Car window won't roll up: switch, motor or regulator?

A power window has four main parts: the switch, the wiring through the door hinge area, an electric motor, and the regulator, which is the cable-and-pulley or scissor mechanism that converts the motor's spin into up-and-down movement of the glass. Most modern regulators use thin steel cables running over plastic pulleys and clips, and those plastic parts are where a large share of failures happen.

Listening tells you a lot. A grinding, clicking or freewheeling sound means the motor is working but the regulator is not passing its force to the glass. Silence from one window means power is not reaching that motor, or the motor is dead. Silence from every window points to something shared: the lockout button, a fuse, a relay, or the master switch on the driver's door.

Symptoms

• Window will not go up, but you hear the motor whirring or clicking inside the door
• Glass drops into the door with a pop or bang and will not come back up
• Window goes down normally but moves up slowly or stops partway
• Glass tilts or binds in its track as it moves
• One window is completely silent when you press its switch
• No windows respond from any switch
• The switch on the driver's door feels sticky, warm or works only from one direction

Likely causes and what they cost

Costs are typical South Florida ranges for parts and labor, for budgeting only.

What you can check yourself

1. 1
   Check the lockout button

   On the driver's door, the lock-window button disables the passenger switches. Press it once and try again. It is the most common reason a passenger window suddenly seems dead.

2. 2
   Listen at the door

   Put your ear near the door panel while someone presses the switch. Motor noise without movement means the regulator. Total silence means switch, wiring or motor.

3. 3
   Try both switches

   Use the master switch on the driver's door and then the switch on the stuck window's door. If one works and the other does not, the switch that does not work is the problem.

4. 4
   Help the glass gently

   With the car on, press the up switch while you lift the glass with flat palms on both sides. If it climbs with help, the motor or regulator is weak. Keep fingers out of the gap at the top, the window can close with force, and stop if you hear grinding.

5. 5
   Reset auto-up after battery work

   If the window moves but will not one-touch close, or it bounces back down, the pinch protection may need its position relearned. Many cars do this by holding the switch up for a few seconds after the glass closes. The owner's manual has the exact steps.

6. 6
   Check the fuse

   The fuse box diagram lists a power window fuse. Look for a broken strip and replace it with one of the same amperage only.

When to take it to a shop

• The glass has dropped into the door or is off its track
• The driver's master switch feels warm, smells of burnt plastic or is sticky
• Windows, locks and mirrors on one door all misbehave together
• A replacement fuse blows again immediately
• You would need to remove the door panel and are not comfortable with airbag sensors or clips in the door

The Florida factor

In South Florida, a window that will not close is a weather emergency on a schedule. Summer storms build most afternoons from June through September, and an inch of rain in half an hour through an open window can soak the carpet padding, which then grows mildew in the heat for weeks. If the glass will not come up, cover the opening with heavy plastic sheeting taped to the outside of the frame, not to the paint, and park under cover until it is fixed.

Heat is hard on the plastic parts inside the door. Regulator pulleys and clips get brittle after years of cars sitting in 140-degree interiors, and window channels dry out and grip the glass. Wiping the channels clean and treating them with silicone spray once or twice a year reduces strain on the motor. If your car was in flood water deep enough to reach the doors, expect corrosion in window motors and switches over the following months even if they work at first.

Notes for specific makes

• Volkswagen: Fourth-generation Jetta and Golf models from roughly the 1999-2006 era are well known for regulator clip failures that drop the glass into the door, often with a pop. Upgraded clip and cable kits exist and are a common repair.
• Toyota: Toyota recalled certain 2007-2009 Camry, RAV4, Corolla, Highlander, Tundra, Yaris and Sequoia models (NHTSA 12V-491, later expanded) because the driver's power window master switch could overheat and melt. A switch that feels sticky or notchy should be checked against the recall by VIN.
• Honda: Many Hondas lose the one-touch auto-up function after a battery replacement or disconnection. The usual reset is to run the window fully down and up while holding the switch for a couple of seconds at each end; check the manual for your model.

Frequently asked questions

More on this job: Battery & Electrical in Boca Raton, costs and how to choose a shop