Power window stopped working

[ps_1130]

Originally Posted by SR71

I know this is an old post but I just wanted to thank you for coming back and posting the solution once you found it. I had the same problem and couldn't figure out what was going on at all. I searched Google and several forums before I found this lone post which solved my issue. Saved me a lot of headache.

Agreed.

I still have issue, but thanks for posting update.

[CalmTom]

I used this post extensively to try to solve my 2010 Camaro’s window problem. I figured that now that I FINALLY solved it, I will post so that no one else has to go through what I went through.

Symptoms: The window would not go up or down. It was stuck. There would be slight buzz/click noises from the window motor, this buzz happened when the key was on and the window switch was pressed.

Other parts of the door worked well. The passenger side power window switch and window worked, the trunk release and mirrors worked too.

My First mistake: With the idea that the buzzing from the window motor (I had checked it with a stethoscope and the noise was coming from the motor area) I assumed that the motor had power but was bad. I bought and replaced the regulator/motor. After I did all of that I found that the new motor regulator was doing the exact same thing. Dang! Wasted $130.

Now I went looking for issues. I checked the 12v source to the door and the ground from the door. I check the 12V source for battery voltage and had 12.35V, the same as the battery. I checked the ground wire (at the door harness) for continuity to the body and it the voltmeter buzzed. I was stumped.

Second Mistake: I bought a new window switch. My local auto parts company had it in stock. I thought that was probably a good sign that they went bad, but after I replaced it, nothing changed.

Getting Closer: I decided to clean up the ground connection to the door. The ground is located on the body, just left of the dead pedal. Before cleaning it I measured the voltage difference between the ground and the battery and I got 9.8 volts. So I cleaned it up and got that back to 12.35V. It didn’t change anything though.

Getting Much Closer: Now that I was chasing the performance of all of the grounds, I measured the voltage drop between the battery and the ground connector of the door harness. That’s where the big drop was. I only got 7 volts. Something was wrong between the ground wire at the door harness and the ground just a foot away at the body. I peeled back the cover of the wiring between the door and the car and boom, the ground wire finally broke completely. It must have been on its last few strands of wire.

Found the Problem: To see if I had found the problem, I used some alligator clips and connected one end of the broken wired to the same wire inside the car and BOOM! The window went up and down.

I then had to fix the indexing because the window wouldn't go all the way up. So I pulled fuse 26, waited a minute, put the fuse back, closed the hood and then started the car and did the reset. Perfect. 



Lesson Learned: The ground wire between the car and the door connector was almost completely failed. Not allowing enough current to drive the window regulator, but allowing enough for other things to work. I spliced in a new section of ground wire and fixed the problem.

I hope you can read this before you buy a new regulator and a new switch. You’ll save $160 and a bunch of effort. You may not even have to take the door panel off.

How to Diagnose this yourself. You’ll need a voltmeter.
Step 1. Connect positive lead of volt meter to the positive terminal post in the engine bay. Set the meter to DC voltage.
Step 2. Disconnect the door harness from the door. You do this by prying the top upward about 1/2 inch and then the plug comes right out.
Step 3. Measure voltage to the ground port on the harness (left side, second hole from top when looking at the female plug). You shouldn’t have any drop, it should be battery voltage (12 volts). If this is low, you have a ground problem, find the break in this wire and fix it.
Step 3B Measure the voltage from the positive terminal to the ground that is inside the car, up above the dead pedal, bolted to the body. This should also be battery voltage. If it isn’t, unbolt the ground and clean it up. If it is battery voltage, and you failed step 3, you have the same problem I did. The ground wire has failed between the door and inside the vehicle.
Step 4. Measure positive voltage at the connector (put the positive lead from your meter in the top right hole on the female plug). And ground the negative lead on the body (find a spot with no paint, like the door striker) The meter should read 12 volts. If this is wrong, your positive wire might be failed.

[SS_Don]

Excellent writeup.