Driver window not going up - just checking

S

SteveD

Member
Hello

My driver side window would not go up yesterday. It continued to go down perfectly well using the switch and of course it goes down slightly every time I open the door - but going up just hear a faint click then nothing. So now there is no window to be seen.

I have looked on forum and everything seems to point to regulator. I have taken off door trim but before I tackle the membrane I thought I would check on here whether it could be anything else. There are a few things I have noted from forum posts that I didn't seem to get
  • There was no noise (eg popping) just before it happened - at least that I noticed - I was reversing out of driveway
  • There is no noise when I pull the window lifter switch - a faint click then nothing
  • There was no previous indication of any problem (grinding noise or slow movement)

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Steve
 
Given the way the cable is wound it seems odd it'll go one way but not the other?
Do you have a spare window switch to try? Could maybe be a problem with that?

If not that then think you're definitely into membrane off territory. Normally I would recommend swapping the motor out first, but with the glass down you can't get at the screws.
On the off chance that it is a signal issue to the motor, try putting 12v across the pins. Pop the plug off and go to the two pins on the motor that the big fat wires on the plug line up with. Trial and error which is up and which is down.

Of course, once the membrane is off you'll probably be able to see straight away if the cable is broken anyway.

Let me know if it is a broken cable as I have a repair kit, but I also have a complete regulator assembly which is easier to change than fitting the new cable.
 
Thanks. I don't have a spare switch - but I'll try putting 12v across it. I was hoping to be able to move the window manually once have membrane off but don't know if that is possible.

Annoyingly we are now away for a day or two so it will have to wait and weather not looking great for next week.
 
SteveD said:
Thanks. I don't have a spare switch - but I'll try putting 12v across it. I was hoping to be able to move the window manually once have membrane off but don't know if that is possible.

Annoyingly we are now away for a day or two so it will have to wait and weather not looking great for next week.
Click to expand...

If you end up needing a switch and enuff_zed hasn’t got one I have a spare I’ll be selling. Cheers.
 
SteveD said:
Thanks. I don't have a spare switch - but I'll try putting 12v across it. I was hoping to be able to move the window manually once have membrane off but don't know if that is possible.

Annoyingly we are now away for a day or two so it will have to wait and weather not looking great for next week.
Click to expand...
To move it manually you have to remove the motor then use needle-nosed pliers or similar in the drive spindle.
Trouble is the motor is held in with three torx screws from behind. The window being down will prevent access to them.

Whereabouts are you?
Takes less than a minute to stick a different switch in. You may find a member close by who'd be willing to pop theirs out for you to try?
 
Try cleaning your window switches with electrical contact cleaner. If that doesn't work, considered resetting your system by pulling a battery cable for a half hour.
 
Thanks for replies - I am in Petts Wood - near Orpington. Will see if can try to put 12v across it - or maybe just need some patience and time to take membrane off.
 
SteveD said:
Thanks for replies - I am in Petts Wood - near Orpington. Will see if can try to put 12v across it - or maybe just need some patience and time to take membrane off.
Click to expand...
You need the membrane off first to get at the plug.
 
Ah OK. Thanks. I was thinking of just trying to put power to the cable that connects to switch on door but sounds like membrane will have to come off.

Raining yet again and not around much so might have to wait for a couple of weeks :(
 
I have this exact same issue, seems to be worse in wet weather. Can get mine up eventually after a few tries :rofl:
Will follow this thread as I'm also intrigued if it's the switch or the regulator.

I thought holding the lock button to put the windows up needed to be coded. But if you manually lock the car with your key and keep it in the lock position for around 20 seconds it should put the roof and windows up
 
A couple of years ago, my drivers window was stuttering, it would go down 2" and then go back up again and then move 1" down and stop, passenger side had no issues. There was no grinding or knocking so I figured it was the switch rather than the mechanism.
Took the switch unit out of the door and completely stripped it down. Gave everything a good dose of contact spray and used ear buds to clean all the small bits and the rubber "membrane ", reassembled everything, it was a bit fiddly tbh but with more patience than I normally display it went back together. Moment of truth was plugging it back in...
It now works perfectly 👌
 
Well - been away so first opportunity to remove membrane and test motor. Removing membrane was fiddly but a bit of patience is all that is needed. I got the missus do it as she has way more patience than I do :oops:

The cables etc all looked tip top so put 12v onto the motor. The pins were a touch smaller than I expected so a bit of a faff getting power onto it but found some small alligator clips that done the job. All worked fine. I guess that is good news - but I wish I had read some of the other comments on here re trying contact cleaner first. Oh well - good to see how everything is put together.

One thing. Despite the battery being disconnected for last few weeks I still had airbag light come on. I don't know if I reconnected battery too quickly or what but I have a gizmo to reset light so that wasn't an issue.

Now to clean up switch.
 
Switch cleaned. Now when I try to put window up there is a short nudge downwards. Left window fine and right window goes down OK.

So problem is between the switch and the motor. The circuit board does not have any obvious breaks in it and nothing obvious in the cable from switch to window motor. I should have probably tested the signals I suppose when I had membrane off but doesn't seem likely that the connector to the motor is the issue given the type it is.

So I think next stop is a new switch. [ref]enuff_zed[/ref], do you have one? Drivers door switch. If not then [ref]poortomsacold[/ref], do you still have yours?

For info for anyone with similar issues, my window does not go up after pressing lock for 20 seconds (the passenger window doesn't go up either). The window also doesn't go up when raising the roof from inside. I have a gaptech module. Locking by that (2 clicks on open, 1 click on lock) does not raise window either. I presume that is because window is fully lowered.
 
SteveD said:
Switch cleaned. Now when I try to put window up there is a short nudge downwards. Left window fine and right window goes down OK.

So problem is between the switch and the motor. The circuit board does not have any obvious breaks in it and nothing obvious in the cable from switch to window motor. I should have probably tested the signals I suppose when I had membrane off but doesn't seem likely that the connector to the motor is the issue given the type it is.

So I think next stop is a new switch. [ref]enuff_zed[/ref], do you have one? Drivers door switch. If not then [ref]poortomsacold[/ref], do you still have yours?

For info for anyone with similar issues, my window does not go up after pressing lock for 20 seconds (the passenger window doesn't go up either). The window also doesn't go up when raising the roof from inside. I have a gaptech module. Locking by that (2 clicks on open, 1 click on lock) does not raise window either. I presume that is because window is fully lowered.
Click to expand...

Hi

Yes I still have one for sale - but as [ref]enuff_zed[/ref] was first he should be given the opportunity to reply and sell his to you if he still has it available.

Cheers
 
Hi again

So - managed to get replacement switch (thanks @enuff_zed) but that didn't solve the problem. :(

So - the motor works - I can raise/lower the window if I apply power. I have tested the input with both switches - 12-14volts when pushing down - zero when pushing up. So (assuming two switches don't have exact same issue) the problem is between the switch and the window motor.

It seemed to happen suddenly - I had not noticed any problem with it previously - so to me that makes it unlikely to be a problem in the wires themselves. That made me think of relays. Looking at electrical diagrams it seems to be controlled by the General Control Module - and some searching on here says that is the same thing as GM5 module. I can see that I had the GM5 repaired in 2019 - but only for the central locking relay. I have also had some other electrical glitches recently - the speaker under dash was clicking loudly after car was switched off - so I have been disconnecting a few things.

So any views - does GM5 seem likely culprit? It seems a good possibility to me but again I would have expected that to be intermittent before going - but perhaps not. I may plug some other things back in to see if I can make any difference.

Oh - for anyone else checking this, you don't have to remove the air bag to get to the electrical part of window motor - see below
IMG_9996.JPG

Steve
 
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