Power window systems look complicated but they are actually very common and easy to repair with a little do-it-yourself knowledge. One of the key points in an electric car window system that often goes wrong is the power. An electric motor is useless if the power isn’t working. A lot of people who experience a malfunction in their electric window immediately rush out to the store to replace the electric motor without checking any other parts at all. Then, it would be too late for them to find out that the damage isn’t really where they thought it was.
The first place to check when you car’s electric window isn’t working properly is the fuse. If you can’t find anything wrong with the fuse, you can then check the power by using a 12-volt test light. The tool used for this simple test can be bought cheaply at your local automotive parts retailers. You can activate the power to the fuse by switching the key to “on” position in your car’s ignition switch. If the fuse doesn’t seem to show any power even with the key on, follow the connection toward the steering column to find the right wire for the fuse. You can check your car’s wiring diagram. It is usually user friendly and easy to read.
If there’s something wrong with the ignition switch, an indication is a power in, no power out situation, you can call for a professional help to do the replacement. If you do it yourself and you misplace one tiny wire, it can be a reason for a host of tiny electrical problems to arise. If your car has an air bag, this makes replacement a little bit complicated. It is better to take your car out to a mechanic to fix the problem. If the power to the fuse is okay, the problem may lie in the door switch. You can use a small screwdriver to pull out the door switch from the panel.
If you have done all the necessary testing and there is still no power, you can validate damage by taking out the better conditioned switch from the other door and placed it in the damaged part. If the window still doesn’t work, you can take a look at the doorjamb for a broken wire. The million of times you have to close and open your car doors can cause the wires to go weak and get ruptured after being bent and straightened. The driver’s door is usually the one that gets most affected by this problem.
If there’s nothing wrong with the switch then the window motor may actually be broken. In this case, the whole door panel needs to be removed to be able to access the window motor. There will be two wires coming from the plug of the motor. Look into the plug that is linked to the motor and steer the door switch to and fro. Fixing the window motor requires extreme caution because the parts in it are delicate. It is also very dangerous since the spring that needs to be removed to replace the motor can injure your hands if you accidentally remove it out of timing. If you feel like fixing your car window is beyond your limited skills of car troubleshooting then calling a mechanic is would be your next best move.
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