Troubleshooting a Car Power Window

Troubleshooting a car power window may be carried out in different ways but the basics are all the matching. All power windows employ a reversible DC (direct current), motor and a breaker. The important thing is to test the switch operation at the motor. Removing the Door Panel for Access: First you have to remove the door panels to get to the power window. For this course you may achieve this by taking out the screws in the door pull and arm rest. After that the door panel is detached by pulling up on the panel to let loose the panel clips from the door. On a number of car models you may find these screws in the panel bottom, at the back of a cover near the side view mirror, and in the change cups on the panel as well. In order to release the panel from the door, remove all these screws first. Once you have done with the door panel removal, you can now plugged back the switches into the wiring harness for testing. Testing the Switches: The simplest way to test the switches is to check them at the motor harness plug, with a 12-volt test light. To begin unplug the motor and look into the harness at one of the wires. Now activate the switch with the key on and make out if the light turns on when the switch is activated. Both the wires ought to show power, one at the time when the switch is pushed to turn the window up, and the other wire when the switch is pushed for the window to set out downward. In case if no power is supplied in any direction, the most probable cause is a blown fuse. On the other hand, many times bad fuse can happen due to a weak motor. So you have to replace the fuse in this situation and operate the switch by keeping the motor unplugged. If the fuse blows yet again, the actual problem is a short in the wiring harness and not in the motor at all. Testing the Motor: There is a simple check you can do for testing a bad motor. Verify that the fuse is fine, as well as all the wiring is plugged back in. Then hold down the switch in your preferred direction for window to move in and tap the motor with a hammer. In majority cases an electric motor will simply develop a dead spot plus the hammer will cause adequate movement to let it and work. This clearly indicates a bad motor and even if motor works it will hit the dead spot again as the problem could be fix with this motor at all. Another technical way to test the motor is to measure its resistance with an ohm meter and match up it to the specifications described in the service manual. A company named Auto Zone provides a service with lots of the testing procedures as well as specifications for your car. You can know more about them on their website: http://www.autozone.com. Inspecting the Regulator: Not just the electric malfunctions cause power window problems. In several cases a motor may keep on working but the window stops to move. These types of problems can occur due to the window regulator. The manufacturers of your car have employed a cable or else plastic tape-driven window regulators to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle. Although the vehicles with this arrangement are reliable, but when the cable jumps off track otherwise the tape breaks, the whole regulator needs to be replaced. Usually these regulators are introduced with a new motor attached with them to provide some sort of prevention measures. As the door panel has already been removed you can now do a visual inspection to become aware of a bad regulator.