Power window issue/window stuck down

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Apr 18, 2025 | 09:58 AM

MD_7.three

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Tuned

Joined: Dec 2018

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From: Eastern shore, MD

Power window issue/window stuck down

We are camping and yesterday my son put down the rear passenger window and it will not go back up. Wondering if anyone can share any tips or ideas on how I could at least manually get it back up for the rest of the trip.

all of the other windows work fine up and down, but the right rear will not work from its own switch or the driver door panel. Assuming the motor went bad but I am on the road so I don’t have any way to get a new one and replace it until we get home and I’d really rather not do the 4 hour drive home, potentially in the rain, with a trash bag tapped to the window…

appreciate any help!

Apr 18, 2025 | 10:05 AM

Eman85

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Joined: May 2024

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From: E TN

Old Indian trick to start with is smack the door while holding the button in the up position. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Past that it's time for a test light and some jumper wires. System works by switching power and ground to opposite terminals to reverse the motor.

Apr 18, 2025 | 10:20 AM

MD_7.three

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Tuned

Joined: Dec 2018

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From: Eastern shore, MD

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eman85

I tried that with some smacks, a few door slams, etc no luck. I should add I assume the motor has given up the ghost, this window has been weak going back up for a while, it’s been on my list of projects to replace both my rear window motors someday but we don’t really ever put the rear windows down, so it’s been on the back burner for a while….

assuming the motor is dead is there a way to manually get the window back into the up position?

Apr 18, 2025 | 11:10 AM

INFRNL

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Joined: Apr 2012

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From: Bottom Of Pikes Peak

yeah..you'd have to pull the door panel and remove the motor...slide the widow up and see if you ca get the motor back in. I'm pretty sure there isn't a manual bypass type of thing

Apr 18, 2025 | 04:02 PM

udsuth78

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From: Ponca City, OK

If you've got a 12v jump pack or other source of 12v with adequate current capacity to run a window motor plus a couple feet of wire you could try bypassing the switch and hitting the motor wires directly. Could just be a bad connection, corrosion, I've even a bad switch keeping it from working. Could explain the poor performance too. Bad connection=resistance=voltage drop=DC motor runs slower.

Apr 19, 2025 | 06:29 AM

Sous

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Joined: May 2014

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From: Lake Hartwell, GA

Tape a garbage bag over it and enjoy the camping trip. Fix it when you get home.

Apr 19, 2025 | 06:41 AM

MD_7.three

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Tuned

Joined: Dec 2018

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From: Eastern shore, MD

Decided to run to HF yesterday since it was only about 30 min away from us to grab a cheapo MM and some wire just to see and on the way back suddenly the window just started working (and working well it went back up strong, and as a gluten for punishment I put it down and up 2-3 more times just to check)…so it is up for now at least. I pulled the panel and didn’t see any issues with the connectors or any signs of corrosion that would suggest an intermittent failure…so I disconnected the switch at the door so kids won’t accidentally put it down again and will most likely ignore it until another window decides to fail or the electrical gremlins show their head somewhere else. Think a GEM issue? Or just something internal with the motor itself?