Stuck power windows can be inconvenient.
The invention of power windows made drive-through fast food, drive-through banking and toll booths possible. We don't think anything about these windows until something goes wrong. We can no longer use those convenient drive-through centers for banking or a burger unless we have room to open the front car door. Fixing the power window is a similar process no matter which type of vehicle you may own. The only difference may be in the size of the tools needed to remove bolts and screws.
Instructions
1. Check the other power windows in your vehicle. If the other windows are not going up or down, the problem may be a fuse, not a motor. If the others are working fine, it is not a fuse problem. If they are not, consult the repair manual for the specific location of your power window fuse, remove it and replace it with a new one. Remove the negative battery cable from the negative battery terminal and place it so that it cannot touch metal and cause a short in the vehicle's electrical system.
2. Remove the door panel with a Phillips screwdriver. Consult a vehicle repair manual for specific locations. Unhook the clips that hold the door panel on the door frame with a plastic pry tool. Lift up on the door panel and disconnect the electrical wiring for the power locks and windows. These will be clipped to the door panel and its motor. Remove the plastic insulator using the snaps that secure it to the door frame.
3. Remove the door module with the screwdriver. The wires you removed earlier lead to this door module box. Leave that portion of the wires connected to the box.
4. Unbolt the window regulator, located in the center part of the door frame, with a ratchet or crescent wrench. Remove the bolts securing that portion of the door onto the frame. There may be as many as six bolts, so consult your manual for specifics. Remove the regulator and ease the window out of the clips in the regulator.
5. Inspect the window channels to make sure they don't interfere with the motion of the power windows. Spray some silicone lubricant into the window channels.
6. Reconnect the negative battery cable and test the window control panel. Insert a test light tool into the electrical connector and reconnect the window switch panel to the "Up" control on your door. If the test light tool lights up, the signal is making it from the button to the connector. Your problem is likely the window motor. Disconnect the negative battery cable again.
7. Remove the window motor from the door frame and replace with a new one. Remove the motor with a socket of appropriate size or a wrench. Reassemble the door panel including the insulator, and all other pieces, in the reverse order you removed them in. Reconnect the electrical plugs and replace the hidden screws. Reconnect the negative battery cable again and test the window.
Tags: door panel, negative battery, battery cable, door frame, negative battery cable, power windows, battery cable again