Why would power windows go down but not up?

Answer 1

My guess would be the window motor about $60 +/-

AnswerTry the window switch. Swap one from a door that works and see if that doesn't fix it. Lots cheaper than buying a motor to start with and much more likely. AnswerI don't know much abouit cars but had this problem and fixed it 2 minutes before I wrote this. Before you go out buying a new motor or getting a new switch try dumping Alchohol down the swith so it gets all inside then work the switch back and forth for a bit to clean the contact. Worked for me first try. If this doesn't work the switch may just be broken. But the window going down suggests the motor is working. That's all I got hope it works. It did for me and I think a trip to the medicine cabinet to fix my car beats a dealer junkyard or parts store anyday, especially with a 40% chance of rain on the way, :) AnswerI had the same exact problem with my passenger side window (Honda Accord). I was waiting for Monday to see a mechanic but saw this "Alchohol" method first (Sunday). I tried it, BINGO!!! the window can now go up! 16 FL Oz Alchohol = $1.79, WikiAnswers = PRICELESS!!! Answer

This worked for me too. I had the whole door apart - and was just about to take it in to a repair shop. A bit of alchohol and the window came up!

Holy Crap. It worked. I didnt want to believe it but i tried it and Bam the window came up. I was pessimistic at first but I was desperate so i gave it a try. Thank you to the guy that came up with this.

My son's 1992 Volvo has same window problem. I tried the alcohol but no go. I was about to take the door panel off when I decided to just pop the switch panel off instead. It came right out. From there I simply switched the wires with a working switch and got the window back up. The switch is still broke but hey, the window was up in 5 minutes time.

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The alcohol trick above just worked on my 1986 BMW 325i. I'm amazed -- repairs of this sort should be difficult, expensive, and humiliating. Thanks, first author!

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From a Rover 800 owner (these cars are similar to the 1998 Honda Legend)

There must be some VERY LUCKY people out there who have very basic window controllers. The slightly more luxurious cars have complicated locking and alarm control boxes. With these if you lock-up the car with the windows and sunroof open everything closes by itself (or it should do if the system works properly) Nowadays the window motors have tacho-generators built into them. This tells the "brain" how fast the window is going. If the window is not closing fast enough the "brain" assumes something must be trapped so it reverses the motor. This is excellent for babies who always seem to be getting stuck in the windows! (some babies have been killed by car electric windows which did not have adequate safety features) What is another problem is that the windows have to be "calibrated" if the car battery has gone flat or has been changed. The windows will not work properly until they have been fully calibrated and one-touch-up or one-touch-down will not be available until after calibration. Incidentally this window palaver can be so stressful that it might be handy to have a couple of 100 gram bars of chocolate or a few beers handy. (Also remove all ropes from the work area in case the owner feels like hanging himself) On old cars the "brain" can "think" that something is trapped in the window if the grease in the mechanism has dried-out and this can prevent the windows going up. On this window palaver the battery should be be beyond reproach and fully charged (A bad battery was the cause of an interminable problem on a friends Porsche 924 that would crank very well indeed but would rarely start - YUK!)

I regret to say that on my spare car all four windows will go down but not up! It is hardly likely that FOUR motors or SEVEN switches have suddenly gone wrong so it must be something else. Often dry-joints in the fuse-box can be a problem but the soldering on this one looks perfect. Some cars have two fuses for the window motors as "UP" needs more current than "DOWN". Some cars have thermal trips in the power lines and if all four motors are operated together, the current trip may function. On the old Audi 100 the reset buttons are above the front passengers feet. It is worth knowing this as if one drives to a city and cannot close the windows the car is likely to get burgled.

It would be a good idea for car makers to provide an access-point to the window winders so that the windows could be wound by hand or with a power drill as these faults can be enough to drive a strong man to drink.

Burned switch contacts are easy to find but on a modern system there will usually be a lot more too it than that.

Good luck!