How to Get a Car's Power Window Up When It Doesn't Work
by Leonardo R. Grabkowski
The manual windows in older vehicles are inconvenient and slow. However, they are very reliable and rarely fail. This isn't always the case with power windows. A typical power window has several moving parts, each of which could fail at any time. If your power window will not raise fully, it is likely off track or you have a bad window motor. Either way, you'll need to get the window up until you can get it fixed.
Step 1
Examine your window closely. If the top part of the window is exposed slightly, see the Tips section below before proceeding. This tutorial is primarily aimed at windows that are completely lowered into the door.
Step 2
Remove the screws or bolts holding your door panel to the door. Most vehicles have small screws behind the arm rest and along the bottom. Some have panels the size of quarters that must be pried off to access the screws.
Step 3
Unhook your negative battery cable. You will have to remove the power window control panel. Always unhook the negative battery cable before touching electrical components.
Step 4
Pry off the power window control panel and disconnect the connection from behind it. Set the panel aside. Look over the entire door panel closely to make sure you haven't missed any screws or bolts.
Step 5
Use the door trim tool to unhook the clips holding your door panel to the door. Insert the tool between the panel and the door to pop the clips out.
Step 6
Lift up on the door panel and then pull it away from the door. Unhook any other electrical connections that may be holding it to the door.
Step 7
Peel back the protective sheet on the door to access the window.
Step 8
Examine the bottom portion of the window. Find out if one or more sides are off track. If they are, lift the bottom of the window and place it back on its track. Push the window completely up until it is completely closed.
Step 9
See if the window holds its position. As long as the internal components aren't broken, the window will stay in place. If it doesn't, apply masking tape or duct tape over the top of the window to secure it until you can fix the problem.
Tips
- Simply pull the window up if a portion of it sticks up through the door panel.
- If the window is off track, reconnect the negative battery cable and the power window control panel. Try to raise the door up and down. If the window still doesn't work, the problem is likely a power window motor.
Things You'll Need
- Pliers
- Screwdriver
- Socket wrench (optional)
- Door panel tool
Writer Bio
Leonardo R. Grabkowski has been writing professionally for more than four years. Grabkowski attended college in Oregon. He builds websites on the side and has a slight obsession with Drupal, Joomla and Wordpress.
