affect on the interior lights. If there is no change in the brightness of the lights, the switch itself is probably bad.
Do you think your window is off track?
Power windows don’t just usually go off track or randomly get stuck. However, if the window appears to be off track, it’s generally because the regulator has more than likely failed. Window regulators use either metal gears, which rarely fail; or a cable and plastic pulley design, which has the smaller life span of the two. If your glass is unevenly up or down, that’s a good sign that the regulator has come apart. If this is the case, you should still be able to hear the motor when engaging the switch.
Do you think your switch is broken?
When a window switch gets worn, corroded or even just dirty, try pushing the switch with your finger deliberately and hard. If the window starts working again, then it’s simply the switch that needs replacing.
Here are a few DIY tips for diagnosing the problem yourself.
Has your window completely stopped working?
If the glass moves only a few inches and then simply just stops, allow the motor time to cool down and it will typically move a few more inches, allowing you to get the window up. The downside of it completely stopping is that you’ll need to have the power motor replaced.
If there is absolutely no sound coming from the motor, it’s possible it may not be receiving any power or the motor itself may have an open circuit. In order to diagnose this, you’ll generally need to remove the inside door panel to access the electrical wiring. Once you’ve removed the panel, you can use a test light or multimeter to verify whether or not it’s getting power and ground.
If you’re not comfortable with removing your inside door panel, experts often suggest a simple short cut to test the motor. Turn your headlights and interior lights on, then push the window switch on your panel; if there is a slight dimming or flickering in the dash lights, that’s an indicator that the switch is functional and the motor needs to be replaced. You can always perform this test with the other window switch to gauge the affect on the interior lights. If there is no change in the brightness of the lights, the switch itself is probably bad.
Do you think your window is off track?
Power windows don’t just usually go off track or randomly get stuck. However, if the window appears to be off track, it’s generally because the regulator has more than likely failed. Window regulators use either metal gears, which rarely fail; or a cable and plastic pulley design, which has the smaller life span of the two. If your glass is unevenly up or down, that’s a good sign that the regulator has come apart. If this is the case, you should still be able to hear the motor when engaging the switch.
Do you think your switch is broken?
When a window switch gets worn, corroded or even just dirty, try pushing the switch with your finger deliberately and hard. If the window starts working again, then it’s simply the switch that needs replacing.