Common Faults with Car Windows and How to Deal with Them
Is there a greater pleasure in life than driving along with the windows down? The natural breeze can be far more relaxing and satisfying than any air conditioning and you might arrive at your destination feeling far more at ease than usual. Then, however, you suddenly encounter the issue — “my car window is stuck” or “my car window won’t stay up.”
What’s to be done when the windows on your car get stuck? How do they work anyway? It’s just another one of those car components that we massively take for granted. In today’s blog we will explore these questions and others surrounding our car windows, their common issues and how to solve them.
How Does a Car Window Work?
We all take our car’s power windows for granted. We take for granted that we can just push a button and the windows move up or down like magic. The power window in your car is actually quite an intricate and ingenious mechanism. It runs on a system of electric regulators and cables.
An electric motor moves the cable through a system of pulleys, which helps to raise or lower the window at the push of a button. Older cars use a manual system that relies on a crank that you rotate, which then rotates one of the regulator arms, which then pivots the other arm into moving the window track, which finally moves the window up and down.
The interesting thing is that in either of these systems, modern or classic, there is a reliance on a number of individual moving parts. If any one of these parts becomes faulty or worn, then it can impact the entire window mechanism. In addition, the problem with the window might not even be related to the window mechanism itself, but something else housed within the door.
Common Car Window Faults: What They Are and How to Diagnose Them
First, let’s look at what the most common car window faults actually are. We’ll look at them in some common scenarios:
- Scenario 1: Only the rear windows are not moving, but the front windows are fine. It could also be that one window in particular (front or rear) is not working while the others are working fine
- Scenario 2: None of the car windows are moving, no matter which control button we press.
- Scenario 3: Windows do close but either do so very slowly, not completely or while making a loud and unusual sound.
Scenario 1
In scenario 1, you can rule out an overall electrical problem because if there was a fundamental issue with the electronics, then it would affect all the windows and not just the rear ones. The first scenario means that you could be experiencing any of the following problems:
- A faulty window switch
- A faulty window motor
- A faulty window regulator
- The driver-door lockout switch has been engaged
The first thing you should check is number 4 in that list because that just takes a moment. That particular lockout switch can easily be pressed by mistake, or a driver may have forgotten they pressed it, or another driver in the family might have pressed it without their knowledge. In any case, releasing it would solve the problem in scenario 1.
When you press the rear window switch, do you hear the motor? It’s that familiar humming noise you hear when you operate power windows. If you hear the motor, then the switch is not the issue, nor do you have a blown fuse. In this case, the motor and regulator clearly need checking.
Scenario 2
In scenario 2 where all of the windows have stopped working, the most likely issue is a blown fuse or damaged relay. In this scenario, what usually happens is that all of the windows stop working simultaneously. It would be an interesting coincidence for all the windows to suffer from some other fault all at the same time, which only leaves electrical failure as the best explanation.
If you drive a coupe car, this problem can be very pronounced because such cars do not have window frames. They rely instead on a computer-assisted system to tell the window mechanism when it has reached the correct height. Any electrical issue becomes serious because it means the car doesn’t know if the window is up or down. You might see that it’s stuck halfway, but as far as the computer is concerned, its job is done.
In the case of electrical issues, the repairs are typically centered on the fuse box. If it’s not a blown fuse but a problem in wiring or relays a little closer to the action, then the door frame can be opened up and the electronics inspected a little more closely.
Scenario 3
In scenario 3 where the windows move but either slowly or while making unfortunate sounds, the most likely culprit is failing mechanism parts like the motor. Your window motor can burn out over time just like any other mechanical instrument, as can a number of other components in the window. The only thing for it in this case is to open up the door frame and inspect the mechanical elements more closely.
Other Factors that Affect Your Car Windows
Besides the above three scenarios, there are two more factors that you need to consider, the first of which is window stickers. Do your front or rear power windows have stickers on them? They may have been put there by kids, or by you, but in any event, they have a detrimental effect on the window over time, causing additional wear and tear.
The second factor is tinting. When you tint the windows, what you are essentially doing is adding thickness to the glass. The OEM manufactures the windows and their slot/mechanism to a predetermined thickness. When you add to it, it adds strain to the system.
Finally, while things like a faulty window regulator can stop the windows from going up, you also might have the problem of the window not staying up. Below we’ll deal with some temporary fixes for this specific problem.
My Car Window Won’t Stay Up: Is There a Way to Temporarily Prop Up a Window that is Falling Down?
Of course, the best course of action is to take the car to the dealership, but there is at least one temporary fix you can try to hold the window in place until you have a chance to get the dealership or while you save up the money you need to get the repairs done.
One of the best tools to use is a suction cup. You could find one on a dashboard attachment frame for something like a GoPro or other device. All you have to do is push the window up into the frame as tightly as you can, and then place the suction cup as low as possible close to the door frame. As long as that suction cup holds, the window will stay up. It’s better, therefore, to use a suction cup with a lever-action holding mechanism, because it can grip much tighter.
How to Fix a Stuck Car Window
To conclude, let us offer you some additional solutions to fix a car window that is stuck. If your car window is stuck halfway, try some of the following ideas:
- Check the child safety lock on the door. If it’s active, then the window won’t open.
- Take a look at the fuse box and see if any fuses are blown.
- If the local switch on the rear window is not working, try the master switch on the driver’s door. If the master switch works, then you know you have a local switch issue only.
- You could try the car door slamming technique: turn the car on, open the door, press on the window switch in the desired direction and then slam the door while holding the button down. If you get it closed, then leave it in that position until the dealership can take a look.
- You might also be able to manually lift the window with the help of a friend. Start the car and have them press on the switch. Meanwhile, you sandwich the glass between the palm of your hands and try to lift the window with steady pressure. Mind your hands and fingers as you do this.
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