DIY - Automotive Power Window Systems Schematic Diagnosis

The Window Schematic can have a good number of components and many switches so the windows can operate in two directions as well as from two locations.  This video explains the components and their purpose.

This lesson shows how by design there are parts of the schematic connected to power and other parts connected to ground in the "at rest" position of the switches.  This allows for the movement of one switch to the up or down position to create the needed power, load and ground path to operate.

This complex window schematic has 14 different power, load, and ground scenarios that can be utilized to make the various windows move up or down.  A few of them are highlighted and explained in this lesson.

Highlighting Power, Load, and Ground Challenge for Operating the left rear window motor from the left rear window switch.  Download the schematic from the additional resources and highlight two pictures.  One for the window going down and the other for the window going up.

Let's Review the Highlighting Challenge and see how you did.

Improve Your Understanding of Power Window Schematics with this Reverse Diagnosis Challenge.  This activity can really help solidify your understanding of how the window systems function and what can go wrong.

This video explains how to make diagnostic tests at the various components.  A circuit tester is covered in detail explaining how you can use the test light (aka circuit tester) as a substitute load as well as testing for power and ground.

Every time you make a measurement or make a test, you need to get a result that helps you narrow down the possible faults.  If you learn nothing new after making a test, then you are just wasting your time.  Let me explain further and show you what I mean.

Let's take your understanding and "Kick it up a Notch" with this inexpensive tool and testing method.  A jumper wire with a circuit breaker in it is one of my favorite tools.  It lets me bypass parts of the circuit that may be faulty, and much more.  Let's take a look.

This lesson demonstrates using a jumper wire on a car to power the windows up and down with the driver's switch removed.  This testing method can be a great way to verify that other parts of the window system are functioning properly after you have found a faulty component.

Multiple Page Schematics can be confusing if you do not understand the meaning of the symbols on the pages that show where the circuit continues on the other page.   Let's take the mystery out of the way it is done so you can apply this knowledge to any window system.

Another Highlighting Challenge to Test Your Skills and Understanding.  If you get this correct, you are saying to yourself... I get this... I can do this.  Give it a try!

This lesson reviews the second Highlighting Challenge.  It shows the completed answer and explains how to go about figuring out what to highlight in each color.

Print out the quiz from the downloadable resources.

This is a very important lesson , so take your time and do the best you can.  Using what you have learned about power window schematics, apply this knowledge to answer 5 questions about a power seat schematic that we have not discussed yet.  We will review the answers in the next two lessons.

This lesson describes the operation of the schematic used in the quiz and reviews answers 1-4.

This lesson reviews the answers for question 5 of the quiz.

This lesson introduces some additional information that you will sometimes find on electrical schematics.  It also explains how it can be helpful.

Basic Module Communications Described

This lesson describes the components of a Module Controlled Window System.

It can be very challenging to work on newer vehicles that have module controlled window systems without a scan tool that can access the data line and interpret the information.  With that said, there are some things we can test.  This video explains the challenges and the possible tests that can be made to try to narrow down the possibilities. 

Thank you so much for taking this course!