Driver Window stuck down...

[ukharper]

My window went down, but will not come back up. All other windows & mirrors are fine.
Driver window switch doesn`t click when moved up or down like the others, but I can hear a relay clicking twice when pushing or pulling it.

I stripped the trim off to get to the motor ,took off the motor from the wire linkage & I could pull the window up & down OK.
Set the window half open, fitted back the motor & switchpack & it moved.....but only went down again even when I pressed up or down, & would not go up at all. Took the motor off again, set the window fully up & refitted the motor to keep it up...again no joy from the switch, but just seemed to press the window shut at least.

Any ideas what to replace first? I get the impression the switchpack is a regular culprit, the motor seems to be working fine, so where is the window control unit(or is the switchpack the control unit)?

The motor shaft has a worm screw on the end, so I assume this turns a cog with the wire wrapped around it....could this have broken teeth & be causing it to jam or something?

[Mike84]

Sounds like the switch to me. Same thing happened on my Rover, changed the switch, all was well. Take the switch off of the passenger door and try that to see if it goes up and down.

If it does you know its the switch.

[old codger]

Should the drivers window switch 'click' like the others?

[djp30djp]

Hi, I had the same fault, got the window up manually several times but it would only go down.
This is a "Safety" feature of the now faulty motor, the only cure is a new motor.

[ukharper]

An update....
Got a s/hand switch but the problem remains. Often if I press up the window goes down- but only a short drop at a time. Pressing down makes the window go back up a bit at a time. Sometimes all I get is a click from a relay under the dash & no movement- all other windows work fine. Could it be a relay then, or a control unit (where is it?...i`ve heard it is part of the motor unit in the door).

[mjb]

Unplug the motor from the door and put a multimeter on the connector (wire-side, not motor-side). If there's around 12v when you press the switch (don't forget to turn the ignition/aux on first), then the motor more than likely needs replacing.

[ukharper]

Well, finally got it sorted with a replacement motor/linkage from ebay. The plug was different,but it unscrewed & I fitted my original plug into it, which has a small circuit board & the prongs that touch the motor connections....works fine now.

[teamster1975]

That's good news!
Mine has started playing silly buggers; you close it most of the way up and then it autoreverses, not good when it's raining!

[mjb]

That's good news!
Mine has started playing silly buggers; you close it most of the way up and then it autoreverses, not good when it's raining!

I hate it when it does that! Stupid safety conscious french. If I want to behead someone in my own car they should bloody well let me! I wonder how/where it senses it (guessing at the motor, but I dunno how) and if I can figure out how to hack it to drop the sensitivity

[steve_earwig]

Good news about fixing it and thanks for sticking your result on here. Umm, you didn't drive about with your window open for 7 months did you?

From what I remember, the autoreverse thing was common on the big Vauxhalls as the weather changed, obviously steel expands a little bit when the weather warms up and plastic/rubber parts change char.. carict.... whatever too, it's just a case of resetting the buggers.

Safety auto-reverse
When the window on the driver's side rises and meets an obstacle, it stops and partially lowers again.
Notes:
In the case of unwanted opening of the window on closing (for example, in the case of frost) if the window will not rise and goes into safety auto-reverse mode, lower it completely and raise it again immediately, by pulling the switch until the window closes completely*. Continue to press the switch for approximately one second after closing.

*Presumably without using the one-touch jobbie.

[Welly]

The "goes up but reverses" thing is common on 3 series BM's. As far as I know the motor senses overcurrent and reverses (don't ask me how).

Window rubbers can be the culprit of this problem as they prevent the smooth passage of the glass. I lubricated the window rubbers/glass guides with silicone based maintenance spray on her indoors old BM and it fixed the problem instantly.

[teamster1975]

The "goes up but reverses" thing is common on 3 series BM's. As far as I know the motor senses overcurrent and reverses (don't ask me how).

Window rubbers can be the culprit of this problem as they prevent the smooth passage of the glass. I lubricated the window rubbers/glass guides with silicone based maintenance spray on her indoors old BM and it fixed the problem instantly.

Thanks for that, I'll have a go!