Window Motor: Operation

A positive and negative battery connection to the two motor terminals will cause the power window motor to rotate in one direction. Reversing the current through these same two connections will cause the motor to rotate in the opposite direction.

When the power window motor operates, it rotates the regulator cable drum through its gearbox. The window regulator cable drum is connected through two cables to the plastic slider on the vertical post. As the cable drum rotates, it lets cable out on one side of the drum, and takes cable in on the other side of the drum. The changes in cable length move the slider up or down the vertical post, raising or lowering the window glass.

If the window regulator or window glass bind, encounter obstructions, or reach their travel limits it overloads the power window motor. The overloading condition causes the power window motor self-resetting circuit breaker to open, which stops the motor from running.