One electric window no longer working on 96 Accord

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

The driver side window on our Accord wagon no longer works. We get it up or down with a lot of force, and wiggling the switch. Sometimes the window will move slightly in the opposite direction of the switch. It has gotten gradually worse. We used to be able to temporarily fix it but now even removing the door panel and working with it doesn’t work. All the other windows work fine.

It appears that the driver side door has some electrical functions that are separate from the rest of the car, however the window controls work for all the other windows. We bought this car used, 5 years ago, but do not have records of anything done to the door.

If we get it down, it stays down. I have a rural motor-carrier paper route, and it needs to stay open, but we would like to be able to open and close at will.

Can we replace parts or the whole door from a salvage yard? Are there other options for working on this? Anyone know how much this might cost when taken to a dealer?

Any answers or advice appreciated. Thanks!

2

You just need a new “Electric window regulator”…The mechanism sometimes uses a gear-box with plastic gears which wear out. Usually, you can buy a repair kit to rebuild the mechanism. As long as you can hear the MOTOR running both up and down, the repair is not that big a deal. If the motor no longer runs, it can be more involved…

3

You need to figure out whether it’s the switch, the motor, or the regulator mechanism. All are available from Rockauto.com. You need to test the switch with a voltmeter, and, with the motor out, see if it runs. Also see if the regulator mechanism works smoothly. Once you identify the problem parts, get new ones. You may want to buy a Haynes manual for information on how to get to the parts.