What are the reasons why car windows cannot be raised or lowered?
3 Answers
There are several reasons why car windows cannot be raised or lowered: 1. Aging, dirty, or deformed glass sealing strips (including inner strips): These create resistance when raising or lowering the window. If they are aged or deformed, replace them with new sealing strips. If they are dirty, spray some dashboard wax or apply talcum powder to the sealing strips. 2. Dirty window lift rails: Cleaning the window lift rails and applying grease can resolve the issue. 3. Low battery voltage: Raising or lowering the window when the engine is off consumes battery power. If the battery voltage is too low, it may become difficult to operate the window. 4. Motor failure: If the window is difficult to operate despite sufficient power and no resistance, the motor may be faulty. 5. Window regulator failure: Issues such as faulty lift rails, broken cables, or slider malfunctions require replacing the window regulator. 6. Improper glass sealing strips: If the sealing strips are not suitable, you can adjust their shape using DIY tools like scissors or a knife.
I often encounter power window malfunctions when driving older cars, mainly due to electrical system or mechanical component issues. Blown fuses are the most common problem, especially when operating windows during rainy days which can cause short circuits. Additionally, deformed window tracks can cause the glass to tilt and jam, while frozen rubber seals in winter increase resistance. Once when repairing it myself, I found oxidized contacts in the master switch - sanding them fixed the issue, though professional shops now typically replace the entire switch assembly. Worn carbon brushes in the window motor produce a 'buzzing' sound without movement, requiring door panel removal for replacement. Aftermarket audio installations with messy wiring that presses against window tracks are particularly troublesome, necessitating rewiring. I recommend regularly applying silicone lubricant spray to window tracks to prevent 80% of sticking issues.
Common failure points for power window malfunction can be summarized into four categories: blown fuse or poor switch contact in the electrical system; worn carbon brushes or burnt coils in the window motor; shattered plastic gears or dislodged steel cables in the regulator assembly; physical jamming caused by rail misalignment or door deformation from impact. Last week, I personally diagnosed a motor failure - when the multimeter showed operating current surging from the normal 5A to 15A, it was game over. Vehicles with anti-pinch function are more complicated, as false alarms from the resistance sensor can trigger automatic window lowering. If the window automatically drops about 1cm after reaching the top, it indicates poor contact in the position memory module. For emergency fixes, repeatedly cycling the ignition key can reset the system.
