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I have an idea what may have failed but before I take my door off I thought I should ask here:

The drivers window switch has 5 positions, open (one press takes the window all the way to the bottom), down (while button is held), off, up (while button is held), and close (one press takes the window all the way to the top)

This week some interesting symptoms began:

  • both the automatic positions have failed
  • I can hold the down button to open the window, but when I press move it to the up position it moves about an inch before stopping. I need to repeat this numerous times to get the window to the top

Could a failure of the Window Shut sensor cause this? This is my current assumption, and when the weather improves I will check - I'm guessing that if that sensor failed in such a way that it always thinks the window is at the top, the auto would fail, the safety cutoff will let me press up but will then stop the motor, and the down functionality will be okay.

Update - looks like there is no Window Shut Sensor, but instead the motor and switch have some circuitry which measures resistance. The garage tried to check it today but it turns out the switch unit is non standard (they used one off a UK spec Forester, and pressing window up locked the door :-) - but their diagnosis is that it is probably not the motor. Once they get a new switch unit ordered they will fit it and we'll see if that's what it was.

Nick C
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Rory Alsop
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2 Answers2

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How old is the car? I think it's worth checking the fault codes, as sometimes a fault code can prevent an action like that. Clearing the fault codes can really improve a car if it hasn't had a computer connected in a while. Any faults which are persistent will come back and can then be worked on.

Diamond
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Unfortunately there were no useful fault codes internally, but the fault was resolved to being the actuator switch for that window.

A replacement was the only course of action.

Update - got the full diagnostics. Turns out the switch had a fault which damaged part of the motor, so both were replaced!

Rory Alsop
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