I recently acquired a very low mileage 1990 Maxima GXE. Perfect in every way except for one, rather odd habit. About one-half the time you start the car, the drivers side window will go down on its own, i.e. with no human intervention to cause it to do so. Sometimes it will go back up (with human intervention) and sometimes it won't. Very rarely, all 4 windows will stop working for a time.

For the present time, I have "solved" the problem by keeping the window lock "on" (which keeps the passenger side window from going down on start-up) but this is not a permanent solution.

Any ideas on cause? And fix? I'm no electical engineer but I would think it a short rather than a bad ground. Any ideas where? Since the problem is an interittent, I'm inclined to make educated guesses on the cause and just replace suspect components.

Thanks for replies.

 

Hmmm, possibly the keyless entry keypads? Do yours function correctly, I know of a 2nd gen in my area that one day it rained and threw their keyless entry out-of-whack

 

my maxima has similar probs with the right rear window. Sometimes it goes down when you start the car and goes up again by itself, other times you have to use the button. only that window, As far as i know the back windows arnt hooked up thru the keyless entry buttons. Have used window lock button to stop the problem, will take it to Nissan one day to fix

 

Hey dod, u are going through the same thing I went through. Its ure window motor about to give out. If u have the window lock button on all the time, it will fry the motor. Now, my pass. side window doesnt go down at all now & my dr. rear window is starting to do the same thing. I am going to get new motors very soon for all 4 doors so I dont have to go through this again.

 

By the way steve, are u from New Zealand?

 

It seems that way eddie. Yay, another one!

 

sometimes mine doesnt want to roll down, then a few days later it will start working.

Could it be the solder on the control board? hmmm

 

hey guys, i am from New Zealand. I live near Ashburton south of Chch. I am a bit worried about the window lock button frying the window motor.... i have mine on all the time, saves making sure that the back window is all the way up especially in the wet. How does it fry the motor???

 

welcome aboard steve, i'm not sure that the window lock button will cause the motors to fry, i thought it cut the power to the other windows... but, i've been wrong before! but it does sound like an electrical short somewhere if the windows go down by themselves.. i guess if the motor is on the way out, it could be causing the short?

thats 3 max owners local to chch now, and about 6 or 7 new zealanders total, hmmm, should raise the IQ of this board! hehe, j/k

 

i thought it cut the power too. i am no auto electrician but if ya thing about it, it has to be a short somewhere in that particular window cicuit. Also do you know where i could get a front spoiler for my max as fitted to NZ Maxima Silhouette.

 

no, sorry, got no idea, but would be keen as to get one myself! the front is lacking without the lower lip on it.

What do you do in ashburton steve? i'm there quite a bit, i was dairy farming at rakaia over the summer.

 

i live in Rakaia and work at local garage, probably seen you about then. They look alot better with the front spoiler, much more balanced. Nissan NZ only did it for that model and no longer available. which is big shame.

 

ahh, true. you got PM. Thought i better stop hi jacking this thread!

 

too right, mail me sj.harkness@xtra.co.nz

 

This is actually a funky window setup. Most cars send power from the drivers switch straight to the window motor. In this case data is set between all the switches. Don't hold me to it but as I recall the drivers master switch carries all the electronics to support this system. That's why you can lock down all windows at the push of a button. You might try swapping that driver's switch out.

 

hey Cast, thanks for that bit of info...might have to have a play around in the weekend. see what happens... cheers

 

using the window lock will NOT fry your motors at all

when the window lock button is on/locked, it stops the main controller from sending power to the other window switches
there is a separate data line for each window which uses a 12V or 5V signal (I think 12 is up and 5 is down) to tell the window which way to go IF it has power from the main switch

 

thanks Craig. Didnt think it would, so is it the particular switch on the drivers door or the information being sent to/from that particular switch with the window lock button off?

 

I'm not really sure what you're asking. I guess it's that kiwi accent

I believe (could be wrong) that the data signal is sent from the main switch to the particular door switch when you press that up or down button regardless of the lock switch. When the lock switch is on there isn't a 12V main power signal going to the individual switch though so it wont operate

You're right, keyless entry doesn't have any control over the rear windows so it shouldn't have anything to do with that. I'm not clear on the different trim lines and options for NZ spec, but in the US, SEs never came with the keypad entry. I know AU has some different trims like Ti and others but I dotn know all the features of those either.

not sure what your problem is, could be either the main switch or that door's switch

 

maybe there is a short somewhere in the motor or the wiring leading to it thats causing the motor to get the required voltage to put the window down when the buttons not being pushed.. (sorry about the kiwi accent )