I'm a newbie who just purchased a 96 Civic LX sedan. My rear power windows do not work properly. Both motors work correctly when I run power directly from a lawnmower battery to the motor(s). However:
-Driver's Rear window will always go down but only sometimes goes up
-Passenger Rear window always goes up but never goes down
The master switch was tested in another Civic and it works perfectly. Each individual switch works properly. I bought a new window motor and it did the exact same thing when I plugged it in each side. All fuses have been tested as well as the relay in the engine compartment. The front windows both work properly from the master switch and the passenger switch.
**Please note that I have an aftermarket Moonroof (it works properly, but may be the problem somehow).
The kicker is that my dome light can be switched on but NONE of the doors will make it come on when opened (Maybe a related electrical problem?)
Why don't my windows work right? My tester showed power coming in on the black/yellow wire coming into the motor. Is it a ground somewhere? Did the installation of the moonroof screw up the harness? Is there a gremlin in the doors? I will send $20 and a thank you card to anyone who gives me the solution to my problem. Thanks.
John

 

I had light issue similar. I got a new cluster and watched to hook up the door ajar light, so i cut into the ground wire for the door circuits. The light worked, but the light wouldnt dim when the door was closed. It would just go out. Disconnect the moon roof and see what happens.

As for windows, when you try to wind them up and down, you using the master window switch, or the back switches? Swap the back switches with another and see what happens. I bet the rear switches are ******* with the polarity of the main master switch.

 

Thanks for the response. I did switch the rear switches with my front passenger one that DOES work and the problems were the same. I use the master and the rear switches, the problems never change.

 

How did you wire in the moon roof?

 

i have the same problem with my integra front windows. My passenger motor window completely died and i swapped it out and it worked for a little bit and is now acting the same way as the previous motor before it failed(goes down but only sometimes it will go up).

Im thinking it is a window switch issue...but question is which switch? the master switch or the switch thats associated with the half functioning window??

My bet is still the master window switch. Im just waiting for one to show up on craigslist.

 

Have you greased the tracks?

 

Dont think greasing will help as it sometimes work. You may be right, but i think if it was a non greased track, it would go up/down slowly, or studder.

 

Civics and Integra's both have problems with the wires breaking inside the loom where the door hinges open and closed. You can open the door and get into the loom and see if there is any broken wires. Now, you might be having a problem with a passenger rear door but the wire could be broken in the passenger front door. Not positive if this is the way its routed but I had to fix the passenger front wiring in my 2000 civic ex to get the power mirrors to work correctly on the drivers front. Anyway, check those wires!

 

This is sound advice, also just for the heck of it, check your grounds running into the loom/ window harnesses

 

Its most likely the wiring coming out of the master switch in the drivers door jamb.Its a common problem on these cars.

 

The circuits for all four windows run through the drivers door. Since it usually gets open and closed the most its where the wires are most likely to break.

 

why I got myself a dx lol, no power anything.

 

get some KY or whatever sex lube you use and lube up the rubber guides your windows slides on.

after years of dirt and dry rot, they act like brakes to a window. I would also lube the track and all moving parts.

your ride you bought is almost 20 years old. you have to expect some maintenance needed.

 

Thanks for the responses. It is old and while it hasn't been maintained, I have been working through various imperfections to try to get it as perfect as possible. Once the windows move, I will be greasing the tracks. I'll try looking for the wire breaks and see if I can find one. I do feel like the problem is near the master switch since both sides are affected. It must be a ground since both sides show power as I stated at the beginning. Thank you all very much and any other suggestions appreciated.

 

could be a wire break in the door,when you open the door there is a connector with wires that could have corrosion on the pins inside it or try greasing the window rack or see if someting is stopping it or pull the window up and if it still fails to work could need new window switchs cause sometimes if one isnt working none of the will work correctly or you could just put in winders

 

definitely check the wires on the door harness in the jamb.. just did this on my cr-v, it was having identical issues.. pulled back the rubber boot and found this..

 

I think as the wires were failing they were making intermittent contact allowing the window to only go in one direction, and I would literraly open the door and it would work, and close it another time and it would not.. I got it up and did not mess with it for quite some time till I decided to tinker around and by then this is what I found

 

Thanks for the pics! Did your dome light give you issues as well?

 

This is exactly what I was talking about.

 

refer to post #5

The problem turned out to be the master window switch. Swapped it out this weekend and my window has been going up and down flawlessly.

FYI, the passenger window switch has to go through(send signals) the master window switch before it can work. Likewise, your rear window switches has to go through the master switch. I think you need to test a window switch from another civic onto yours.

 

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