Master Window/Lock Switch Problems (1 Viewer)

[cubaniche]

Well, I'm lucky enough to have experienced this as well. So far nothing has fixed it for me. I'm super frustrated. I just want my windows to work!

How I got here:
My liftgate motor died, so I had to disconnect the battery while swapping it out. Afterwards I went camping for a long weekend. Everything behaved exactly as expected. Not a single issue all weekend. Then on Thursday I jumped in my rig to run an errand and the windows wouldn't work.

What I've tried:
1. Resyncing all of the window controls. I get the same behavior others have described. (Need to push the button twice to get the window move, but after a resync each passenger window switch works as expected. The master still won't behave.)
2. Disconnecting/Reconnecting the battery. I've tried multiple times with different amounts of time being disconnected.
3. Cleaning the contacts for the master switch. It was spotless, but I cleaned it anyway and added some dielectric grease.
4. Checked all fuses. I mean ALL of them. In-cabin and under the hood. (I'm desperate at this point.)
5. Cussed and threw things in my garage. (Not surprised that didn't help.)
6. Tested other features of the vehicle. I do have a list of other controls that are not working as expected. Maybe they point to something specific?
a. Seat memory controls don't work. The seat controls do, just not the memory.
b. Driver's door lock doesn't work. Key fob, exterior, and passenger door locks all work fine.
c. Key fob and valet key window roll-down functions do not work.
d. The drivers side window will roll up or down even without the car being on. Normally it would be locked until you turn on the car, but it works any time currently. The 'auto' function doesn't work, but the switch will move the window. I'm guessing this is a safety fallback function.
e. Driver's button for rear hatch doesn't work. Key fob and rear button work as expected. (May or may not be related, but I'm noting it down.)

My best guess is that it's a communication issue between the driver's master switch and the ECU. I'm thinking the signal goes from the master switch to the ECU, then to the individual windows. That would explain why the individual controls work and why the driver's window is not locking-out like it should.

Does anyone have any other ideas for what else to check? Is there anything in Techstream that would let me see the signals coming from the driver's switches? So far the fixes in this forum have been super random. (New switch, new battery, window lock button, bad wires, 'it just started working') There has to be a magic bullet.

I'll be busting out the shop manuals and digging around tomorrow. Maybe I'll find something in there. I really wish they were laid out better. But that's a topic for another day.

I recently figured it out in my case. I have an no sound issue going on (not the amp and not the multib display controller) I'm still trying to get to the bottom of. It set a B15D0 code for MOST BUS communication fault. In an effort to clear the code I went into the radio diagnostic screen and cleared/reset the code. And then reinitialized the system. Windows started working perfectly after that. Go figure!

 

[nexizen]

I recently figured it out in my case. I have an no sound issue going on (not the amp and not the multib display controller) I'm still trying to get to the bottom of. It set a B15D0 code for MOST BUS communication fault. In an effort to clear the code I went into the radio diagnostic screen and cleared/reset the code. And then reinitialized the system. Windows started working perfectly after that. Go figure!

You are my savior. Seriously. I was so frustrated by this issue. The relief!

I went into the diagnostic menu and saw an error. Mine was different than yours, but it was there. I cleared it and tried resyncing. Nothing changed. So I grabbed my OBDII tool and loaded it up. It showed that there weren't any error codes. I told it to go ahead and clear the codes anyway. And now my windows work!?!!? I don't get it. But I'm so happy it worked. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hopefully this thread will be helpful to the next poor soul who experiences this weird issue.

 

[cubaniche]

You are my savior. Seriously. I was so frustrated by this issue. The relief!

I went into the diagnostic menu and saw an error. Mine was different than yours, but it was there. I cleared it and tried resyncing. Nothing changed. So I grabbed my OBDII tool and loaded it up. It showed that there weren't any error codes. I told it to go ahead and clear the codes anyway. And now my windows work!?!!? I don't get it. But I'm so happy it worked. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hopefully this thread will be helpful to the next poor soul who experiences this weird issue.

Awesome glad to hear it!

 

[nexizen]

Well, everything worked perfectly for a while. I had another camping trip this last weekend. At one point my battery died and I had to use a jump pack. The trip home was uneventful. The windows worked fine dozens of time. Then today, two days after I got back, I hopped in the rig to run to the grocery store and the windows don't work.

I ran through all of the same steps outlined previously, but nothing worked. I did notice one difference this time: The key fob and valet key no longer roll the windows up or down. It's also worth noting that I did not have any errors in either the diagnostic screen on the display or on the OBDII reader. I cleared both anyway, but it still didn't work.

I'm going to put my good battery charger on it overnight just as an experiment, but I don't have high hopes. Anyone else with any ideas.

 

[nexizen]

Alright, I'm finally back with an update. Turns out my sunroof drains were both completely clogged and water was getting in the cabin. I figured this out when I drove through a car wash and suddenly there was water running down the a-pillar. Not cool.

I did a deep clean on the sunroof drains and ran my dehumidifier in the car for a couple of days. Now the windows all work as expected.

I'm sure the water also did some long-term damage to the connectors, so I guess I'll be pulling them all apart and cleaning them. Yay me.

I don't know if this info will help anyone else, but I wanted to pass along my experience anyway.

 

[cubaniche]

Alright, I'm finally back with an update. Turns out my sunroof drains were both completely clogged and water was getting in the cabin. I figured this out when I drove through a car wash and suddenly there was water running down the a-pillar. Not cool.

I did a deep clean on the sunroof drains and ran my dehumidifier in the car for a couple of days. Now the windows all work as expected.

I'm sure the water also did some long-term damage to the connectors, so I guess I'll be pulling them all apart and cleaning them. Yay me.

I don't know if this info will help anyone else, but I wanted to pass along my experience anyway.

Good find. Im surprised the windows were all that was affected. Lots of other connections can be found down by the pillars and floor. My wife's GX460 had a similar issue with water not draining and whenever the water made it's way down the pillars it affected everything from the engine to the traction control system, to the windows and locks.

Hopefully thats the end of your window saga!

 

[hlsam]

Alright, I'm finally back with an update. Turns out my sunroof drains were both completely clogged and water was getting in the cabin. I figured this out when I drove through a car wash and suddenly there was water running down the a-pillar. Not cool.

I did a deep clean on the sunroof drains and ran my dehumidifier in the car for a couple of days. Now the windows all work as expected.

I'm sure the water also did some long-term damage to the connectors, so I guess I'll be pulling them all apart and cleaning them. Yay me.

I don't know if this info will help anyone else, but I wanted to pass along my experience anyway.

I just came across this post because I'm in the exact same boat. Driver's side window controls stopped working after going through the car wash. I checked the sunroof and the drains were clogged. I've unclogged the drains, but unfortunately my controls are still down.

Do you know of any good resources or youtube videos that show how to access and clean the connectors for the power windows? Do I need to take the whole door panel off to get to them?

 

[nexizen]

I just came across this post because I'm in the exact same boat. Driver's side window controls stopped working after going through the car wash. I checked the sunroof and the drains were clogged. I've unclogged the drains, but unfortunately my controls are still down.

Do you know of any good resources or youtube videos that show how to access and clean the connectors for the power windows? Do I need to take the whole door panel off to get to them?

For my situation, it wasn't the connectors in the door that were causing the issues. It was the connectors under the dash. I recommend throwing a dehumidifier in your car for a day or two to make sure you get 100% of the humidity out.

I attached a pic from the wiring diagram manual. The "Front Door LH Wire" connectors are where you want to focus your attention. That's where my issues were coming from. You should be able to access them without taking your dash apart. It might be easier if you remove just the lower plastic covers.

Of course, with water ingress, you'll probably want to check/clean/replace each of the connectors in that region and there are lots... and they will require taking apart most of the left side of your dash. But if you aren't seeing any issues with other systems, maybe it's not worth the hassle.

 

[jl199986]

Similar issue after draining my battery (sat with the heated seats on a bit too long I think). Had to jump it with my boost pack.

Now a couple days later I notice the drivers window switch doesn’t obey the one click detent. And the front passenger window switch (in drivers door) doesn’t work at all.

The switches for the rear work fine, as do the switches on the other door panels.

I note when I turn off the car it has an error that says “window open” when they are not.

No water intrusion. It’s garaged and drains are clear, under dash dry as can be.

I’ll look into this radio diagnostic mode tomorrow. Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[nexizen]

Similar issue after draining my battery (sat with the heated seats on a bit too long I think). Had to jump it with my boost pack.

Now a couple days later I notice the drivers window switch doesn’t obey the one click detent. And the front passenger window switch (in drivers door) doesn’t work at all.

The switches for the rear work fine, as do the switches on the other door panels.

I note when I turn off the car it has an error that says “window open” when they are not.

No water intrusion. It’s garaged and drains are clear, under dash dry as can be.

I’ll look into this radio diagnostic mode tomorrow. Any thoughts appreciated.

You might try resetting any OBD codes.

 

[jl199986]

Got a scanner and found codes for the windows saying position initialization incomplete. This seemed to prevent both the automatic “tollbooth” opening as well as the driver door controlling the other windows at all.

But turns out I don’t need a scanner to fix or clear code. Position relearn can be done by cycling the window open all the way and holding the switch for an additional 3-5 seconds. Then same to close- hold another 3-5 past closed.

I did this at each door and the drivers can now control everything and all the auto opens work fine too. No more codes either.