Rep Power: 195

Hi folks,

About several months ago, one of power windows stopped working. Eventually, the other windows except the driver side window also stopped working, and my car was getting hot as hell without cross draft to kick out all the hot stagnant air. So, I finally got work on it this past week, and thought I shared some lessons learned. This likely applies to all newer generation civics, but I'm posting this in the 7th since I have 01 LX. Here goes:

So, you likely got here cause your power window(s) doesn't work anymore, and you replace the fuse(s) but they keep blowing. You peruse some threads and find all kinds of nilly ***** answers that don't really answer **** -- like I did. Could be the wiring harness on the body panel, you might have a short somewhere, etc... etc... Those all could likely be answers, but they're way too random and nebulous to really nail down for a DIY'er. Also, the easiest answers are likely the solution. So, this is what you should check for since it's likely the easiest thing to check / fix / replace for this issue.

Remove the master switch from the driver side door panel. I won't go into that. There's a lot of YT videos showing you how to do it. Just a word of caution, you will need to pry off the plastic housing from the back of door handle once the entire handle is removed to get access to one of the screws that is holding the master switch (there are three screws that mount the master switch to the plastic housing that attaches to the door handle). You'll see what I mean if you get there. Once removed,
this is what it will look like:




Master switch, must pry off the red lock button

Disconnect the wiring harness to the master switch. Use a flat head screw driver to pry off the red lock - all button you see on the top. Now flip it over.


Back of master switch. Unscrew all three screws and use a flat head to pry off the case.

Use a philips screw driver to remove the screws on the back of the master switch. Then, use a flat head to pry off the case. It will be kinda stuck on there. When you flip over, remember the position of the plastic white arms on the black switches below.



Look at circuit board for corrosion and burnt looking switches. That's your clue that you have a bad master switch. For me, I broke off all the white plastic arms except the top left one because I careless reassembled the master switch with the arms in off positions.

Here's the circuit board once it's out. So, already, I can see a bunch of corrosion on the bottom right. The black switches correspond to all 4 windows. The three that aren't working have corresponding black switches that look burnt out. If you inspect closely, you can see melted plastic. That was my clue that I needed to replace the master switch. So, I bought one on Ebay for $11. Waited a week to get it. Then, I connected it to the wiring harness. Replaced all the burnt power window fuses in the cabin fuse box. And reconnected the passenger window switch back up since I decided to chase some red herrings from other forum threads / YouTube videos that were a waste of time. Tested it out and ALL the windows now work. Hallelujah!

Some very important gotchas:

1) If the circuit board looks fine, it's likely not the master switch. But, for $11, you can really rule that out. If you don't want to spend $11, be CAREFUL with reassembling the master switch. The little black switches have small plastic arms that can EASILY break off if you don't align them with the window buttons. Remember their positions when you remove the case and inspect. They should be somewhere in the middle.

2) If you have disconnected any of the other power window switches or if there is an actual short in those windows, then that could also be the problem. The entire window circuit must be CLOSED for the master switch to operate the other windows. However, it WILL still operate the driver side window. As an aside, I disconnected the passenger side switch from its wiring harness cause I decided to remove that entire panel chasing some red herrings. When I replaced the master switch and fuses, none of the other windows would work UNTIL I reconnected up the passenger window switch.

3) So, if you replace the window switch and fuses and things are still not working, it's likely you have a short elsewhere in the window circuit that's causing the whole window system to fail. However, here is the big clue that it's likely the master switch and NOT a short in the system. If there is a short in the window circuit, ALL other windows except the driver side will NOT work. However, if you have certain windows fail (like rear left / right), and others besides driver window still working, that's the clue it's the master switch. For me, other windows were still working, and they all slowly just went dead over the past several months. That should have been the clue it's the master switch and not some nebulous hard to find short.

In short (no pun intended), if you have a window(s) that no longer respond to the power button, and the fuse keeps blowing, check the master switch first. Don't chase down red herrings or nebulous shorts that have you taking off door panels, wiring harness in the body panel, etc... etc... just do the easy one first and see if that's it. Hope this helps someone.

 
Rep Power: 513

You. I like you.

 
Rep Power: 134

When I had rear window motor problems, I bought the master switch off Amazon thinking that was it. It was fairly inexpensive if I recall and thought what the hell. Turns out I had broken wires in the driver's door jamb conduit and that solved it.
Replacing the master door switch was not all in vain though as I now have AUTO up and down driver's window that I only had AUTO down before.
I wonder if windows down and rain getting inside increases the risk of the window switches corroding?

 
Rep Power: 0

This is exactly what is happening with my 2001 Acura EL. My driver's side and front passenger windows still work. The left rear window switch will work to raise and lower the window if you reach back and use the switch in the back seat. The right rear would do the same until 2 weeks ago. Now it doesn't work at all. A few months ago I purchased a new master switch from switch Doctor. When I installed it, only the right front passenger window would raise and lower. The left driver side window and the other rear windows would not work. Switch doctors sent a new master switch, thinking that the one they had sent must be faulty. But the result is the same. It does not operate anything except the passenger window. Since this is an Acura and the switch they sent says compatible with Honda and Acura, I am wondering if there is some difference. Maybe I just need an acura switch that came out of an Acura?
Yesterday we pulled the door panel for the right passenger window and tested the motor. It works perfectly when it's direct to battery so it's not the motor. I replaced the number 25 fuse four times, each time you turn the ignition on and try to operate this switch, it blows the fuse. We put a 30 amp fuse in there, and it blows that too.
I am about to call Acura and order the actual master switch from them... But I am wondering whether this will actually solve the problem. Considering that two brand new switches from switch Doctor did not operate anything other than the front passenger window...
But it does not make sense that there is a break somewhere in the wire, when we pulled the door panel off we couldn't find anything wrong with the wiring. And the windows were all operating when you use the rear switch to raise and lower them, up until a couple weeks ago both of them would do this.

 
Rep Power: 368

did you check the wires at the door hinge? That's where they break the most from opening/closing door

 
Rep Power: 223

You need to check the wiring, on the driver's door and whatever door is having the issue. You have to actually remove the harness and pull back the rubber boot to expose where the wires flex