Driver's window only goes down

[hobbes]

Driver's window only goes down: Solved

My driver's window only goes down (not up). I pulled the switch and cleaned it. Nothing. I removed the motor, disassembled it, cleaned and greased it. I also greased all the tracks (including the rubber window tracks). It goes up and down nicely if I jump power from the battery to the motor. If I try jumping the leads in the "up" part of the switch I just get sparks (so it's not carbon on the contacts). So either the master switch is bad or the motor is drawing too much current on "up" rotation. What I don't have is an amp meter to check the draw per the factory manual. I think I need to go and buy one. Anything I might be missing? Has anyone seen this?

Thanks....John

 

[Waggoner5]

My master switch was bad when that happened to my 97.

 

[landtank]

Bad switch when it happed to me. I see you have the auto up mod in there. If it's a current issue you should see the solenoid get activated when you pull up on the switch and then hold for a short time and then release. It's the amp draw that triggers the release in the auto mode. Pressing the auto down button will show you what I'm talking about. Now if that solenoid isn't getting activated then I think it's the switch.

As far as the motor is concerned, if it works one way then it should work both because all you are doing is reversing polarity to make the motor go in the other direction.

Also, if it is an amp draw issue then helping the motor by pulling up on the glass should get it moving.

 

[hobbes]

Rick, I failed to put in my first post I do not hear the solenoid when I try to put up the window. For awhile, if I first started the window going down and quickly switched to up, it seemed to help. Alas, no more.

What fails in the switch if the contacts are good?

Time to feed Dan's dogs again. I'll put in a new rubber track as well. I'm guessing those cause binding over time.

 

[landtank]

It's the contacts in the switch if the solenoid isn't working. When I did my first autoup mod the contacts feel out so I put them back in, but not in the exact spots. That switch was temperamental for years despite tearing into it several times. It finally just quit. I ended up getting a junk yard assembly out of a Camry and modding it and it's been fine.

 

[jamisobe]

At least you can still get fast food without opening your door or getting out of your car.

 

[Dan Skye]

Rick, I failed to put in my first post I do not hear the solenoid when I try to put up the window. For awhile, if I first started the window going down and quickly switched to up, it seemed to help. Alas, no more.

What fails in the switch if the contacts are good?

Time to feed Dan's dogs again. I'll put in a new rubber track as well. I'm guessing those cause binding over time.

None off my windows like going up on cold damp days
Have to hand assist to get them up Oh the humiliation.....

 

[619TOY]

Sounds like the switch but you should disconnect the motor (plug within a foot of the motor) connect your meter to the two pins on the car harness side and see if you get pwr and gnd when pushing the switch up as well as down. Almost any DMM I know of will tell you the voltage in both directions without changing the position of the leads (you'll just get a "-" symbol on the display when the polarity is reversed). Otherwise you can just disconnect the same plug and jumper both of the wires back together but transpose them. If your window now goes up but not down you'll know it's the switch.

 

[landtank]

Sounds like the switch but you should disconnect the motor (plug within a foot of the motor) connect your meter to the two pins on the car harness side and see if you get pwr and gnd when pushing the switch up as well as down. Almost any DMM I know of will tell you the voltage in both directions without changing the position of the leads (you'll just get a "-" symbol on the display when the polarity is reversed). Otherwise you can just disconnect the same plug and jumper both of the wires back together but transpose them. If your window now goes up but not down you'll know it's the switch.

The only issue with this is that the VOM will most likely see 12v on both sides of the switch. To get the motor moving you need amps, just voltage won't do anything. What happens is with a load (motor) in the circuit the 12v is drawn down, no load and the voltage stays high.

 

[619TOY]

The only issue with this is that the VOM will most likely see 12v on both sides of the switch. To get the motor moving you need amps, just voltage won't do anything. What happens is with a load (motor) in the circuit the 12v is drawn down, no load and the voltage stays high.

I wasn't trying to verify the the motor movement or current capability of the circuit with this step, just verify the reversing of the polarity from the switch. Both of the wires probably rest at ground and will go to 12v when the appropriate side of the switch is depressed.

It is true that if the circuit is unable to supply the neccessary current, the device must be connected and you must meter the power as well as the ground side of the circuit to verify that the voltage level doesn't drop too low.

The unfortunate part of diagnosing an electrical problem over a site like this is that it simpler to describe the process in steps as opposed to writing out an entire flow chart of "what ifs". If only I were a little better at typing

I would normally ask someone to perform a few measurements and the post the results

But to be sure there is usually quite a bit more going on in my head than makes it to the page. Sorry for any confusion

 

[hobbes]

619Toy, I think I'm following you. You're basically saying check the voltage at the two pins on the switch for the appropriate reversing polarity. That would be another good check along with the current draw. My problem is that I'm out of time (and town) so my back is to the wall. I'm going to bite the bullet and buy a switch. If it doesn't work...well, back to the motor. I'll post up the results.
Thanks...John

 

[landtank]

619toy, my point was that doing the test as you outlined will almost always show the switch to be working. In my profession I've seen many technicians get tripped up by that and think the switch is good.

I'm sure the switch is the problem and myself would have ordered one.

 

[hobbes]

Problem solved. I installed a new master switch (after modding it for auto-up). That took care of the problem. Thanks for the help on this.

On a side note, I replaced the rubber "door glass run" trim. That is what the window slides in. That seemed to speed things up a bit. My intend was to decrease the draw the switch sees on a continual basis. A side benefit has been a reduction in wind noise.