Power windows quit working

[duragezic]

This evening I leave work and get in my car. Start it up and open the window to smoke a cigarette. As I'm driving along and I finish, I go to put it back up. Nothing happens. I tried the rest of the windows and they are dead too.

I figured I somehow blew the fuse, so once I got home I checked out the owner's manual and the fuse boxes. The manual indicates a 30 A fuse on the fuse panel strictly for power windows, but the fuse is fine. So I check the fuse block in the engine compartment, where there is a 40 A fuse 'IG KEY' for a number of things, one being the power windows. That fuse is fine too. Also that one in the engine protects a number of things like wiper, engine, turn, etc which work fine. Worried I had some problem of blowing fuses I checked my exterior and interior lights, wipers, turn signals, trunk light, etc and all work fine.

Any ideas?

 

[foghorn67]

I think you are going to have to start testing some wiring. All windows are dead you say, I wouldn't bother testing the wiring at the doors, it's probably early in the diagram route so to speak. I'll take a stab just after the fuse block. But who knows.

 

[ArizonaSteve]

Make sure you didn't accidentally lock the windows. I've done that before.

 

[duragezic]

Yeah I was hoping I just accidentally locked them, but not the case, and the driver window should always work.

The fact that it's every window all of a sudden may be worse than just having one slowly die or stop. As that seems to indicate it is an electrical problem which I think tends to be more of a PITA. Motor is something like go to a junkyard and get it for cheap, bring it to get installed. Maybe upwards of $150 after getting it installed but at least its straightforward.

As you suggested foghorn67, I think that is a start, at least to know what I'm dealing with. Looks like I'll need to pick up a DMM tomorrow.

 

[Vette73]

Have you tried the other door switchs to test the windows? If they work by the other switch then it is probable in the switch on the drivers door. Loose/damaged wire.
If they don;t work by the other switchs then its a general problem either power/ground related.

 

[nwfsnake]

Year/Make/Model might also be of help...

 

[duragezic]

Hmm. Well I tinkered with it some last night but it was so cold and dark, I was going to check this morning some more. I got in my car this morning and started it and thought "please magically work" and sure it enough it does. I used it a couple of times so far and it works fine.

But when I got out of my car 10 minutes ago it looks like the interior lights are not lit. They are on a different fuse inside and I think a different larger fuse in the engine compartment. So I think I may have some sort of power/ground issue that may be touchy or something. But from there I think I can trace it further that way instead of towards the car inside.

Thanks for the suggestions.

BTW it's a 1993 Mazda 626.

 

[MovingTarget]

You may have some future trouble there. You might want to check/clean the wire/switch contacts. They may have some slight corrosion. Verify continuity w/ a multimeter if you suspect a problem.

 

[spigot]

My guess would be a bad ground on the drivers window switch box. On the cars I've worked on, all the power windows switches are routed through through the group of switches (I'm calling it the switch box) in the driver's door. I don't believe the single switches were individually grounded. So if that switch box goes bad you can't operate any of the windows.

Oh, I just read the part about the interior lights. I wonder if they share a ground with the windows somewhere.

I would check the hot side of the interior light and the drivers switch box. Check it against ground somewhere on the body if you have nice long multimeter leads. I find that I can usually get a good ground somewhere in a door hinge.

 

[alkemyst]

NOT MAX WORTHY!

 

[IcePickFreak]

I'd also check the plug for the door wiring harness. Not knowing what kind of car it is, it could be possible the contact for the door open/close is on the door harness side along with the windows. It's not unheard of for that plug to become lose on some cars as some are just a bad design. When I worked in autobody I would question daily why someone had to 'reinvent the wheel' as it were, for simple things like door clips, etc. Wiring harnesses and the way they run em can get ridiculously dumb even if the same manufacturer had a decent design on previous models.