Replacing a Power Window Switch

Everyone knows how an electric window switch works. You simply press the button and the window is either lowered or raised depending on which side you pressed. It’s therefore pretty easy to tell when this part is broken, as the mechanism will no longer function, locking the window in one position.

These switches will always fail over time, often because the wires corrode or water gets into the door unit. Fortunately this is quite a simple part to replace and will not require you to have a huge degree of mechanical knowledge to complete the work. Accessing the switch is not as difficult as replacing a window regulator and will therefore take less time and skill.

Expect to take around an hour to an hour and a half to complete this job. After you have purchased your switch, you should be able to do a preliminary inspection to check that it looks like the right part before you even start the change process.

You will need: a flat headed screwdriver

Step 1: Pry open the bezel 

 Using a flat headed screwdriver, gently lift up the bezel that goes around the power window switch. You should not have to remove the door casing, any part of the body of the door, or the door handle to access the switch. Simply lift up the plastic and you should be able to see the clips that hold the bezel in place.

Step 2: Remove the bezel

 Now you have managed to pull the bezel away from its seating in the frame of the door, slowly remove the clips that hold it in place. You should now see a couple of tabs that hold the power window switch in its seating in the bezel. Use your flat headed screwdriver to push these back and pop out the switch.

Step 3: Disconnect wiring

 The next step in the procedure is to remove the wiring from the switch. Disconnect the wire harness which may have a small clip holding it in place. You should now be able to connect up the new switch and get ready to install it into its seating in the car.

Step 4: Reassemble the Power Window switch

Now you’ll want to pop the switch back into the bezel and then slide the whole assembly back into its seating in the door, checking that all the individual clips are safely in place. Even with the power off you should be able to check that the rockers still move and are giving you a little play in the part.

When you have finished the job it should be a simple task to check that the car’s window switch is now functioning correctly. Turn on the vehicle’s electrics and depress the switch, checking that the wiper motor is driving the window up and down in both directions. If it isn’t working, the chances are you have a faulty switch or the problem could lie deeper within the system.