Problems with Vehicle Power Windows

Are you unable to roll up one of your vehicle's windows? Power windows are undoubtedly convenient. Rather than manually turning a lever, you can roll up your vehicle's windows by pressing a button. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for power windows to fail. When you press the button to roll up a window, it may either roll up partially or not at all.

Is It Locked?

While it probably sounds like common sense, your vehicle's windows won't roll up if they are locked. Most vehicles are designed with a locking mechanism for the power windows. You can press a button to "lock" your power windows so that other passengers can't roll up them up or down. If your vehicle's windows are currently locked, you won't be able to roll them up. So, before delving further into this problem, check the driver-side controls for your vehicle's power windows to ensure they are unlocked.

Is the Fuse Bad?

If the fuse is bad, your vehicle's windows won't roll up. Like most automotive electronic components, power windows are connected to a fuse. If too much power flows from the battery to the windows, the fuse will break to protect your vehicle from damage. Breaking the fuse prevents power from reaching the windows. As a result, windows won't roll up if the fuse is blown.

You can typically tell if the fuse is bad is checking to see which windows are affected. Because most vehicles have all their windows on the same fuse, a blown fuse will affect all your vehicle's windows. If only some of your vehicle's windows are stuck and won't roll up, it's probably not the fuse.

Is the Regulator Bad?

Most instances of windows that won't roll up are associated with a bad regulator. The regulator, of course, is an assembly that's designed to move windows up and down on a track. Over time, regulators can fail, in which case they won't be able to fully move your vehicle's windows all the way up.

Is It the Motor?

No, I'm not talking about your vehicle's actual motor. Rather, power windows feature a miniature electric motor that's attached to the regulator. The motor helps to move the windows up and down on the regulator. If the motor goes bad, you won't be able to roll up the window. There are just a few possible reasons why your vehicle's windows won't roll up.