Almost every newer vehicle on the road today has power windows. The benefit of having power windows is that you can lower and raise any door window in your vehicle with just the push of a button or switch.
This is certainly more convenient than the traditional manual windows which required you to crank the windows up and down with your hand. The mechanism which allows power windows to work their magic is called a power window regulator.
What Does a Window Regulator Do?
If you’ve ever rolled your car window up and down, you’ve used a window regulator. A window regulator is the mechanism inside a car door that controls the up and down motion of the window glass.
It’s usually made of plastic or metal, and it consists of a series of gears and rails that work together to move the window. The regulator is connected to the window glass with a series of pulleys and cables.
How a Window Regulator Works
Every door with a power window has an electric motor built inside of it. This motor is connected to the window by the regulator.
When the person pushes the button on the door to lower or raise their window, it activates the electric motor which then utilizes the regulator to perform the action on the window. Even manual door windows had regulators, but these were a bit different than the power window regulators we have now.
Manual door windows have regulators that look like scissors because they have two metal arms which intersect. When someone cranks the window, they are really cranking a gear that moves the regulator which then moves the window.
These regulators are very heavy because of their metal parts. On the other hand, with power door windows, their regulators are a lightweight cable that is connected to a driving mechanism. Most new vehicles with power windows will have this cable regulator in them.
See Also: How to Fix a Car Door That Won’t Shut
Top 4 Bad Window Regulator Symptoms
Here are four common symptoms of a bad power window regulator that you need to watch out for. Any one of these will cause a power window to stop working correctly.
1) Window Button Fails
If you are unable to lower or raise a door window by pressing the button for it, then you probably have a bad power window regulator. This is the most obvious symptom of this kind of problem.
2) Stuck Window
There may be a situation where the window will lower or raise a little bit, but then get stuck about halfway in between where you wanted it to go. Anytime you have a stuck window, then you have a regulator that is probably broken.
3) Strange Noises
If the window is able to move and you hear strange noises, this could be an early warning sign of a failing regulator. The noises may sound like grinding, clicking, or chattering.
4) Window Drops
In very rare situations when you have a severely damaged regulator, the window may literally fall inside of your door when you go to lower or raise it. This is often seen when a car has been in an accident where the door was damaged by another vehicle.
Power Window Regulator Replacement Cost
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It’s not terribly uncommon for a power window regulator to stop working. Every time you push the window button on a particular door, it is slowly wearing out the power window regulator.
It will only be a matter of time before the regulator gets completely worn out and no longer functions. Once that happens, you won’t be able to lower or raise the power window in that door until its regulator is replaced.
The replacement cost for a power window regulator is anywhere from $250 to $400 total. The cost of the parts will be anywhere from $150 to $270 while the labor costs will be anywhere from $100 to $130. There will also be taxes and fees added onto these amounts so do not forget that.
As you can see, it’s not exactly cheap to replace a power window regulator. However, since there is a regulator in each door, it is possible that you will need to replace multiple regulators over the lifetime of your vehicle.
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I have a brand new 2024 Toyota Camry. From day one, with the window cracked open just a little bit and I close the door it makes a rattling sound. There is also visible play in the window. According to the Toyota dealer mechanic this is normal. Is it or is it just a problem that will eventually cause an expensive repair after the warranty has expired?
A brand new car should not be rattling like that. It’s best to press the issue until the dealership fixes it, especially while the vehicle is under warranty.
They may try to tell you that other 2024 Camrys on the lot do the same thing. You could respond with something like “finding the same problem on a second vehicle does not prove the absence of the problem on mine”.
When there are warranty issues, remember there are no less than 3 parties involved in the process: you, the dealership, and the manufacturer. The manufacturer pays the bill on warranty claims. Sometimes the dealership can call a rep from Toyota to inspect the vehicle. This is important especially if it is a common issue that Toyota needs to be made aware of, either to fix the issue on all vehicles or prevent it from happening on subsequent models.
Hi, I have a 2012 Chevy Equinox LT 2.4L Flex Fuel. I just purchased this car a few months ago and the window was working when I bought it. It had a Diagnostic Trouble Code P0153 or P0154. That’s what the guy said it showed at the dealership anyway. It Said something about losing communication with the LIN Bus. The window will not roll down from the Front Drivers side Master Control Switch or the rear left main switch. I’ve replaced the rear left window switch and the motor and the window still won’t lower or do anything at all really. Could this be a bad window regulator? I don’t hear any sounds at all, when I push the button from the Drivers Master Control or rear left main switch at the troubled window. Would the window motor make any kind of noise if it was the regulator? Or would the motor engage if the regulator was completely shot? I definitely have power coming from the switch because I used a test light. I don’t think it’s a bad Body Control Module because I don’t have trouble with anything else. Will a bad window regulator cause a no communication with LIN Bus code? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have a few more days to send the motor back. For $20 more, I can get the motor and regulator all in one.
Sometimes you have to reset the window switches on certain vehicles after certain repairs are performed. Try searching the internet to see if there is something you can do to reset the window switches. For instance, it may involve holding the switch down and then up for a certain amount of time.
I was told that my car window exploded because the window regular broke, I was driving on the highway at about 65 MPH and there was a explosion sound and then the window shattered into the vehicle. can you explain why this happened.
I honestly have no idea. Obviously that shouldn’t happen, so you’ll have to have someone take a look at the vehicle in person to figure out what went wrong.