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Porsche 997: Why is My Window Stuck?

You roll your windows down to take in some fresh air on a lovely spring day, but suddenly your window won't go up or down. What do you do? Check out this handy guide on diagnosing a stuck window.

By Brett Foote - April 28, 2015

This article applies to the Porsche 997, 911 (2005-2012).

Unfortunately, power windows don't typically give much warning when they are about to quit working. They usually just die at the most inappropriate time—whether that be in the drive thru line or as you head into a thunderstorm. The good news is diagnosing and fixing a stuck window isn't too hard or time consuming. Keep reading as this article will show you how to get your window rolling again.

Materials Needed

  • Screwdriver set
  • Door panel removal tool
  • Voltmeter
  • Test light
  • Liquid grease (if applicable)

Step 1 – Check your window regulator

When a power window stops working, the most common culprit is a bad window regulator. The regulator is located in the bottom section of a car's door panel. The regulator itself moves the window up and down using gears as well as metal strips that attach to the window. Those gears are driven by a motor. If the motor moves but the regulator doesn't, you have a problem with the regulator. You can also tell when a regulator has gone bad by a slow moving or noisy window.

Figure 1. A pair of window regulators with motors attached.

Step 2 – Check power window motor

Signs of bad or clogged window motor are if your windows are moving slowly as well as sticking while moving up and down, or if one window works fine while the other doesn't. Before you go out and buy a new motor, look to see if your old one has dirt buildup inside the gears. Old grease can get dirty, causing the gears to move slowly or even stop moving altogether. Cleaning this up and applying liquid grease can greatly extend the life of the motor.

To test the motor, connect the wires to a voltmeter. If you get a reading of 12 volts but the motor isn't moving, the motor itself is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Figure 2. A power window motor.

Step 3 – Check the window relay

If all of your windows are stuck, you might have a bad window relay. A relay can blow if it is overloaded. You can test the relay by checking to see if the wires going into it are transmitting power using a voltmeter. If you aren't getting power at that point, the relay is bad. Window relays also tend to get clogged up with dirt, which hampers the flow of electricity.

Figure 3. A window relay.

Step 4 – Check the door's window switch

Test to see if the door's window switch is getting power by plugging its power wires into a voltmeter. You should get a reading of 12 volts. Symptoms of a bad switch include one window that sticks but another does not, as well as no motor sound coming from the door when the switch is pressed. Cleaning a switch might get it to work again, but replacing one is very inexpensive.

Figure 4. Test the door switch for power.

Step 5 – Check power window fuse

If none of the windows are moving, check to see if the power window fuse is blown. Insert a test light into both of the power window fuse endings in the fuse box. If the light doesn't illuminate on one end, the fuse is bad and needs to be replaced.

Figure 5. Check for a blown fuse.

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