After seeing another window problem with a Sedan I've decided I will post up my hazardous situation with the windows that almost made my wife and I throw up and faint it seems vital I do so. I'll include photographs to make people visualize what went wrong with my windows. Below is a PM that Princess and I have breifly spoke about awhile back. Thanks again Princess! for the message I hope this can serve as a benefit for those who have issues with their windows. I really hope this isn't something major Honda is avoiding.

Hi Princess,

Thank u for the reply back I recently just changed out the regulator with a brand new passenger side Honda part regulator it was expensive being the 3rd replacement. The dealer fixed the same window under warranty 4yrs ago but this time they charged me so I did it myself.

I did a side by side comparison with the new & old parts testing the relays along with the wiring harness. Thank god the harness is still pulling a current & not fried or shorted out. The connector smells disgusting.

Long story short I took photographs of the burned out motors internals it appears the magnetic coil inside was oscillating long enough trying to rotate which led to burning out the motor due to the master switch passenger button being stuck in the up position.

My master switch is defective after testing both switch controls on my coupe. Normally, when depressing/pulling the window switch u will hear 2 distinct clicks, 1st click as the window should go down/up when pressed down/up & once released (depressed) the window should stop as the switch button should then be in a middle neutral position followed by the 2nd audible click. After testing the buttons it seemed fine when they were pressed down as the windows would go down & operate normally but the problem was when the windows went up.

As I pulled the passenger button up to close it I heard the 1st click which powered my window to go up but there was no 2nd click as the button appeared to be in the neutral position I checked my volt meter & a current was still being drawn. The main master window switch passenger side button is defective now I need to buy a new one. My driver side is starting to show symptoms & is happening again. My buttons wiggle, are also loose, not firm like when they were new as they should be.

Although there have been a few switches that have gone bad, they are not all for the same reason. If windows are used rarely the contacts can get gummed up. If they are used open in bad weather the dampness can affect them. If there's been an impact. Even cleaners can cause havoc.

There is no bulletin. There is no recall. There is no pattern.
Sorry to hear about yours & I hope you can get it resolved!!


http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showthread.php?t=19627&highlight=wnidow+regulator
Date: 02-01-2009, 12:34 AM

Good evening,

I've been on this forum for quite sometime but never have the chance to post & recently just registered. I'm also a member of gen7accord.net & v6p.net I noticed a member having the exact same problem with their windows as I was? I was wondering if you can help me out. Is there a recall on the Accord 7th gen switches. 3 days ago I also had an almost catastrophic electrical fire in my car due to my windows.

I've owned my Honda from day 1, a brand new 05 lx-v6 cpe & have the exact problem this member has described. I'm afraid it may happen to anyone else over time. From the day I purchased the vehicle at the dealership I noticed several occasions the window switch would malfunction about 50% of the time when pressed/pulled. While still new & under warranty I took it in so the dealer can fix it here at Pacific Honda San Diego. The days it would work they couldn't figure it out it was an intermittent problem. I get a clicking noise on the passenger side when I try to open/close the window from my driver side master switch.

Honda attempted to fix the problem saying they could'nt figure it out changing the switches which seemed to be sticking??? So the problem with my new Accord was the switches hoping they had fixed the issue a month went by same exact symptoms again. Instead of ignoring issues I purchased new switches “again” at the dealer & swapped them it seemed to fix the problem. 1 year goes by & the switches start to work 50% of the time with this weird stick. Sometime u push the button they need to be wiggled or pushed a certain way to work. This really worried me as I’d drive on base to show my I.D., drive through & ATM as well with non functioning windows. Some days it would have a life of it's own and go up and down by themselve? 3 days ago after living the last few years with the dealer unable to fix my problem it became a normal everyday part of my life. Until one night I smelled this god awful putrid smell that almost made me & my wife faint on the way home from work. I roll the windows down the smell gets 100x worse & wasn't going away. I pull over & park, unable to see in the car it’s 10pm & I turn the cabin lights on & get my mini flash light to inspect. I turn off the car go outside check the car immediately smell the air & the smell wasn't outside. My wife was complaining of dizziness. I told her to get out hoping the car wouldn't explode. I checked everywhere the closer I smelled around I realized the passenger side smelled very very strong. I let the car air out waiting 30 mins afraid to turn on the car I turned it on tried all the electrical components radio, windows, lights, hazard, cluster. Everything seemed to be functioning so drove home with the smell faintly going away but still in the air.

Next morning while warming up my car I turn on the heater & open the window a tad bit & the smell seemed to come back??? I went to work & it wasn't going away I came home & immediately my window on the passenger side just stopped working for no reason & to my surprise I traced it. All the years of this stupid window acting up got me thinking. Could it be an electrical problem with the windows?

I traced the putrid smell immediately unscrewed & pulled the door panel off the passenger side & almost fainted from the awful smell. It smelled like an electrical flare up behind the door. A charred section marked just behind the protective plastic where the window motor was indicated where the area of the problem was. Now I figured why my wife was very very dizzy. I checked the 20amp fuses, relay under the hood window, master/passenger switches, continuity to door harness connectors on both door switches, & connectors to window regulator motors hoping it would be an easy fix. The harness seem to be getting voltage from the switches so next I checked the wiring harness at both doors at each of the end connectors to both door window motors where they plug into a gray connector it smelled damaged. Meaning which if it was the case my whole window harness is shot. Keeping faith I checked the continuity of the gray motor connector it seemed fine. The harness wasn't damaged thank god. I checked the passenger switch connector it seemed to be functioning. After all the testing I eventually tested the window regulator motor & did a direct battery power jump to it to see if it would power on my windows up/down. To my surprise it did not. My window regulators were complete smoked, fried, & blown.

I found out happened were faulty Honda switches. I've replaced switches 3x brand new from the factory for my car. Keep in mind I'm the original owner purchased brand new it also has a record of when I reported this problem the first week of the lot. Honda suspected it could be a problem with the up/down auto program thing & recommend I try reprogramming the switch through a certain procedure. That wasn't the situation as Honda had my car for 3 days not solving the problem. Honda never figured it out giving me a run around.

I have a feeling it starts with the switches. I've taken apart 3 of my switches & inside of the switches show signs of use the contacts within the switch get damaged by normal use overtime. I don't play with my switches like a child. Believing overtime this problem is causing a surge of power to constantly flow whether it may be in the open or closed position of the switch with a load of 20amps that’s enough to blow the fuse but in my case the fuses never blew & instantly killed the window regulator motor. This could cause catastrophic failure to the electrical system if the wiring sheath had melted away from the sudden power surge. Think of it as if you were holding the switch in the up/down position for more than 10 minutes. Once the switch is damaged this faulty 50% working switch situation began to haunt me. It haunts me how I read about this on the forum today just doing a search to see if someone has the same problem with their windows on a coupe looking for some fix?

Next, just as of recent, due to the window switches contacts getting damaged even when the button clicks back even if the buttons appear to look like they are in the neutral position my button was in the always pulled in the closed window mode without awareness. Since the window travel can only go as far as the glass window hits the door rail when it comes to a stop the surge of power in my window motor did not blow my fuse yet instead blew my passenger window regulator motor.

I have to invest in purchasing the driver side master window switch 198.00,the passenger side switch is 60.00, & the passenger window regulator 205.00. This is pretty costly & almost $500.00 for new parts not including tax. The dealer says I'm out of warranty & want to charge me 1500 to fix the problem. I feel this is a Honda America problem.

If u had my problem what would u do? I want to call American Honda & complain about this cause as my Honda dealership immediately ignores me & just band aids the problem. I tried searching to see if there was tsb/recall on this issue as my car almost caught on fire if I had not shut the car off or disconnected the wires in time the wires would’ve melted & touch the body of my passenger door causing damage or god knows what other electrical problems. Smoke was in my interior that same night as I told my wife to get out due to the smell of electrical burning because of the window regulator dying. Health hazards, safety, & definitely not something people would want to experience in their car especially while driving.

HI I have problem with window too...My service guy told me that this is a window motor..but I have feeling that it is only cause and initial reason is something else as it happend to mee already 3 times..first in May 2008 ,then Decemeber 2008 and then now in May 2009 ...symptoms the same... before it stop working 50% window did not roll down...then roll down as nothing happend ...did not get problem with smell or something ...I guess Honda should pay for it as it is their problem .."funny" ..policy is that warranty on window motor is only until MAy 2008 regardless if it will windows motor will break again ....I guess goverment shpuld step in as I do not thing that Car makers will talke this cost on their shoulders...

Hi I have a problem with my 2003 driver side window regulator. I was told it is the motor and now I have shopped around looking for a motor i dont think anyone will sell me just the motor.
Does anyone know where i can purchase a motor or the entire regulator from? I am in Toronto, Ontario Canada.

Thank you,
Gord.