# Driver side power window is dead



## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

I have a 2001 TT, for the last several years the driver side window has made a clicking/cracking sound when I roll it up (no problems rolling down). A week ago when I was rolling it up, it just stopped halfway up. Won't roll up or down, won't budge. Even if I pull or push the window with my hands to "assist", it won't move. When I push the switch up or down there are no sounds at all it is totally silent, I don't hear the motor trying to run. My guess is it could be the switch in the door or the motor or a fuse. (If it was the regulator or frayed/broken cables wouldn't I hear the motor trying to run?)
The switch feels normal and I don't believe the switch would just fail halfway up so I think it is something else.
There are a hundred threads on here about power window problems (I have been reading for a couple hours), one suggestion I see on many other threads is "check the fuse". But according to my manual on page 222, "The electric power windows are protected with circuit breakers which reset automatically after the circuit overload has been corrected." If this is the case then how can I check the fuse? Plus I don't even know where it is!
I would like to take the motor out and test it, but I can't figure out how to pull out the motor. I have removed the screws but when I try to pull it out there is something holding on to it. I could use all of my strength to force it out but it feels like I will break something. And if I get it out, are there two terminals to connect 12 volts to? What if the motor works, then what is the next thing to check?
Some people in other window threads say to check the window clips. I don't know what "window clips" are or where to look for them. Some people say check the "microswitches" but I don't see any.
I have spent countless hours working on this in the past week and I've gotten nowhere. At this point I just want to get the window all the way up. Any advice on how to get the window up? Or something else I should check?
Thanks for any help.


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## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

I just tested the window switch in the door panel and verified the the switch is working and is not the cause of the problem.


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## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

Does anybody know the pinout of the connector that plugs into the window motor? If I apply 12V to the right pins then shouldn't I be able to roll the window up and down?


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## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

OK I got the motor assembly out! If I could just figure out how to test it now. On the cable connector that plugs into the motor, I measure 12V on the two large contacts. I also see 12V on two of the smaller contacts, and 6.63V on two smaller contacts. And 0V on the other three contacts. Anybody know what the pin functions are? Are all 9 pins inputs into the motor or are some of the pins outputs? I don't understand why there are 9 wires going into the motor assembly, seems like four would be enough; 12V for power, one for rotate CW and one for rotate CCW...


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## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

Last night after I removed the motor I turned the plastic pulley-cog thing and manually rolled the window up and down. It takes a *huge* amount of force to turn it, so my theory is that there is so much friction in the regulator system that it caused the motor to fail. Also something in the regulator still makes cracking sounds when I roll it up manually.
I decided to take the car to my mechanic and I told him what I suspected. I asked him to grease and lube everything and see if something was out of adjustment to cause all of that friction. He basically did not believe me and spent about 2 minutes looking over the door and said the regulator was fine. He did not try to roll the window up or down so I don't know why he was sure I was wrong.
I ordered an Elsawin service repair manual on Ebay and I can't get it to install. I've tried three different computers. I think it must be a pirated version or something. I've spent a couple hours trying to install it. More wasted time, and I still don't know how to test the motor independently...


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## Zelgin (Dec 7, 2013)

tt92103 said:


> I ordered an Elsawin service repair manual on Ebay and I can't get it to install. I've tried three different computers. I think it must be a *pirated* version or something. I've spent a couple hours trying to install it. More wasted time, and I still don't know how to test the motor independently...


This is probably the same software I bought. I tried several times to install it on my laptop, which runs Vista. The seller told me it would work, if I ran the install and program in XP compatibility mode. It doesn't. I did install it on my old pc, running XP. It works, but without the ability for the program to use an internet connection back to the home site, a lot of features are missing. I haven't tried installing the VAG software that came with it. Pretty useless to me, since I'd have to move my PC from the office, to the garage, everytime I wanted to plug it in. I'm not sure my current OBDII USB cable would be compatabile, either. I think I'll spring for the Ross-Tech software and dangle, when the time comes to dig into this Audi toy further. I'll wait until they have it totally compatable with Windows 8 (I have it and hate it) and get a new laptop, which I can use in the shop. 
I tried looking through the wiring diagrams, to find the information you asked for, but it takes a long time to learn how to navigate through the ElsaWin menus. It's a great time waster. Probably the most usefull feature to me, is the ability to locate all the control modules and mechanical procedures.
Hey, for $13, what can you expect?
If I find what your looking for, I'll post it. You'll probably have it fixed by then.


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## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

I took apart my window motor and didn't see anything wrong with it. There is a circuit board inside (which I have no idea what it does) but I couldn't get to the side of the board with the components so I could not see if there was a burned up IC.
I ran out of ideas so I decided to buy a new window motor. I found remanufactured Audi TT power window motors at a place called rockauto.com for about $165 but it turned out that they don't have any in stock, and I would have to send my motor in and wait 3 weeks to get it back. Can't wait that long. Plus they said there is a 20% chance they can't remanufacture it, I'm guessing that would be the case if the circuit board is fried.
So I shopped around and it looks like the best price for a new motor is about $325, and I ordered one from ecstuning.com. 

I also bought another TT manual online from Ebay but this one is a download of PDF files. Went through the wiring diagrams but nothing tells me the pin functions of the connector to the motor so I still have no way to test my motor...


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## NotAVeTTe (Jan 2, 2014)

Thats ridic for a window motor. I'm sure someone here could help you if you if they weren't so lazy

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Tapatalk


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## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

I'm still waiting for my new power window motor to arrive. BTW the dealership wanted $550 for it and they didn't even have it in stock! So basically they would order it for me and then give themselves a profit of $225. Unbelievable.

I found the wiring diagram for the power window system and I thought I would share it for anyone else having a power window problems.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/21814073/window.pdf

Note there are a bunch of wires connected to the Central Locking Control Module (aka. Comfort Control Module?).

Also here is what it looks like with the power window removed. You can manually turn that pulley to roll the window up or down. When you remove the motor, stick a screwdriver between the motor and the pulley to ensure that you don't pull the pulley out along with the motor.


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## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

Mission accomplished, I got the new motor installed and bought some grease at Auto Zone and put grease on the rails of the regulator, and the window is working perfectly now.
I still don't know exactly why the motor failed but my theory is that there was too much friction in the regulator system that caused the motor or the electronic circuit board in the motor to fail. (And I still don't know what is the function of the circuit board in the motor!)
After I added grease to the rails, the window went up easier and the clicking/cracking sounds went away. Due to this, I believe that it would be a good idea to do preventative maintenance on the window regulator by greasing the rails once in a while. I'm going take off my passenger side door panel now and grease the rails on that side now just to be safe.
After installing the new motor, I had to "Reset" the window so it knows how to lower and raise the window a few mm when opening and closing the door.
1. Put key in ignition
2. Lower both windows all the way.
3. Raise both windows all the way up.
4. Wait a few seconds, then press and hold the window-up button for a few more seconds.
Windows should now be reset.


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## becker780 (Apr 30, 2013)

I got a used window reg with a motor on it for like 80 bucks from Autohaas.. Great people to work with btw. Congrats on your fix


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## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

Holy crap you have 300,000 miles on your 2001??? That is amazing. I'm going to hit 100,000 this week.

Thanks for the tip about Autohaas, I see they just added a couple of TT parts cars to their inventory, I will definitely look them up on my next problem..


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## becker780 (Apr 30, 2013)

Its at 305,XXX right now. Due for an oil change at 306


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