Electric window not working, will it affect MOT?

societys_child

it won't go down and makes a horrible grinding noise when I press the button.

Have you tried gripping the window with the palm of both hands and pushing the window down? (with the door open obviously) If it's a worn tooth it might engage the mechanism.
Better still, when you try the above, have someone press the down button, it might just work.

Strider590

societys_child wrote: »

Have you tried gripping the window with the palm of both hands and pushing the window down? (with the door open obviously) If it's a worn tooth it might engage the mechanism.
Better still, when you try the above, have someone press the down button, it might just work.

You could, but don't push too hard, else it's break the clips that hold the glass in the mechanism.

Minerva69

societys_child wrote: »

Have you tried gripping the window with the palm of both hands and pushing the window down? (with the door open obviously) If it's a worn tooth it might engage the mechanism.
Better still, when you try the above, have someone press the down button, it might just work.

Thanks for the suggestion, I've just tried this and the window makes a whirring noise but the mechanism didn't engage. Using both hands I can actually push the glass down into the door without pressing the button at all, does this mean it is the clips that have gone?

Strider590

Minerva69 wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion, I've just tried this and the window makes a whirring noise but the mechanism didn't engage. Using both hands I can actually push the glass down into the door without pressing the button at all, does this mean it is the clips that have gone?

If the clips broke the glass would be at an odd angle, would feel loose and able to lift/drop with little effort.

But I take from this that it does go up, just not down.

I don't think there's anything that can be done to fix it without removing the door card.

Minerva69

Strider590 wrote: »

If the clips broke the glass would be at an odd angle, would feel loose and able to lift/drop with little effort.

But I take from this that it does go up, just not down.

Sorry I wasn't clear, no it won't go up or down while pressing the button, it just makes the whirring noise. I can move the glass up or down on its own with my hands without pressing the button. It will stay up once it's up though and doesn't seem to be at an odd angle.

societys_child

Something's broke or become detached, as strider says, the door card needs removing to find out what
At least you can have the window down for the mot, the tester may need to have a lead through the window when he performs the rolling road brake tests, helps if there's no glass in way:)

tedted

the window does not need to down or up or even work for the mot.

societys_child

Yeah, we know, and it was mentioned in post #2

agrinnall

Strider590 wrote: »

A lot of cars are fitted with a system that winds the windows down if the vehicle ends up under water...

Is that right, I've never heard of such a thing? How does it work, surely the electrical system is going to be kaput once the car is under water anyway?

shaun_from_Africa

agrinnall wrote: »

Is that right, I've never heard of such a thing? How does it work, surely the electrical system is going to be kaput once the car is under water anyway?

Getting windows down when the vehicle is underwater is not an easy job due to the water pressure on the outside pushing the windows against the seals and door frame. (just try opening a window when someone is pushing on it from the outside and this will be a fraction of the pressure that will occur from a car being only a few feet underwater).
Most electric motors (even if still powered) won't be up to the job and manually winding the window down is just as likely to end in failure with the window jamming or the mechanism shearing.

A couple of years ago there was a trial of a system in Holland (where they have quite a few accidents where cars end up underwater), and their system was designed to shatter the side windows using explosive squibs but I don't know if it ever made it into production.