ANY IDEAS? Elec window went up and stayed up.

Bob Prosser · 08-30-2006, 10:40 AM

Guys, the passenger side electric window ('88 3.2 daily driver) just stopped. I noticed recently the window was taking more time to go DOWN, when compared to the driver's side. It went back UP fine.

Then today, it went UP and stayed UP. Neither driver side or passenger side switch does anything. Pressing UP on the switch, the door makes a small grunt, so I know it has power. But when I press DOWN, there's no nothing -- no noise at all. I checked the fuse. It's fine.

So... before I start tearing into it all, has anyone else had a similar situation. Does this sound like a motor?

Thanks in advance!

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

Could be a bad switch, did you try the switch on the driver side that control the passenger door?

If the switch on the driver side is not working, try the switch on the passenger side.

cbeers · 08-30-2006, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Neither driver side or passenger side switch does anything.

I am guessing a bad motor since both switches don't work and you can hear a noise in the passenger door when you try to use them.

-Chris

Bob Prosser · 08-30-2006, 11:05 AM

Yes, that's what I meant when I stated in the second paragraph: "Neither driver side or passenger side switch does anything."

It's got to be the motor or the scissor mechanism. Wish I knew which. I'd order the parts ahead of time.

Thanks, Bob

nut11 · 08-30-2006, 11:29 AM

Just replaced mine (passenger side) after checking switches. Go on PP parts board and get a used one. New are $$$ but I paid $65 including shipping. Took 3 hours but the job is very doable with patience and good karma. Read Wayne's 101 book. Good luck.

nut11 · 08-30-2006, 11:35 AM

PS, I mean the motor. Sorry. Before the job, make sure you tape the window in place. Once you get in, you may need to loosen the tape to drop the window a bit to do allignments of lift/mechanicals prior to securing everything. Very straight forward job. There's a great deal of satisfaction once done.

strupgolf · 08-30-2006, 11:38 AM

Mine do that every now and then. Reach under the dash below the steering wheel and hunt for some fairly large wires.They are wrapped together in a sling. I think these go to the ignition and elsewhere. Anyway, the smaller of the 2 big wires controls the windows.I havent had time to check mine out yet, but when I wiggle the wires, the windows go up and down.

88911coupe · 08-30-2006, 11:49 AM

Strupgolf, Can you provide some more detail on these wires? My passenger side just stopped on my '88 but I can tell the switches are broken, however, I've had this problem occur in the past and it sort of fixed itself...maybe I bumped the wire(s) you are referring to.
TIA

Bob Prosser · 08-30-2006, 12:08 PM

Thanks for the input guys. I'll try the tips. Odd how the passenger side goes out first. I've never had any problems with the driver's side since new, and that's the side that gets all the work.

strupgolf · 08-30-2006, 12:29 PM

Its kind of strange really. I never looked where the wires are going yet, but when they stop working, I just wiggle. I would say the wire is about a 1/2 wide, next to one about 3/4-1inch. When I first had my car, the windows didnt go at all. I pulled all the switches, cleaned them out etc. but it might have been this all along. Not to say your switches are not fried, but I dont think so. The wires are wrapped in a gray covering.

petrolblue83911 · 08-30-2006, 12:38 PM

The exact same issue happened to me a few weeks ago. it was the switch-not the motor. In my case, I replaced the switch on the drivers door and it then worked.

-Both swithes were dead when it happened to me as well, but it was only the switch on the drivers door that was out. I think you could swap the drivers switch for the passengers switch to check it, if it works then you know all you need to do is order a new switch!-much easier and much cheaper than motors...

petrolblue83911 · 08-30-2006, 12:40 PM

not sure if i made that clear, I think you can swap the drivers door drivers switch into the circut for the passengers door switch to check it-now I'm confusing my self...basically use the good drivers door window switch for one of the switches that controles the passenger door to check it.

Bob Prosser · 08-30-2006, 12:52 PM

Got it ... in other words, even though there are two switches, one bad one could cause a problem? I will look into that. Thanks.

Of course, that doesn't explain why, just a few minutes before it stopped entirely, the window started going down r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w, but could go back up quickly. Last time it went up, it stayed there.

Super_Dave_D · Super_Dave_D's Garage

Here was my window problem and how I fixed it with a hammer - Might not be of help but kind of sounds like yours.

Power Window Problem

charleskieffner · 08-30-2006, 01:06 PM

thats a GOOD THING if you own a CABRIOLET! LOL!

nesslar · 08-30-2006, 01:07 PM

Yes!
If one of the switches for the passenger door is bad, either the one at the driver door or the other at the passenger door, the window won't move.
It's like a 3-way switch in, oh, a stairwell, in fact. I would replace the passenger window switch on the driver door with the working driver's window switch, and if that doesn't work, replace the passenger door switch with the working driver's window switch. I bet you'll find a bad switch, one or the other.
When one of my switches died, it had been ill for awhile, then suddenly croaked. Sounds like a similar problem.
Of course, you probably have everything working already, so I'm just wasting my Company's time!

jwill911 · jwill911's Garage

Bob,

Before you go too far check the plug/connector in the passenger door. The wires that feed to the door electrics plug in up towards the front fender in the door jab. Mine had wiggled loose once when I was on a trip to Milwaukee Parade. My wife put the window down in Salt Lake City and it wouldn't go back up. I swapped the switches and took the door apart before I noticed the plug. It's way up there in the door jab where you would notice it. Boy did I feel like a fool.

jw

Mysterytrain · 08-31-2006, 06:05 AM

I posted this awhile back because I was curious as to how the switches worked.
Power Window Switch schematic

88911coupe · 08-31-2006, 07:25 AM

Thanks Ron, very helpful to me.

petrolblue83911 · 08-31-2006, 09:42 AM

Sounds like you've got a few options, -when the happened to me a few weeks back, it was wierd in the same way, -my drivers door window gets used all the time, and it is a bit slow and crankey... so I would expect it to die first! the passenger side was always perfect, and gets much less use, but then the day the switch died, it went down slow one time, went up 1/2 way and stoped, and then finally went the rest of the way up and went totally dead- so when you described what happened to you it really rang a bell!