How To Diagnose A Problem With Your Power Window
Before assuming that your car has a major problem, let’s take a few moments to diagnose your power window problem and see if we can shed some light on the situation.
First, verify that all other windows are in working order. If all four windows fail at the same time and you have checked your fuses, you could have an electrical break in the door harness that runs between the body of the car and your door. If only one is not working properly, and it’s in the rear, it could still be an electrical break, but it’s rare in most vehicles, and more often found in the rear of Cadillac Devilles.
In most modern cars, it’s usually the regulator that goes first, with a few exceptions. The regulator is generally a cable track pulley system that is made of cheap plastic parts. In hotter climates, these regulators fail quickly and fail often. Symptoms of this type of problem include the glass dropping into the door panel, crunching, grinding or other funky noises indicating that the motor is working, but the glass is not being raised.
Some older vehicles have what’s called a scissor action regulator in the door. These regulators are bulletproof for the most part, but they do fail from time to time. There are small teeth on the arm of the regulator that attaches to the window lift motor and those teeth are thin and can break away. Symptoms of this would generally include a slight drop of the window and inability to raise all the way to the top. You may hear a noise that sounds similar to a machine gun – de de de de. When this occurs, using the power window or helping the glass up, can put further stress on your power window motor, which can lessen the life of the motor and cause it to draw more power from your power window switch. Power window switches in modern cars are outrageously priced and are often “dealer only” parts.
If your power window problem is running slowly, it’s likely that it’s just the power window lift motor that is to blame. Symptoms include the window starting to come up at normal speed and then when it gets part way up, it slows down to turtle speed and you have to help it up to the top. Again, not recommended. In touching the glass, you are putting additional pressure on the power window regulator, which can break and cause you more money. Glass carriers on regulators can also break, which would cause the window to tilt forward or backward.
If you have a power window problem in a Mazda, Nissan, Infiniti, or older Chevy or Ford, it’s likely the motor that’s the problem, even if you hear funky noises or crunching sounds. The gears inside some of those motors are plastic and will break down over time. They can be rebuilt in some cases.
Power Window Repair can help you fix your power window problem at 40-70% less than traditional repair facilities and dealers. Your power window problem does not have to break your budget and it doesn’t have to be put off when you can find affordable prices at Power Window Repair. Our proprietary repair of stainless steel and custom metal parts provides a more permanent solution for our customers, so take a look at what we have to offer and then call today for a FREE diagnosis & quote at (480) 570-5116. If you are outside the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, please be advised that we do accept repairs by mail and can turn most repairs around in 24-36hrs.