Power window problem - Honda Civic 2002

broncoscarguy

Hello:

I need some guidance. I have a Honda civic 2001 that the front passenger side power window stopped working. The window was actually almost fully open when it stopped working and I couldn't get back up. When I switch the power window control on the left door the window does not move at all and there is no clicking noise as to anything trying to happen. All other windows work fine. I had read online that it could a number of things: the fuse, the motor/regulator, etc. So I started by checking the fuses (cheapest and easiest thing to do).

I took out fuse #22 from the internal box and I noticed that it was in fact blown. To test this, I took the fuse from the front driver side window (#23) and put it on the driver side window. When I turned the car on to test it, and turned on the window switch it was a bit hard for it to move at first but I was able to fully close the window and then it stopped working. I turned the car off and took the fuse off and noticed that now that fuse was blown. I went to the autoshop store and picked up a few fuses for a couple of bucks and replaced the one that I had taken from the front driver side (which now works again) and replaced the second one that had blown from #22 (front pasenger side). I turned the car on and the driver side window works as it did before but the front passenger side did not even move this time. Turned the car off took #22 out again and noticed that it was once again blown.

I did some reading online and realized that some people had had this problem and that for them the fuse got blown as soon as they turned the car on, they didnt event have to hit the window switch. So I took out my multimeter and tested for continuity on that breaker. Sure enough when I turn the car on I get a very small, numbers running through the multimeter, mostly I get shown a negative sign. When I did the same on the other working window breakers I get nothing when I turn the car on. So it seems that there may be a short somewhere. So I am stuck as to how to proceed. I figured that maybe there was a wire touching somewhere and I would be able to see that so I took that front passenger side door apart so that I could access the motor/regulator but I can not visually see anything wrong. I have disconnected some of those plugs on the door itself that go to the window switch on the door and continued testing the breaker for continuity but I still get those small/negative signs on the multimeter.

Can someone provide me with some additional troubleshooting? what is the next logical thing to test and how do I do that? Should I test the window motor or regulator? and if so, how do I do that? What is the most likely culprit in these types of situations? could the actual breaker box be the problem? isn't that unlikely since I would be seeing that problem in other fuses? Do you think one of the wires in the actual door is touching metal? but how would that just start happening now?
I should mention that I have no experience on this at all, it has been alot of youtubing up to get to this point. So please bear with my ignorance when responding. Any help at all would be appreciated!

broncoscarguy

The problem was with the driver side master control. It had shorted out only for the passenger side window.

broncoscarguy

Thank-you

broncoscarguy

Just a follow up on where I am at now. I initially disconnected the power window control on the door itself. The power locks and mirrors on that door still worked just fine. Connecting the window fuse for that door still caused it to blow as soon as the car was turned on. To troubleshoot further, I unplugged the cable connections on the door itself to the mirror, locks and the windows. So in essence there was nothing connected from the internal fuse box to the door. I then put in another fuse in the fuse box and turned the car on. The fuse stil blew. To take it one step further, there is a plug just under the glove compartment that disconnects the entire wire bundle before it enters the door. I disconnected that plug, replaced the fuse, turned the car on and yet the fuse still blew out right away. Am I mistaken to think that the problem then resides between the connections under the glove compartment to the internal fuse box since I have essentially taken the entire door out of the equation? how can I troubleshoot this further? and why would it become a problem now?

Again, all other windows work fine. Could it be that the problem resides in fuse box? I was thinking, since the driver side also controls the front passenger side window, could that be a problem as well? is that likely if all the other windows are NOT having problems?

thecardoc3

Since the fuse is blowing right away what we teach technicians to do is to install a lamp where then fuse should be. You'll have to come up with connector pins and a suitable lamp like an 1156 bulb. Now the short is essentially a switch that is turning the lamp on. Now you can try disconnecting sections like you have already done. When you unplug the right component(s) that are part of the shorted circuit the lamp will go out. You will probably find that disconnecting the drivers door master switch will turn the light out. (make the fuse stop blowing) If the lamp doesn't go out you are heading back towards the fuse block.

In the shop we can measure the current from the lamp into and out of the switch. That lets us prove if the problem is downstream towards the right hand door or inside the master switch itself.

broncoscarguy

thecardoc3 said:

In the shop we can measure the current from the lamp into and out of the switch. That lets us prove if the problem is downstream towards the right hand door or inside the master switch itself.

@thecardoc3 I'm interested how do you measure the current into and out of the box? By the way, I didn't have a lamp so instead I used a multimeter to measure if that breaker was getting power when the ignition key was on (all the other window breakers were not getting any).

thecardoc3

https://www.amazon.com/PDI-CA-60-Handheld-Current-Clamp/dp/B00X3GDVWM/ref=asc_df_B00X3GDVWM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309777814505&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13512908472729701439&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003387&hvtargid=pla-491476083339&psc=1

badhonda

always check the fuses under the dash; each door has a 20amp fuse (right side steering wheel in 02-06). blown fuse is shorted wire or blown motor (must check voltage). There is also a master fuse - but that would render all window switches dead if bad). Most common issues are bad window motor OR bad switch. switches can be checked for ground/power (at door and at master switches). usually a bad motor will cause your headlights or fan motor to dim (or you hear a mild clicking sound) if you use the switch (key in ON position, no engine running).

a window that works only one way (just up or down) means the motor is good but a switch (master or door switch) has a bad switch OR a bad wire connection between the switches.

by default honda's use negative ground on the two wires between the master control switches and individual at-door switches by default. when either switch (master or door switch) is engaged it sends power to the motor on one wire and the second switch wire acts as a ground (two wires - up/down on switch change polarity depending on switch position) this is to protect overload if the master switch is used and a passenger uses the individual door switch at the same time... it simply stops working the window motor as both wires are then only one polarity (negative or positive). when switch replacement does not work but the window motor will work on its own, you must start tracing ground or power wire from actual door window switch back to master switch for that door (they are color coded - use wiring diagram).

honda's are notorious for the wiring bundle coming out of the door to the body panel using a plug at the door and having bad corroded pins or even the wires pulling out of the pins (covered with a rubber boot). you must trace the specific door switch wire by using hot lead tester light and needle probe to the specific colored ground wire. for example, I had good ground wire at the master door switch but no ground at the front passenger window door switch thus the motor at the door switch would not activate (broken wire somewhere between master switch and actual door switch). traced good ground from master switch down to wiring harness plug at the driver door to body panel boot. turns out the plug from the door to body panel was shot with multiple wires broken at the pin-outs (explains weird random door locking by itself as well!). had to cut all wires at the outside section of the harness behind the plug and splice a new (junk yard) plug in to the harness. No, it was not fun! get a wiring diagram and trace it... or check YouTube for videos on it!!! always check the fuses first for other issues.

if you cannot jump a hot/ground lead at the door motor to get the motor to work, most likely you have a bad motor/regulator unit in the door.