CAB-2002-C320

Hi folks, newbie here - I have a feeling the motor for the power window may be out. It all started one day when it momentarily stopped working, after shutting the engine off and then back on, it worked for a few more weeks and then all of a sudden no more up or down. When I depress the window switch (either up or down), I hear the clicking (relays?), but no glass movement. I read somewhere that tapping the motor may get things back into action, so I disassembled the door (though not all the way) until I could reach into the where the motor was and tapped it a bit - put everything back together (making sure not to have anything disconnected while I tried again), and still no luck.

Does anyone think it may be the motor?

If not, any other suggestions? (I tried the remote open of all windows/sunroof and everything but that window opens)

If it may be the motor, how much does one go for these days? I imagine to replace it at the MB shop may be costing a bit much, anyone have experience with non-MB shops on something similar? (I'm afraid to bring it to non-MB due to incorrect procedure)

Unfortunately, out of warranty at this point and trying to save the pocket if possible...

C320 2002 4-door sedan

OneOfaKindTrini

Could it possibly be a blown fuse or something along those lines?

CAB-2002-C320

Tried both window fuses, both are good. Again, if I am hearing clicking near the control unit (inside the door panel, towards the front) whenever I depress the window up/down switch, does that mean it's likely the motor or the control unit?

mleskovar

Is the window stuck up or down? The '01-'02 C's had bad window mechanism to window mounts that cause the window to fall to the bottom of the door frame or skew (if only one of the two mounts fail) and jam. The top of the window disappears in the frame when both mounts fail.

CAB-2002-C320

Luckily it's stuck in the up position (closed) :-)

samaritrey

Why not do it yourself i am sure if you can get the door panel off you can replace the motor or regulator. try the regular online parts places for the parts. First you would need to figure out which part has failed though. also take the power off the motor and get a volt meter to see if it is getting power.

Moviela

When you press a window switch you are not telling the motor to do a thing. The CANbus reads the switch has been pressed. It then signals the proper door module processor that a window request has been made. The processor then asks which direction. The SAM replies up, down, and the auto bit or not. The door processor looks at the window position it has stored, and then makes a move. If the motor indicates an obstruction by measuring a higher than normal current, it stops. Inside the door module is an electromechanical relay that is used to change the direction of the window. The current for the motor comes from the chassis to the door module, then is switched on and off by the processor in the door module.

The problem can be a bad motor. A bad connection between the motor and the door module, and a bad connection to the DC bus in the chassis. These are all simple to troubleshoot, but you should spend no money on parts until you know which one to buy. An independent shop that does Mercedes electrical work can fix this problem. I do take your point that there are a lot of "module jockeys" out there that "earn while they learn" on your car. A few questions about how they intend to find the problem should let you know if they are capable of working on your car.

krisv420

what the hell... thanks for the heads up.. CRAP

mleskovar

Also don't forget the lift mechanism itself. I had a window problem that I was sure it was electrical/electronic and it turned out to be the mechanism. Even after I removed it I couldn't find what was wrong with it. The motor is easy enough to check once you get to it. If you do strip the panel down to troubleshoot take the time to check for the upgraded window grommets. The new ones are black rubber and the old/bad ones are white plastic.

samaritrey

just curious the window grommets are what hold the glass to the regulator right? and the plastic ones break and cause the glass to fall? i bet my car has all the older style should i look into fixing that or ignore it?

CAB-2002-C320

Thank you everyone for your helpful replies, any idea how much something like this would cost to repair? (independent vs. dealership)

mleskovar

Correct.

If it's lasted this long I bet it will be OK.

samaritrey

OK thanks that is the answer i was hoping for.

W203E35

It seems it might be the motor. If the other windows work then it's most likely the motor.
---------------------------------


-------------------------------------------

jedcred

Adding 2 cents, hopefully not too late. I had an issue with intermittent window movement (never failed completely), which turned out to be a three-way wire junction that feeds the power to the window. Check that your motor is getting power with a multimeter before investigating a replacement motor. I'll have to dig up the part number, but at least you could try checking there first. MB replaced the motor twice before chasing down the wiring.

Hey look at that, I found it! Wire terminal #X35/1 is the one you may be looking for.