I understand your philosophy, no dispute that routine servicing doesn’t always make sense, esp if the owner is paying the shop’s hourly rate. The complexity in newer cars sometimes changes the decision parameters too. Funny story told to me by an high-tech scientist friend trying to diy’er repair their own electric window problem:
Passenger side window goes down ok, but won’t go back up. Works ok from driver side control, but not passenger side. Motor is working, b/c connecting battery voltage directly yields up (+/-) and down (-/+) ok. Replaces electronic-module. Now it goes up and down , but in reversed directions … “up” makes it go down, “down” makes it go up … AND now it won’t go either direction from the driver side switch … lol …
I got to thinking — after doing a bicycle cable replacement the other day — that w/ cable style window regulators, routine maintenance might not be very effective. B/c the cables themselves might be fraying, and lube isn’t going to fix that. Replacing the cables might.
Just curious, with the normal manual crank-style windows there’s a spring that acts as a counterweight. Is there a similar spring with the cable version?
Sometimes, depends on the design. And yes, a cable can fray. All moving parts wear. With a window, there is such a wide range of operating conditions and rate of use that trying to predict failure is impossible.
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My DIY approach is, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” but if it is broke, “Fix it one and done”.
If the channels are clean, the reset didn’t work and the switches are OK, then it means removing the door panel with all those attached components, easily broken plastic connectors and often tiny, weird screws, somthing I don’t want to do twice. Additionally, you’re looking at the Drivers Side window (the window most often used) on a 13 year old car so there’s a good chance that the regulator is worn or wearing out.
A new regulator/motor assembly costs about $50 - $100 so while you’re in there just replace the assembly with new and you’ll probably be good for another 10 years.
+1
And, I’ve never had a window mechanism break, even up to 12 years of car ownership. A few of them were the old-fashioned crank-style, but most of them have been electrically-powered, and NONE ever malfunctioned.
Thinking back to my childhood–when power windows were still fairly rare–I can recall several people telling my father, “Don’t get power windows! If one breaks, it will cost $50 to repair!”. That would be roughtly equivalent to $500 today, so I can understand their caution/concern. Whether it was because of those warnings, or not, my father never opted for power windows, and he never had any problems with his crank-up windows.
Shoot, I have had minimum of 3 vehicle that had to have the window motor/reg replaced in and have replaced many, many more on customers vehicles… lol
Granted on the 3 of mine that I recall, the window were used way more than normal, possibly more than some people use theirs in a lifetime…
That is why the last car I bought for my wife, see asked for crank windows…
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