window wont go up.. now what

its always something with this car!! seems to have never ending window/door problems for me!


the driver side window has been weird lately... doesnt want to go up. sometimes it will, now it seems to be stuck down and winter is coming soon. I need to get this figured out, its not fun on long road trips!


I can hear a clicking come from the door when it tries to bring the window up. what does that indicate?


is there a quick/temp fix to force it up and then not lower it until its fixed?

https://www.amazon.com/Window-Replacement-Volkswagen-Control-1J4959857D/dp/B077P1N2RJ/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1535991664&vehicle=2004-74-968-1284--18-6-5-7397-2071-1-1-2099--8-0&sr=1-5&ymm=2004%3Avolkswagen%3Agolf&keywords=window+door+switch
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How To: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr__E62uNwQ

Would VAG-COM be able to command the window up?

no Vagcom will not do that.

Is it still the switch if I can hear the motor making a click to go up and down. It’s trying to do something.

fouillard13 said:

I can hear the motor making a click to go up and down. It’s trying.

Click to expand...

Time to remove the door card (inner door "shell") and have a look to see what is going on. The window may be binding on something.

OK too old to be controlled by a module. If you have a wiring diagram you could find which wires go to the motor from the switch and add power and ground.

If you have the motor exposed, remove the connector and put 12V to one pin and ground to the other. Might have to reverse them if the window goes in the wrong direction. If it still doesn't work, the gears in the motor may be damaged.

https://youtu.be/6ekb8jXla2g

Ok apparently it’s the motor. I smacked it lightly with a hammer. Didn’t work. Smacked it harder with a hammer. Didn’t work. Took it out and rage smacked it against the ground (new one on the way from a wrecker) and it made it work!!! It burped and hiccuped and slowlt started to spin in the Up direction. Bolted it on and rolled the window up ASAP. Rain clouds are rolling in. Just in time. My aggressiveness fixed the door motor but all the tabs on my driver side door card are now broken. Oh well. At least I can highway drive now!!

Looking at your video the motor seems fine when you press the switch down but nothing happens when you switch up. I'd say the switch is bad.

How so? If by switch, you mean the buttons I press, then the switch is confirmed to be fine in the video I figured.

When I press “window down” on the switch, the motor will spin forever. UNTIL I hit “window up” (or down) on the switch. Which stops it instantly. BUT “window up” will NOT make it spin in the up direction, it only makes it click and stops it from spinning after I hit “window down” If that makes sense. I think that points towards the motor only wanting to spin one way for whatever reason

Either way, I unhooked the motor. Smacked it flat against the concrete real hard three times and it made it work. Sounds a bit funny and weak now, but at least it moves!! Window staying up till the new one arrives

fouillard13 said:

When I press “window down” on the switch, the motor will spin forever.

Click to expand...

Yes because it's not installed and can't tell the window is all the way down and needs to stop.

the part number on my window motor is:
1J1959801C


almost looks like someones been in there before... makes sense as my car driver side was t boned before I bought it. so this probably isnt the oem window motor in there eh? part number says its from an 99-01?

My driver's side front window would only go up with the auto function of the switch; not the manual. I used to take apart the switch and clean and reinstall. This would work for a year or so. I finally broke down and replaced the switch assembly.

This could truly be a two part problem . . . The switch may be failing, and not passing enough current to run the motor in "Up" (more than in "Down", since gravity helps the window go down) and a gunked up motor needing more power than normal to move, and hence the "shock therapy" helping . . . Myself, I'd check both . . .

The contact on my switch makes it go down every time. I have to try several times for it to go up. When flicking it up the switch itself pivots exessively upward, but will the roll window up. Bad switch contacts make the motor behave strangely.

CHECK the accordion on the door for broken wires.

I checked the accordion as much as I could. Seemed fine. Opening and closing the door didn’t help. Smacking the door didn’t help. Removing the motor and smacking it real hard on the ground is what fixed it. Still works fine. Motor sounds rough and struggling, but it’s been a few days and windows went up and down 10-15 times now. I try not to use it much in fear it won’t go back up.

Got a used motor from a local guy for $20 and $10 shipping. It’ll be here tomorrow.

A new switch is on the short list of it acts up again.

Maybe the tracks are gummed up - try spraying silicone lube into the tracks the window runs in, maybe it'll take a little load off the motor and buy you a little more time.

I had a sticky spot in a track causing the pinch-protect to trip recently.