window only works sometimes?
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Joined: Jan 2002
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From: southern California

The other day I tried to roll down the right rear window on my '92 SSE */c and nothing happened. Neither the switch on the driver'* door nor the switch on the right rear door was working. The window was already all the way up but wouldn't come down.
I turned off the ignition, opened and closed the right rear door, and then turned on the ignition again and tried both window switches again...nothing. I even hit the inside door panel a few times with the palm of my hand and tried the switches again...nothing.
So I thought the problem was permanent. Right? Wrong.
The next day I tried the window again, and amazingly it worked just fine.
This happened again one time since then - didn't work one day, but worked the next day.
Has anyone else seen this happen?
It can't be a problem with a switch because when the window isn't working neither switch works. I rarely use the rear windows, so I'd be surprised if a motor was on it'* way out.
I turned off the ignition, opened and closed the right rear door, and then turned on the ignition again and tried both window switches again...nothing. I even hit the inside door panel a few times with the palm of my hand and tried the switches again...nothing.
So I thought the problem was permanent. Right? Wrong.
The next day I tried the window again, and amazingly it worked just fine.
This happened again one time since then - didn't work one day, but worked the next day.
Has anyone else seen this happen?
It can't be a problem with a switch because when the window isn't working neither switch works. I rarely use the rear windows, so I'd be surprised if a motor was on it'* way out.
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Originally Posted by billha
The other day I tried to roll down the right rear window on my '92 SSE */c and nothing happened. Neither the switch on the driver'* door nor the switch on the right rear door was working. The window was already all the way up but wouldn't come down.
I turned off the ignition, opened and closed the right rear door, and then turned on the ignition again and tried both window switches again...nothing. I even hit the inside door panel a few times with the palm of my hand and tried the switches again...nothing.
So I thought the problem was permanent. Right? Wrong.
The next day I tried the window again, and amazingly it worked just fine.
This happened again one time since then - didn't work one day, but worked the next day.
Has anyone else seen this happen?
It can't be a problem with a switch because when the window isn't working neither switch works. I rarely use the rear windows, so I'd be surprised if a motor was on it'* way out.
I turned off the ignition, opened and closed the right rear door, and then turned on the ignition again and tried both window switches again...nothing. I even hit the inside door panel a few times with the palm of my hand and tried the switches again...nothing.
So I thought the problem was permanent. Right? Wrong.
The next day I tried the window again, and amazingly it worked just fine.
This happened again one time since then - didn't work one day, but worked the next day.
Has anyone else seen this happen?
It can't be a problem with a switch because when the window isn't working neither switch works. I rarely use the rear windows, so I'd be surprised if a motor was on it'* way out.
the power after the window has stopped it'* course down or up.
With the age cumulating, the windows have tendency to become more stiff (contact with the mating sealing rubber, scaled windows surface and dirt cumulating into the mechanisim inned door panel channels are contributor of this phenomenon.
That your window decide to not goes up is probably showing up that your breaker cut the power line to early.
A good clean-up is the first thing to do before changing parts.
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From: Halifax, Canada 91SSE / 97SSEi

Hrm.... sounds like my drivers window.
Sometimes it just doesn't respond.... at all.
But if you wait a while it will work perfect.
Is it typically the motor that wears out, or the switch?
When the motor died in my 91, it would groan & moan, you knew it was dying. My 97 just doesn't repsond... which makes me think it might just be the switch.
Sometimes it just doesn't respond.... at all.
But if you wait a while it will work perfect.
Is it typically the motor that wears out, or the switch?
When the motor died in my 91, it would groan & moan, you knew it was dying. My 97 just doesn't repsond... which makes me think it might just be the switch.
i had the same problem you're all describing (except matt), put in a new motor, and voila! no more problem. electric motors can get "dead spots" in them where they won't start if the motor stops in the dead spot. solution? never stop the motor in the dead spot--all the way rolled up. hmm....maybe that'* not a good idea.... 
matt, it sounds like you've got the problem panda described--the window track has gotten stiff and the motor takes too much power to move it, so the breaker shuts it off, thinking that the window is already all the way down or up. that happened to my first power antenna.

matt, it sounds like you've got the problem panda described--the window track has gotten stiff and the motor takes too much power to move it, so the breaker shuts it off, thinking that the window is already all the way down or up. that happened to my first power antenna.
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