Most cars nowadays are equipped with power windows which make raising and lowering a car’s window a whole lot easier. This is an improvement from the car windows that older model cars had. In older cars, a lever had to be wound up in order to lower or raise a car window; in newer car models, the car’s driver and passengers can lower or raise the car’s window with just the push of a button.
A car’s power windows are called as such because these car components utilize mechanical and electrical “power” in order to move the window up or down. This is to be distinguished from the old manual windows that needed “physical power” (either the strength of the driver or passenger’s arm, depending on which window was being opened) in order to have the window to go up or down. The power windows operate as an organized mechanism that is made up of the window regulator and the window motor. The window regulator is a long gear shaft equipped with “teeth” on its rounded side. It moves up and down as the car window is raised and lowered. The window motor is a gear designed with “teeth” as well to complement the window regulator’s “teeth”. The window motor supplies the “power” needed by the window regulator to push the car window up or down. But both components will move together as the window is raised or lowered. Without the window motor, however, the window regulator cannot work.
Due to constant use,
window motors (and regulators) are subject to wear and tear. Window motors get worn out usually due to “breakage caused by forcing the window, damaged window tracks, old or worn pulley and cable lines, and general wear and tear”. Since the window motor directly works with the window regulator gears, constant friction may wear both parts out and cause difficult lifting and lowering of the power window. In worse cases, the power window may even get stuck. Also, moisture and dirt may get trapped in the window motor after some time, thus causing corrosion among the parts and the eventual break down of the power window. Since power windows can cost much, replacing its component parts, most importantly the window motor, is a good preventive measure for saving car owners from having to spend more at the local mechanic.
