JJR512

That didn't take long...just bought my first 944 on Saturday, and today I have my first failure. It's the passenger side window. It was going up and down just fine, now suddenly it won't go up. It's all the way down right now.

I've read some threads about this here and other places, and I know most commonly, it's a switch problem. It doesn't seem to be a switch problem for me.

I took out the driver's side switch panel and disconnected the connectors from both switches. I tried connecting the passenger side connector to the driver's side switch. This did not make the passenger window move. I next tried connecting the driver's side connector to the passenger side switch. This did make the driver's side window go up and down. This tells me the problem is not with the window switch.

Additionally, when I push up on the switch to make the passenger window go up, I hear something in the passenger door. Not exactly a click, not a humming...I don't know how to describe the sound. It's momentary, I only hear it the first instant I push the switch.

The passenger side window, while it was still working, was slightly slower than the driver's side, but only by about two seconds.

First question: Is this most likely a motor problem, regulator problem, could it still be a switch problem?

Second, and temporarily more important question: Is there any way I can get the window up? If I take off the door panel can I manually raise the window somehow?

Sterlingx2011

I think that clicking noise is the switch relay clicking on and off when you press the switch. I haven't had this problem with my 944 but my mustang has power window failure all the bloody time.

My vote would be a fault in the motor but either way you are going to have to pull off the door card to check. While you are in there check the cables running to the door handles are in good shape.. they tend to snap with age.

JJR512

I noticed that the "scrapers", the strips of rubber at the base of the window that the glass passes through on its way up or down, are almost completely gone. That means that gunk and debris had a fairly easy time getting inside the door, possibly gumming up the workings in there. Is it possible that some bit of debris or junk has suddenly jammed up the window? Could that happen so suddenly that the window was going up and down just fine, then 10 minutes later it won't move at all?

88Silver924S

The wiring on the window switches is weird so your troubleshooting may not have caught the bad contact. I have to take apart & clean the switches every few years because of the burnt contacts not corrosion. See Clarks-Garage.com under "Body" you'll find "Windows (Electric) Troubleshooting and Switch Repair" for a walk through on taking the switch apart cleaning and reassembly. It's not difficult and it costs nothing but time. Good luck.

JJR512

Does look like it could use a good cleaning! This is the switch on the driver's door for the passenger window.

use2windsurf

I had this exact problem when I got mine. BOTH switches for the passenger side window have to be installed adn working or you get no window movement. one of your two switches is probably bad, that was my problem.

JJR512

I have disassembled all three switches, cleaned thoroughly, and reassembled carefully.

After doing that, I located the multi-meter I couldn't find earlier, and test them as per the directions at Clark's Garage. All three switches tested OK.

I then tested the volts in the wires going to the switches, again per the directions at Clark's Garage. Both connector's on the driver's side tested OK. However, the connector on the passenger side appeared to be not getting any volts. There was no movement on the multi-meter needle.

Finally, I plugged all switches back in, and the passenger side window still does not work.

Clark's Garage does not say what to do if there are no volts coming through the wires.

JJR512

Is there a manual way to put the window up somehow and just leave it there for now?

JJR512

To answer my own question...I'm gonna try taking off the interior door panel and see if I can apply 12V directly to the motor. Unless someone has a better idea by the time I finish getting the door panel off...

JJR512

Correction: After further checking, I realized that what I was using for a ground when testing the passenger side wiring connector wasn't really a ground. I found a good grounding spot, checked again, and there actually is voltage coming to both pins as described at Clark's.

So if the wiring is good...and the switches are good...then I guess that just leaves one thing.

A $395 passenger side window motor.

Why is the passenger side motor so much more expensive than the driver's side motor?

How can I test the motor directly? I've only looked at it for a couple minutes (have the door panel off already) but can't figure out how to get the wiring connector off the motor.

JJR512

Got the connector to the motor pulled off. Hooked a voltmeter to it. With ignition on, if I pressed up or down on the window switch, I got either +12V or -12V, as expected. So volts are getting to the motor, but the motor isn't doing anything. The motor is dead.

I'm suddenly in the market for a used passenger side window motor if anyone has one for sale...

use2windsurf

you can find them on ebay for $50-75 used. there are some good used parts vendors for 944's on ebay.

catamount

A good resource for used parts is DC Auto, www.dcauto.com. They are a dismantler in Rocky Mount, NC and have a huge warehouse full of all kinds of parts. They have alot, ALOT of 944 parts.

kens_74911s

Have A good tested one here: Ships from NC 28387


Sent you a PM with price shipped.
K

JJR512

Someone on another forum (944online) suggested tapping the motor with a hammer. A friend tapped on it with pliers, and that did get the motor to work.

So now I wonder if it should be fine for a good long while, or will be prone to sporadic failure, or what? Perhaps I should just go ahead and buy the motor/regulator assembly to have on hand next time it fails?

Also, on a related note, when your windows are all the way down, how wide is the gap between the "scrapers", the rubber strips at the base of the window opening? I've got a good quarter-inch gap there, from front to back, which is more than I've seen on any other car. I know those parts are sold at 944online, I will probably pick up a set for both doors, unless this is actually normal.