Driver's side window won't go up. Possible switch or motor? How to replace motor or get window to go up manually.
Solution: Chevy Impala Window Fix - If the window goes down but wont go up or stutters on the way up. This is a difficult process but if you have some common knowledge and a little know how it takes about an hour to fix.
I broke mine by leaving the window down and then rolling the window up while it was wet. I did this multiple times so I cannot blame Chevy for the problem. Started stuttering at 80,000 miles
Tools: Star drive screw driver, small flat head screw drivers, dental pick, Q-tips, thin sheet of hard plastic (I used two hotel room key cards) Optional: Soldering equipment
1.) Remove the two screws in the handle of the door to and take out the window control switch. (easy)
2.) Unclip the two wiring harnesses on the back of the panel - I did this with a flat head screw driver and a hotel room key card to wedge under the clips and not break the harnesses. (easy)
3.) Remove the back of the Window Switch box. Once again I used aflat head screw driver and two hotel room key cards to wedge under the clips. (complicated - most time consuming portion for me)
4.) Take off the five window switch tops, pull slighty to one side and then the other. They do come off but it feel like you're going to break the thing. (easy but do it slow)
5.) One the five button tops are removed take off the top of the switch plate. (easy)
Now you're looking at the main switch circuit board. I took a picture to make sure I knew what the circuit board should look like when reassembled.
6.) Remove the large plastic X in the middle of the board. Then use a dental pick to unclip the plastic "horseshoe" attached to the driver side window switch. (easy)
7.) Use a dental pick to carefully unclip the driverside window switch. Visually Note the position of the two "M" shaped pieces. Then take out the two little "M" shaped metal pieces. At this point the bottom right connection of the switch in my car was all blackened by lots of use. I used a Q-Tip to clean all the areas of the switch. Note: there should be some lubricant on the top of the 2 "M" shaped pieces of metal so the switch functions efficiently. (Complicated - go slow)
At this point I took apart the right rear window switch to see the difference in wear. Do not try to exchange another Switch with the driver side window switch. The driver side window switch has clips for the "horseshoe" piece that was detached earlier.
8.) Two choices to Fix the problem:
A:) Put a slight bend in the left "M" shaped piece of the switch so that the connection can be completed when pressing the window button. (Easy)
B:) Put a small dollup of solder to raise the connection area, to complete the connection. (Complicated)
I put a slight bend in the left "M" shaped piece. You can visually see the difference in the two pieces when you press them down. The Left "M" shapped piece in my Switch had to raise up an additional 1/16 of an inch to touch the lower side of the connection. With a slight bend it worked perfectly. I had my solder gun ready but figured if it went out again I could put a dollup of solder in the bottom connection to fix it the next time. No sense in taking the risk of over soldering when a simple bend did the trick.
9.) Reassemble - reattach the top of the driver side window switch ( make sure the blue dot is facing outward), reattach the "horseshoe" shaped clip to the window switch, put the large plastic X back in the middle of the Switch (it can only be put in one way, there is a gap to cover the auto roll down horseshoe piece), put the top plate of the switch back on, put the back of the switch plate back on, then reattach the window buttons to the top of the switch plate, reattach to the two wiring harnesses - Double check the button is working, then put back in the door and screw back in place. (easy)
Troubleshoot: If the button didn't work, redo steps 1-6, then slowly do step 7, then take apart another switch and compare, make sure the "M" shaped pieces are in the appropriate position, if they are add a small dollup of solder to the lower left portion of the window connection and file down the top of the solder for a flat solid connection. Reassemble and try again. If the window still won't go up. Take apart, then exhange components of another switch on the circuit board. You will no longer be able to use the Auto Roll down function but at least the window will work properly. By exchanging the pieces of another switch on the circuit board you may loose the function of that window, but you can always get out of the car and use the switch on that door to roll the window up or down.
Hopefully that works, if not, go to a junk yard and get the pieces out of another switch it can be almost any Chevy of similar year Switch.
Too Late! (RE: SAAB 1993 9000CD Drink Spill in Electric Window Switches)
The switch plug fits back okay though, and the switches popped out nicely. Starting the flat head on the center bottom of switch face
×