Why might the power windows have stopped working on a 2003 VW Passat?
Asked by
jca2 (
16826
)
March 11th, 2022
I was recently given a 2003 Passat by a family member. It has been kept in great shape, tires and battery are new, always maintained by the mechanic and the owner has done what was suggested. For me, this is a second car to kick around in and if I still have it when my daughter starts driving, all the better.
Today I was driving it and I did something where the passenger side window went down but then couldn’t close. None of the power windows work at all now. I have the owner’s manual and was researching to see if there’s a lock that locks all the windows. There’s a lock for the back windows but not for all the windows (that I know of). There is a button on the driver side door for child safety locks, but nothing for locking all the windows. The passenger side window has a lock but we’ve pressed it a bunch of times, and tried pressing all the buttons and nothing makes the windows move.
When I click on the window buttons, you can hear a faint clicking inside the door but nothing moves. The window is stuck open about two inches.
I went to an auto parts store, thinking maybe I needed to replace the fuse. The guy in the store came out to look at the fuse box, and he said that the fact that you can hear the clicking indicates that the problem is not the fuse. He suggested disconnecting the battery and then reconnecting it. He did that and it didn’t fix the problem. His coworker came out and told me to push up on the window button, and while I did that, he put both of his hands on both sides of the window and tried to pull it up, closed. It moved about a half inch.
I gave the auto parts store guy $15 and told him this is for him and his friend. I am probably going to bring the car to a mechanic but ithis happened late in the day on a Friday and tomorrow is supposed to snow, so I can’t bring the car anywhere until Monday. It may be a simple fix, but I’m wondering if any Jellies have an idea of what could be the problem.
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15 Answers
Check the fuse.
I’m sorry. I see you tried that. I have no other ideas.
I once bought a new used car and it did this thing about locking all the doors just because I got out of the car at, say, the car wash, where I wouldn’t take the keys out of the ignition.
I’d only had it for a couple of weeks so I went back to the dealer. It was a quick and inexpensive fix involving some switch.
After 19 years, it is either the switch/relay or the motor itself.
Since you hear the switch clicking, my guess is that the motor itself has gone bad. Good luck getting obscure parts for a 19-year old foreign import.
The motor for the windows, not the motor for the car.
Possible relay, found in the engine compartment.
Like @kritiper I guess the relay.
There are actually two fuses for your power windows. A 10 amp mini fuse in location #14 that sends the signal from your switch to the relay.
And a full size 30 amp fuse in location #38 that actually does the work. They are labelled “comfort system” but show windows on the drawing. .
https://auto-database.com/image/volkswagen-passat-3b2-2002-pictures-38811.jpg
If both of those fuses are good then go after the relay.
The fact that none of the windows operates suggests that the problem isn’t likely to be with a single motor. I suggest you go online to review the owner’s manual for the operating and locking functions. It is not sensible that the rear windows can be locked, while those in front cannot.
If none of them are working it would be an electric source issue. VW’s are notorious for having electrical issues. I owned a 2006 passat prior. The electronic cluster was replaced at least twice for various reasons. Be aware that VW had some very serious quality control and engineering issues in those years up until they got caught for falsification. I personally would not recommend a VW to anyone unless it was a classic Van or beetle from the 60’s or 70’s
Sounds like a relay went out. My quote was $100 here.
The power windows have their own motor. And it’s 20 years old. Maybe this is why.
But does each window have its own motor?
Each window does have its own motor (unless I’m really screwed up in my thinking) so it can’t be a motor.
I’d move a fuse with the correct amps from one spot to the window spot and see if it works.
If the battery is low would the windows stop working, but still be able to start the car?
Edit: I think maybe the relay most likely.
Disclaimer: I’m not a mechanic. Lol.
The battery was replaced recently. I asked the guy at the auto body place how the terminals look and he said great. I could see that they look really clean. I know the owners (my relatives) maintained the car really well.
I just spoke to the relative who owned the car (my stepfather). I told him about the problem and I knew he would tell me to take it to his mechanic. He told me that he just had the switch replaced on the passenger side. He just had it done this year, so within the past few months. He is going to call the mechanic shop that did the work and make an appointment for me to bring the car there. I know he’ll pay for it, if there is a charge, too. I’ll let you all know what the problem was.
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