Windows won’t roll up or down?
Press and hold the window switch in the closed or up position.
With the window button depressed, open and then slam the car door.
Lynn Koenig / Getty Images
If it doesn’t work the first time, you might try it a few more times.
If it does work, and you keep the button pushed, the window should roll up.
This temporary fix may not work a second time.
If the window lockout button gets pushed accidentally, the windows will get stuck.
With the switch depressed, strike this location with your fist or a blunt object.
Be careful not to injure your fist or damage your door.
If the window rolls up, leave it there until you are ready to fix the problem.
When all the windows get stuck at once, suspect a fuse.
With the door open, place your palms together with the window sandwiched between them.
Have a helper push the window switch.
Apply pressure to the window with your palms and attempt to lift it up.
If your car has a voltage gauge, use it to see if your window motor is bad.
You may need to grip the window from the top to exert enough force.
Be careful not to get your hands stuck in the window as it closes.
What Can Cause Electric Windows to Fail?
If the manual window regulator is stuck, you may be able to get it working again with fresh grease.
Check this first, because it’s easy to accidentally bump these switches without realizing.
Check the fuses.If none of the windows roll up or down, check thefuses.
Replace any blown fuses, and give it another spin.
If the fuse blows again, look for a short circuit.
Do not use a bigger fuse than recommended.
The electric window motor is probably bad, or the regulator could be stuck.
Push the window switch and watch the dash gauges.This is another easy way to rule out a bad switch.
If it works, then the passenger side switch is bad.
Swap switches if possible.In some cars, the window switches are all identical.
This allows you to swap one from a window that works to a window that doesn’t work.
If the window starts working with the new switch, then you have a bad switch.
Check power to the switch.If the switch has power and ground, then suspect the wiring or the motor.
In the case of power windows, that’s the lockout switch.
Most vehicles that have power windows come equipped with a safety lockout switch.
This is usually a toggle switch, and it’s usually located on or near the main switch panel.
Some cars locate this panel on the driver’s door, and others have it in the center console.
When the lockout switch is toggled, some or all of the windows become impossible to operate.
After pressing the lockout switch, have a go at use your windows again.
If they work, then your problem has been solved.
Are the Window Motor Fuses Blown?
In most cars, all of the window motors are on the same circuit.
Fuse boxes are typically located under the dash, in the glove compartment, or in the engine compartment.
Some vehicles have multiple fuse boxes.
If you are able to locate your power window fuse, remove it and inspect it visually.
Most automotive fuses are semi-transparent, which allows you to see whether or not the fuse is blown.
Do not replace a blown fuse with a larger fuse.
If the fuse blows again, replacing it with a larger fuse could cause a fire.
Some cars have a voltage meter on the dash.
Push your window switch.
Look carefully to see if the needle on the voltage meter moves at all.
That means your switch is fine, and you probably have a bad window motor.
It’s also possible that the regulator may be bent, broken, or seized.
The only way to tell for sure is to remove the door panel and perform a visual inspection.
Attempt to Rule Out Bad Window Switches
Some vehicles use identical power window switches for each window.
Two of the other terminals should show ground, and the last two should have neither power nor ground.
Pushing the switch in the other direction should reverse which terminal has power and which has ground.
If you see different results from your test, then your switch is probably bad.
This requires you to remove the door panel.
With the ignition key in the accessory position, and your voltmeter hooked up, activate the window switch.
When you turn the window crank, pay attention to how it feels.
Pull the crank off and perform a visual inspection.
If the teeth are stripped, replacing the crank should fix your problem.
Check to double-check the window hasn’t popped out of the channel.
If it has, then popping it back in may allow you to roll it up.
How Do Car Windows Work?
Car windows use a part called a regulator to raise and lower them inside channels.
Electric windows have regulators that are hooked up to motors, but they operate on the same basic principle.
First, remove all attachments, such as armrests and cupholders, and then remove the door panel.
Next, check the window motor and cables to see if they’re functioning correctly.
