How to Troubleshoot A Car Door Window

How to Troubleshoot A Car Door Window

There are generally two flavors of car door windows, the first being manual and the second being electric. No matter what the issue, door windows tend to have few parts and are relatively easy to fix or troubleshoot. Below are some common issues and their resolutions.

Instructions

    1

    WINDOW DOES NOT ROLL UP INTO THE WINDOW SEAL

    This is a common issue that is often caused by the window actuator arm being bent. The window actuator arm is nothing more than the tray that the window sits on and can easily be bent back or replaced.

    Sometimes the weather stripping warps and that can cause window alignment problems too. I would definitely look into the weather stripping first then look at the actuator arm.

    2

    WINDOW DOES NOT ROLL UP OR DOWN OR ROLLS UP BUT NOT DOWN

    Wow that was kind of wordy. For manual or electric windows it could be due to a misalignment with the window actuator arm. For Manual windows check the clutch actuator arm, which is the crank you use to crank up the window. The teeth might be worn or the gears inside might be worn. check both.

    For electric windows, the relay which is the switch box that sends electricity to the tiny motors that roll up or down your windows might be burnt out. Check the other windows to make sure that the problem is not wide spread and is only with the specific window. If all your windows have the same problem it might be a wiring issue.

    3

    MOTOR RUNS BUT WINDOW DOES NOT ROLL UP

    If you have an electric car door window this means that the window door mechanisms are damaged. Usually the sound of a humming motor means the switch can send the signal to the relay and then to the motor but the motor is trying to turn damaged gears. It equivalent to pedaling a bike with a damaged rear cassette, you can pedal all you want but the bike will go no where.