Hi--I was having a little trouble with the driver's side window not going up, now I could not get it to go up but it will go down.  It was acting finicky now it just wouldn't go up.  Any solutions?  Thanks.  99 Outback wagon.

Edited July 19, 201510 yr by ThosL

thosl,

 

We really need a year, model and mileage to really nail it down in future.

 

My guess is that the power window switch contacts are dirty. Get some electrical contact spray cleaner at an outo supply store. Then pull the switch from the door and spray a good dose of cleaner into its crevacies and cycle the switch back and forth 10 or so times. You might have to repeat the process a couple of times. Then WAIT 10 minutes for the cleaning fluid to evaporate before turning the ignition on and trying the switch.

 

If that doesn't do the job, you may have to get another switch off eBay or from a wrecking yard. Then the window motor would be next in line if that doesn't solve the issue. Good Luck!

All of the other windows work properly?

 

What do you mean by acting finicky? Was it making a noise? Grinding or scraping?

thosl,

 

We really need a year, model and mileage to really nail it down in future.

 

My guess is that the power window switch contacts are dirty. Get some electrical contact spray cleaner at an outo supply store. Then pull the switch from the door and spray a good dose of cleaner into its crevacies and cycle the switch back and forth 10 or so times. You might have to repeat the process a couple of times. Then WAIT 10 minutes for the cleaning fluid to evaporate before turning the ignition on and trying the switch.

 

If that doesn't do the job, you may have to get another switch off eBay or from a wrecking yard. Then the window motor would be next in line if that doesn't solve the issue. Good Luck!

Agree with above response. I had same problem recently with wife's 98 Outback. It has the same window switch as your 99 Outback. In my case, the driver window switch broke internally, so the button had no spring resistance, when trying to raise the window, when the glass was in the down position. If your switch is broken, you will have to replace the entire power window switch unit, as an individual window switch cannot be replaced. I found a replacement at a wrecking yard. I have seen the switch availabel on ebay motor in parts section.

You can replace it (may have the same problem again) or take it apart and clean the switch contacts.

The trouble is most likely with the UP position switch contacts but it could also be a bad window regulator mechanism. The hard load is with the up position and where they usually start having problems.

The guy at Advance Auto thought it was probably in the switch unit, not connections when he looked at it today.  I had saw a puff of smoke once a little while ago coming from the unit, though it kept working for a while.  

The magic smoke escaped?

 

Get a used unit then.

The guy at Advance Auto thought it was probably in the switch unit, not connections when he looked at it today.  I had saw a puff of smoke once a little while ago coming from the unit, though it kept working for a while.  

Puff of smoke...........means it is shorting out. Time for a replacement switch. The switch is a sealed unit, so there is no way that it can be disassembled and repaired.

I doubt the switch itself is shorted but the window mechanism may be jamming up in the UP direction which would cause high current to flow in the motor. Never keep pushing the power switch if the window isn't moving in case there is a jam in the mechanism. Hopefully the circuit breaker for the circuit will trip before real damage is done to the wiring or motor.

Even a bad motor will allow the window to go down but not have enough strength to take it back up again.

 

Smoke from the switch is a good indication of something going on in the switch or drawing too much current to do it's job of lowering or raising the window. 

 

Time for some advanced trouble shooting. 

I hope everyone is happy, now i need a drivers side master control switch.

 

I've replaced the window jacking unit and motor in my wifes forester twice... no sympathy if you just need a switch!

 

First time the motor was bad, second time something came loose on the assembly.

My guess it's the switch.  The tab originally broke off so I didn't have use of the drivers side window for a while.  Now when I have been using it, it decided to stop going back up.  The magic smoke was a few weeks ago.  

I went to a junkyard with a lot of Subarus yesterday and they had a switch to plug in to check if that was it.  It was the switch.  The auto lever on the drivers side window had broken off and I had put another one on that switch, which may have effected the short on that unit.