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Honda Civic window control not working

The following article is a how-to article on troubleshooting non-operational window. The car I worked on was a 2007 Honda Civic EX Coupe, but instructions below will apply to similar cars and / or models.

Symptoms: Side window going in one direction only, goes halfway and rolls back, or does not operate.

Troubleshooting:

Check fuses first. There are separate fuses for the two doors on the Coupe model. Fuses are under the steering wheel on the left. They are different current ratings.

Is the motor clicking (hard to hear)? If it is, your window is most likely off the track, and will need to be realigned and lubricated. Lubricate window rail guides below the level of the visible glass with a spray can of Silicone Lubricant.

Does the other side window work?

To remove the panel, there are several hidden screws. There is a small cover behind the door release handle. Gently move the tab with one screwdriver while using another to take out the cover. Behind the cover there is one screw and one plastic pin. To remove that plastic pin, gently press in the center. Center part will pop in, and that pin can be removed.

There are two more screws under the door handle.

Another screw is hidden behind the light--color plastic cover on the handle. Gently pry that cover off.

If you have a multimeter and basic electrical knowledge, you can probe the controller.

Are there two voltage supplies to the controller (colors * and *)?

Is there output from the controller (colors * and *)?

Is there continuity in the window motor (colors * and *)?

If you wish to manually roll up the window before you have a chance to replace defective parts, do the following:

Remove motor housing by unscrewing three small bolts.

Take motor cover off. There's a magnet inside -- it will pull on the motor.

Motor rotor will now be visible. Gently rotate / pull it out so that you can easily raise / lower the window.

Raise window if you need to. Then lubricate window rail guides with spray silicone lubricant. Do not use and excessive amount. Window will drop over time and from driving vibration -- tape over glass to keep it up securely.

To reassemble the motor, gently replace motor rotor. Then gently push it in while rotating in both directions (find one that just about starts to lower the window), until it goes in securely without wobbling in place. Place motor housing back on. When pushed on, motor housing should fit snugly to motor mount, and not wobble / rock because of a gap. Reinstall three small bolts.

After using troubleshooting steps described above, I found out that door controller was not outputting voltage (without a multimeter, this can be found if fuse is OK, but motor does not click softly when button is pressed). From what I hear elsewhere on the Internet, many have the same problem, and fix it by buying a $100 replacement controller, however;

Taking out the controller and shaking gently I heard something being loose inside. Taking apart the controller I found:

Fortunately, I found the part that broke off inside the housing.

To glue it back on, first I used (Plastruct Bondene Styrene & ABS or similar) Plastic Solvent Cement to melt and weld the two white pieces of plastic together. Someone suggested it is Nylon. I do not know.. Then, I used Loctite Plastic Epoxy five minute epoxy around the joint, and let it cure overnight.

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