Automatic power window doesn't work on cold days

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Automatic power window doesn't work on cold days - why?

Batman

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#175491 1-Jul-2015 14:00

I've had a few cars and some of them have a power window that won't open on random cold days, freaks the hell out of me, and then works again later, when it's warmer.

Can someone tell me why and how I can stop it from happening again?

Or is there no such fixes.

macuser

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#1335059 1-Jul-2015 14:05

Maybe there are some solder joints dry and cracked, which lose connection when cold but work fine when they expand to room temperature

nakedmolerat

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#1335065 1-Jul-2015 14:09

This what I have used in the past in Dunedin. Spray lots of it on the screen before winter!

http://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/online-store/products/Turtle-Wax-ICE-Spray-Wax-592mL.aspx?pid=329934#Recommendations

edit: is the window not working at all or just stuck???

frankv

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#1335077 1-Jul-2015 14:26

Yup... maybe the window glass is frozen to the rubber, perhaps through some residual moisture?

pdath

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#1335084 1-Jul-2015 14:34

frankv: Yup... maybe the window glass is frozen to the rubber, perhaps through some residual moisture?

This is my guess. Something frozen together.

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Inphinity

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#1335087 1-Jul-2015 14:34

joker97: how I can stop it from happening again?

Don't live in the arctic circle? :P

Batman

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#1335089 1-Jul-2015 14:38

I thought it had something to do with the window motor.

Edit: edited thread title removed word frozen.

Smithy100

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#1335092 1-Jul-2015 14:42

My drivers window has done the same on some recent cool Wellyfornia mornings.

My initial technical diagnosis is Alfa Romeo (so I'm quite happy that it works at all lol).

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#1335095 1-Jul-2015 14:46

but mine are Japanese cars (not Toyota. has happened on Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda ... haven't owned any other jap imports. NZ new ones have not given me this problem)

graemeh

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#1335104 1-Jul-2015 14:56

I've had it happen on a few cars. If you have time when it next happens you can pour luke warm water (NOT hot) over the glass and around the outside of the window. If this fixes it then I'd say it is most likely things have just frozen trapping the glass in place.

toyonut

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#1335111 1-Jul-2015 15:03

Go to bunnings and get graphite powder and a little paintbrush. Clean the window grooves and then paint the graphite powder onto the rubber that the window sits in with the windows down. It will just be the window encountering enough resistance to trip it out and then it won't go down. Could be iced, could be the rubbers are swelled a little, could be dirt in there. If it fixes itself it is unlikely to be mechanical or electrical.

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Batman

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#1335137 1-Jul-2015 15:40

graemeh: I've had it happen on a few cars. If you have time when it next happens you can pour luke warm water (NOT hot) over the glass and around the outside of the window. If this fixes it then I'd say it is most likely things have just frozen trapping the glass in place.

I corrected the thread title, nothing is frozen in the physics sense of freeze. we are talking say 8 degrees celcius. but yes that was after a week of 1C outside temps (it is in the garage, so maybe a degree or two higher)

graemeh

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#1335162 1-Jul-2015 16:33

joker97:
graemeh: I've had it happen on a few cars. If you have time when it next happens you can pour luke warm water (NOT hot) over the glass and around the outside of the window. If this fixes it then I'd say it is most likely things have just frozen trapping the glass in place.

I corrected the thread title, nothing is frozen in the physics sense of freeze. we are talking say 8 degrees celcius. but yes that was after a week of 1C outside temps (it is in the garage, so maybe a degree or two higher)

Oh, OK, well at +8 degrees C it is not an ice issue, now if it was -8 then....

Goosey

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#1335179 1-Jul-2015 16:53

Could almost likey to be the window switch contacts that are pitted. A good clean wil sort this but you have to strip down the door and remove the switch box then dismantle that.

richms

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#1335739 2-Jul-2015 13:54

Grease gets firmer at low temperatures too. My window is very sluggish when it's cold till its had a chance to warm up. It's not iced because I had hosed the car down to get all that off.

Richard rich.ms