Buzzing Driver Window Motor - 1997 Boxster - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Sacramento986 · 06-01-2010, 11:58 AM

Hello all-

I am a newbie on here, but from what I have seen so far, this looks to be a great group of Porsche enthusiasts! I have a 1997 Boxster that I absolutely love...and every time I open the door to climb into the car, I get the same smile that I had the first day I bought it many years ago!

So...I had a strange issue develop last week and I have yet been able to correct the problem. I was leaving my office late one afternoon and when I closed the door to drive off, I heard a very strange loud buzzing noise coming from inside my car. It went on for 20 - 30 seconds...and the finally stopped. I looked around to see if could see anything or see if I could get the buzz to come on again, but could see nothing. When I went to roll down my driver side window a few moments later, I hit the window switch, and the buzzing sound came back...but the window did not roll down....and...the buzzing noise came back! I drove it home and immediately tore into the door. I thought the window regulator had become frozen which was putting strain on the window motor causing it to buzz...but after further inspection (and the fact that my regulator is not very old...replaced it last year...and I was able to push/pull the window up and down very easily ), it was NOT my regulator. The window motor just buzzed when I pressed the window switch. I thought maybe the window switch was bad, so I tried the passenger side switch on the driver side...and still got the buzzing noise...so...my switches are ok. I then thought that maybe the window motor burned out, so I found one on eBay and had it shipped to me with rush delivery. I installed the new/used motor in hopes to see the window roll down...but...NOTHING....just the buzzing noise. Now I am completely at a loss. I know that there is NOT a separate relay for the driver side and passenger side windows. There is only a 30 amp fuse that connects the two circuits...and the fuse is fine.

I saw that another member of the forum had this happen to him a few years back...but...he did not let us know if he managed to fix it and if so, how he did it. I tried to send him an email, but have not heard back.

So...has anyone else had this happen to them?? If so, were you able to fix it without tearing the wiring harness apart looking for a short?? I have read that one of the problem areas of our cars is the electrical connector where the door wiring harness connects to the main harness of the car (inside the front of the door area next to the hinges). Apparently, the rubber seal at this junction can deteriorate over time and allow moisture to penetrate...causing the windows to stop working...then...it can spread to the rest of the car...and wipe out your entire electrical system! Yikes!!

I was thinking about removing my driver side door and checking that wiring harness junction...doesn't look overly complex, but would hate to do it there is something else I should try first!

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

Thanks!!

extanker · 06-01-2010, 12:31 PM

the d/s motor buzzed when you pressed the p/s switch ???

Sacramento986 · 06-01-2010, 02:17 PM

Yes...the window motor itself was buzzing...but it does nothing else. I thought it may be siezed up, but I hooked up a direct power source to the motor after I took it out of the car and off the regulator and the window motor worked perfectly. I reattached it to the wiring harness without putting it back on the regulator...andwhen I hit the power switch, the motor just buzzed again. I think I am getting a low voltage current to the window motor which is causing the the motor to buzz (isn't getting enough juice to power the motor...so it buzzes)...but....where is the current getting hung up...

Sacramento986 · 06-01-2010, 02:22 PM

I just re-read your message and thought that I had better clarify. When I was trying to find out where the buzz was coming from, I thought the window switch that controls the driver side window was bad...so to try to confirm my theory, I took the driver side power window switch and attached it to the passenger side window and vice versa....the driver side switch worked with the passenger side window no problem...and...the passenger side switch did nothing for the driver side window...except for make the window motor buzz...so....in essence, both of my window switches are are in perfect working order....

extanker · 06-01-2010, 02:52 PM

you can try taking a jumper wire and go to a KNOWN GOOD GROUND and then to the motor...if no joy try jumping 12 volt to switch....use care on jumping...some p/w use DPDT switchs...they reverse the pos/neg...other words ..one switch position a wire could be a ground another position the wire could have voltage

extanker · 06-03-2010, 01:32 AM

sup ? fixed ?

Sacramento986 · 06-03-2010, 10:22 AM

Thanks for checking in! I have not had time to dig into the issue. I am planning on doing it first thing Saturday morning! I'll let you know what I find...if anything!

I really hope it is something simple...but...with my luck...it will probably require stripping out the wiring harness and looking for a bad wire....

idriveaboxster1 · 10-19-2010, 10:06 PM

Any news on a fix? This is very similar to what happened to me. One day the motor made a short buzzing sound, and then stopped working completely. however there is clearly power going to the motor assembly and the motor itself works, but the part i've narrowed it down to is the power circuitboard at the motor casing.

xcbxer · 10-21-2010, 05:32 AM

I had a very quiet buzzing when pressing the power window switch and window did not move. Turned out to be a corroded pin in the plug connector on the A pillar. See my recent thread "window stuck and fixed".