Power driver side window shuddering and stopping

[bmninada]

Does anyone know how to fix this symptom?

Power window with auto up/down driver side. When I down, goes down manually or powered. But when trying to bring it back up, ideally even if I let go it should continue going up. What's now happening is:

> Slower than usual starts to go up.
> Shudders while going up slowing and slowing to a stop.
> If I let go of the power button - goes down automatically.If I hold the button, after window stopped going up - remains fixed in place does not go up.
> Rinse and repeat this sequence few times - no effect, keeps going down when I release the button.
> The only way to do it is pulsing the switch. Little by little. Then after it crosses, i.e. going higher than the usual spot where it had stopped before, then it continues to go up - automatically.

I believe maybe something is stuck, grease/lubrication - maybe or maybe something serious and motor needs to be changed. When went to dealer, they said entire power module need to be replaced and quoted me $800 with labor. I jumped and disappeared from there.

Please help?

 

[Jmaz]

Good for you bailing out of the dealer. I'm sure that a lot of us here would do the same. The best way to start is pulling the door panel and inspecting for binding mechanism while running it up and down and grabbing the glass pane and try to move it around by pulling different directions to see if it came loose from the mechanism. The mechanism is called the "regulator" and like many is a motor/gearbox combination that reels a thin cable in and out thus lifting and lowering the glass. Inspect the cable for any loose strands/fraying which can jam and cause intermittent (but not for long until it breaks or jams solid)/no motion.

There also could be another aspect here from an electrical control standpoint. The CX-5 may have a safety system whereby a window encounters excessive resistance when being raised and stops and even maybe automatically lowers. This is to prevent Dad from choking Junior who has his head out the window while Dad is raising the window and is distracted by some "skirt" on the sidewalk. . You get the drift. So, absent some erratic control module behavior somewhere (if there even is one) other than the electronics typically built into the drivers master control switch, it could be interplay between a failing window regulator and "safety stop" feature as described above.
I'm "winging it" a bit here and going by previous experience with power windows in prior vehicles.

Maybe somebody with real, relevant experience could help out here. Good luck.

P.S. Even a new window regulator and master switch is going to be a lot cheaper than the dealer quote. I've done a few in the past and it really wasn't too terrible of a job. A pry tool (even a stiff putty knife) and possibly the correct size Torx bit may get the panel off without too much trouble.
Good Luck.

 

[GrampaSlade]

If it is the regulator and/or motor, and it probably is, you can get a Mazda parts online for a decent price or go even cheaper with dorman brand. there are youtube videos showing how

 

[bmninada]

I will open the panel tomorrow and let me do some jiggling, wriggling and whatever was advised above.

 

[Jmaz]

If you decide to replace the regulator with an aftermarket brand you might want to remove and save the motor (if still functional) from the original one ,that is assuming it looks the same and would fit the aftermarket one. Probably held on with 2 screws. I had a motor failure on an aftermarket regulator after about 1 year. That was the only thing wrong with it. Luckily I had saved the original failed factory regulator (motor still good, cable was broken) and the motor was a direct fit into the aftermarket. That rather cheap regulator was still working when the car got traded in about 6 or 7 years later.

 

[Jmaz]

Just found this video for regulator replacement. Bit more involved than one's I did as the regulator mounts to an additional panel that gets removed ,but still doable.

 

[bmninada]

This got fixed. I called my trusted mechanic. He told me to first route an extremely narrow semi-flexible tube down the hatch where the window resides. Then connect the other end to an electrical connector cleaner or something similar which immediately evaporates. Then start going back and forth and up and down while also trying to move the glass up/down. I emptied around 3/4 of the can and then boom - everything started to work as expected. I didn't need to open any door panels, etc. From inside and he told me not to (categorically) do the above routing from outside. No idea why.

 

[Jmaz]

[CAN BE CLOSED] This got fixed. I called my trusted mechanic. He told me to first route an extremely narrow semi-flexible tube down the hatch where the window resides. Then connect the other end to an electrical connector cleaner or something similar which immediately evaporates. Then start going back and forth and up and down while also trying to move the glass up/down. I emptied around 3/4 of the can and then boom - everything started to work as expected. I didn't need to open any door panels, etc. From inside and he told me not to (categorically) do the above routing from outside. No idea why.

Interesting fix. Glad you resolved it without much expense.