Need help diagnosing power window issue

[porterbrown]

The passenger side window will go down by engaging the switch on the passenger side, but it won't go up. I've taken the switch out, cleaned the contacts and put it back with no change.

The driver's side switch for the passenger window doesn't work at all (up or down).

I can bypass the switch on the passenger side with 12v and the window motor will power the window up and down so the motor appears to be working fine.

My question(s):

-Does this definitely point to the passenger side switch being bad? Seems logical to me, but it also seems maybe too simple.

-What about the driver's side switch for the passenger window...is it definitely bad as well or can failure of one of the switches cause the other to not work properly?

Thanks for your help! I have a multimeter and jumper wires in-hand if there are any other diagnostics that need to be done.
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'90 Westfalia GL Automatic

[dabaron]

check for voltage on the yellow and yellow and black wires in the pass door. check swap the connector to the driver's side motor and the pass side in the driver's door.

try to up the window up and down from the driver's side.
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1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic

[porterbrown]

[OldSpice]

[16CVs]

Sounds like you have a broken wire in the door jamb. Pull the glove box and fuse block down and use your VOM to checking continuity across the wires. Just follow wire colors on each side and see what's broken.
If needed I have new replacement harnesses for both sides.

Stacy
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Triple knob (bastard)
1989 Syncro Tristar Triple knob "Swedish"
2013 Jetta Hybrid a true "Zwitter"
Samba member # 14980
Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
Don't let your van end up in an "abortions" thread.

[porterbrown]

[The Carrot]

You are on the correct wires for the passenger side, but consider that the broken wire may be intermittent. Your meter should have a continuity setting which will emit a tone. Hook it up that way and then swing the door open/close and manipulate the boot in the door jamb.

Don’t forget to check the wires in the driver side boot as well.
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1990 Orly Blue Carat

[dabaron]

[porterbrown]

[dabaron]

the diagram is a little confusing... but working with the driver's door side, you can rule out those two switches if you swap the two pin connectors - one goes to the driver's side motor, the other to the passenger side switch.

if both switches operate the driver's side motor after swapping the two pin connector (T2a and T2b) that rules out the switches. you MIGHT need to reflow the solder on the switches, i had to and that helped a ton.

if both switches work on the driver's side motor, then it's time to verify conductivity between T2b and T3a (behind the glove box). if you have conductivity, then it's time to go into the door and check conductivity between T3a and T3e.

i used my jump pack to operate the passenger side motor to make sure operates in both directions - connect + and - to wires to operate in one direction, swap + and - wires to operate in other direction.

you could try running a wire from the driver's side switch motor connector to the passenger side motor (T2c), bypassing the wiring in the dash and pass side switch. if that works, the issue is the passenger side door.

break it down into modules and i think you might find the issue.

reflowing of the solder really helped resolve the pass side intermittent actuation i was having with the switches.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic

[porterbrown]

[dabaron]

run a jumper from the yellow & black and ground to the motor, it should move. then try the yellow and ground, it should move the other way. this will bypass the switch. if all is working, reflow the solder on the switch.

you might be suffering too much of a drop and the power needed to raise the window is too great. the wiring is all correct and all is working, but not enough current is flowing to make the magic.
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1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic

[Ride-Fly]

I had the same issue with my Pax side PW. Except that the PS window was slow to go down and encountered too much resistance to go up. Another difference to note was that my DS was original and PS was aftermarket (Prime Italy? Had a Made in Italy stamp, and a Bosch motor that mounted inside the speaker cutout).

Checked all the things mentioned here, and switches/wires were good. I greased the regulator slide and cleaned the contact pins with a wire brush. I also took apart the Bosch motor and greased the spline. One last thing that helped was that after I got the window glass set back into the regulator, I kept the two bolts that hold the glass and the two bolts that hold the regulator to the door loose and then ran the window up and down several cycles to allow it to find the path of least resistance, and then tightened down the four bolts.
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1987 Westy, Dove Blue
1987 Wolfsburg Tintop, Vesuvius Grey (SFO car)
1977 Toyota FJ40, Freeborn Red
2018 Ford F-350 Platinum, Ruby Red Metallic
2017 Mercedes GLE350, Polar White
2013 Mercedes G550, black w/ 4” Fox suspension
2008 Mercede GL550 (Boulder car)

[DexterD]

Neither window worked after being intermittent for a while. I just replaced the window switches with a GoWesty pair on the dash. Passenger window now works great. Drivers window goes down fine, up only an inch at a time. Inch, stop, release the button, inch again and stop... Any suggestions?

[Howesight]

Those symptoms on your driver side window suggest that too much current is being drawn, which causes the pauses in winding up the driver side window.

You're going to have to remove the door panel to examine whether there is excess friction in the window regulator, and if so, repair/lubricate as necessary.

The rubber window scrapers can get sticky and sometimes can benefit from being lubed with silicone spray.

Finally, and most likely, you have some corrosion or lack of grease (white lithium grease) in the driver side power window motor itself. If this is the case, you can buy a used motor, a replacement new motor, or service your own motor with the aid of this link:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX

[DexterD]

[16CVs]

Dexter

What were they doing before you changed over to the dash mounted switches? Is this a new problem or just a continuation from the OE set up?

Have you put 12v directly to the motor? this is always a first step.

Stacy
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Triple knob (bastard)
1989 Syncro Tristar Triple knob "Swedish"
2013 Jetta Hybrid a true "Zwitter"
Samba member # 14980
Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
Don't let your van end up in an "abortions" thread.

[DexterD]