6 Reasons Your Car’s Power Windows Aren’t Working in the Columbus, OH Area

If you’ve had the experience of driving a car with manual windows, you know well the advantages to power windows. They’re a feature once reserved for high-end luxury cars and have now become quite common. We do a lot of power window repair in our authorized service center, and we share some of our experience in the following six things that could cause your vehicle’s power windows not to work. If you have any questions or would like us to take care of the problem for you, give us a call, stop by in person, or schedule a service appointment quickly and easily online.

6. The Window is Frozen
Throughout the greater Columbus, OH area, we’re no strangers to cold weather. In fact, there’s a good chance that you’ve gone to open your power window just a bit in the winter to find it won’t work at all. If everything is frosty, there’s a good chance that the window has simply frozen shut. Sometimes, you can run your ice scraper gently around the window where it meets the weather stripping and free up the window. Otherwise, it should be thawed enough for the window to open about the time you arrive at work.

5. The Window Regulator has a Problem
Sometimes, the window regulator is confused with the power window motor, but they’re two different things. The regulator is the part inside the door that holds the glass and is responsible for physically raising and lowering the window. It’s not too common for the regulator to be the reason your power windows don’t work unless something has physically interfered with it.

4. The Window Motor Went Bad
The power window motor is like most electric motors, which means it may go bad after enough use and time. Determining for sure that the power window motor is the problem means taking off the door panel to test the motor and it’s wiring. We recommend leaving this bit to the experts.

3. Something is Wrong with the Wiring
On older vehicles, there was an extendable conduit between the door and the front door jamb. On these models, it was common for something to get out of place and cause the wires to get pinched by the door. At times, this might server the wires, or could expose enough of the wire to ground out when the door closed. Today, contact connections have largely replaced these wiring conduits, but other issues can happen in the wiring like rodents, rain, and corrosion.

2. The Power Window Switch is Bad
If you think about it, we ask a lot of that little power window switch. It’s often placed so the rain can reach it if the window gets left open even a little bit, and we’re frequently using it. The power window switch is among the more common reasons that we see for power windows not working. Sometimes, this switch can be cleaned and work just fine. Other times, the switch is just bad and should be replaced with a new OEM power window switch.

1. The Fuse for the Power Windows Went Bad
This is usually the first stop when tracking down a problem in an electrical system like the power windows. Your owner’s manual should tell you where the fuse boxes are on your vehicle and what each fuse it for. If the fuse for the power windows is bad and the new one blows out soon after being installed, you could have a problem with the power window motor or somewhere else in the electrical system.