I dropped a 16 oz. cup of coffee in my car. It spilled into the front middle console, which contains my window controls. Right after it happened, and I cleaned up the mess, the windows still functioned normally. However I can no longer raise or lower them. I have a 1995 Saturn SL2 sedan.
Who should I take the car to, to be repaired? I’ve tried talking to a body shop–they said they couldn’t do it. I phoned Saturn and they said any auto repair shop should be able to remove the middle console, clean it out, and replace any wires that may have shorted out. Do you have any suggestions as to a reputable place to bring my car? Also, a possible estimate on how much this is going to cost me. Money is tight right now. I was off work for 6 1/2 months last year due to a disability, and only work 12 hours a week now.
I doubt that anything “shorted out”. Check your fuses to be sure. More than likely, the coffee got down in the switches, dried to a nice, sticky goo, and said-goo attracted dust and hair and etc. I have seen it happen more than once.
As was said, any half-way competent individual should be able to pull it apart and clean things. It’s reasonable to guess that they will have to replace those window switches, things like that are hard to disassemble and clean (well, on any car made in the last 30 years or so). That’s the kind of part that would be good to find on eBay or in a junkyard, probably only be a couple of bucks.
Best of luck!
You don’t need a body shop. Any auto repair shop should be able to disassemble the console and clean or replace whatever isn’t working correctly.
Check the fuses for the windows before you do anything else.