Rear Windows Don't Work

[ProZak]

OK, now that I've got the brakes and headlights done, I'd like to get the rear windows working. When I bought the car a couple of months ago, they worked fine. Salesman said the dealer had replaced the window switch. All fine and good. Then a couple of days later, they quit, so I brought the car in to get that issue cleared up. Literally, the car's in the service bay for about 5 minutes when they come to get me. The salesman explains that the switch is fine, they just tapped on the panels on the rear doors in a certain place to make the connection work and the windows are fine. So, in order to avoid spending any more money, I take the car and go on my merry way.

Sooooo. Now that they're not working again, and assuming that the switch is OK, I'm guessing corrosion or a loose connection in the harness on the door itself, yah? Is it worth peeling of the door panels to check the harness? Anything else I should look at? Front windows work fine.

When I try to roll down the rear windows, the lighted switch goes dark and I hear a relay click, but the glass doesn't move, if that helps narrow things down a little.

Thanks in advance, as always.

-Zak-

[winfred]

try smacking the hell out of the door while holding the switch, sometimes works better with the door panel off so you can apply the percussive evaluation directly to the motor, if this works run the window a lot and it may or may not keep working depending on how bad the crud was that was breaking the connection in the motor

[ProZak]

OK, so we're saying it's probably the motor and not a harness or other lead? Shoot.

I'll take a swing at it today. Thanks.

[sirius_GTO]

M3 Engine swap? ehhh.... Why?

[winfred]

it's a direct swap a **** load more torque and 50 more hp stock

M3 Engine swap? ehhh.... Why?

[ProZak]

Sorry for the late update; I took the trim off of one of the rear doors to find the motor. Smacked it with a screwdriver handle, worked like a charm. Buttoned it up, worked a couple of days, then quit again. Reached behind me and used the side of my fist on the right spot on the door, worked like a charm. *shrug* I'll just resign myself to smacking it every now and then.

And yeah, more torque. But that's not going to happen for a long, long time. Other, less "just for fun for me" projects will take priority, like saving for 3 girls' college / weddings / etc.

-Zak-

[joshua43214]

You need a window lift motor, banging the door is the fast and dirty method of diagnosing this. the connectors don't come loose as a general rule.

[winfred]

in 10 years i may have seen a half dozen to a dozen honest to god worn out window motors, what usually gets them is crud that breaks the connection between the brushes and the comm or the drain clogs up and it rusts solid, a good wack and lots of use can sometimes get them completely functional again

You need a window lift motor, banging the door is the fast and dirty method of diagnosing this. the connectors don't come loose as a general rule.

[ProZak]

Yeah, when I got the trim off the guts appeared to be pretty much immaculate. I try to make a point of rolling them all the way down and back up once a day; we'll see if that clears it up. Thanks, y'all.

PS - Kick-ass sig. Rowan Atkinson is the bomb.