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By wmcot, January 14, 2015 in Toyota Corolla (2009 until 2018-19 “TNGA”)



My daughter has a 2009 Corolla. Over the past few days she has noticed a loud squeak or squeal when the driver's side front window is rolled all the way up. At first I thought it might just be debris or dirt and tried the silicone spray in the window channel trick. It seemed to stop for a day or two, but tonight she said that it was worse.

I checked it out myself and it seems that when the window reaches the top, it still tries to roll up for a second and the squeal is coming from inside the door! I also noticed that when it is doing this, the top of the door on the outside flexes a little like the window motor is straining to push the glass through the top of the door.

Is there a limit switch on the window mechanism? Any other suggestions?

Question: Has the safety recall concerning the power window switch been performed? If so, did the window display this problem before the repair, or afterward? If you haven't had the service, which is free by the way, perhaps you should take it in to see if the switch may be a cause. Little chance that the problem is related to the switch, but Toyota recommends the repair. I think there is a small circuit board in the mix somewhere.

Hi corollamike,

Yes, the power window switch recall was performed some time ago. No problem until the last week or so. The dealer said (today while it was in for the airbag wiring recall) that it could be the motor or the regulator but we should wait until it gets worse or fails to narrow down which one.

My thinking is that there has to be a way the end of travel is detected by the window motor circuitry. Even if the window is fully up, pulling up on the window button makes the window motor try to run and the squealing and door flexing continues for a second or two.

Any idea where the circuit board might be located?

Wow, how worse can it get? Wait until the glass snaps or the motor burns up? That's crazy! I'd take your Corolla somewhere else... I mean, if my dealer said that to me--and depending on my mood--I'd rip him or her a new one or take my Corolla elsewhere. Wasn't it patently obvious that the window's operation is compromised?

No, I do not know the location of a circuit board, if there is one, but am pretty sure there is, as it was mentioned in the safety recall.

Nah, I just don't like it that your dealer treated you so poorly. Seriously, I'd take it somewhere else and have it repaired ASAP.

And they charged her a $60 diagnostic fee for listening to the motor and guessing it's either the regulator or motor.

My gut tells me it is neither unless the end of travel sensor is on the motor assembly. There is no way that the window should still try to close when the switch is pulled after the window is all the way up.

I wonder if the Haynes or Chilton manuals cover this in any detail?

After looking through some wiring diagrams, it seems that the motor assembly should stop itself when the window reaches the end of travel. I think something inside the motor assembly is probably allowing the motor to continue to turn, creating the noise.

I'll probably replace it when the weather warms up.

Has anyone used Carbone or other after-market power window motors? Any recommendations?

Haven't used Carbone or aftermarket motors - had bad luck with those in past projects. I usually pull one from a salvaged OEM from a donor car at my local pick and pull. Dealer usually charge an arm and a leg for those.

I'd double check that the window isn't binding in the track and that the regulator is greased up well before I shoot the motor.

The window is definitely not binding. It rolls up easily. The noise only occurs after the window is fully rolled up. It's like the motor still wants to run and is trying to push the window up hard enough to slightly flex the door just below the window.

I think the motor sticks in the "on" position. All of the other 3 windows will just make a 'click' when you try to pull the button after they are rolled up. Only the driver's window tries to run and makes a squeal.

Hope this helps.

I'm pretty sure her car is like my 2009 Matrix - driver's side has auto up/down. Mine doesn't do quite what her is doing, but I see on occasion, the motor trying to overrun its limit and flex the door slightly. What I've gotten into the habit of is auto up, then stopping short of the top, then normally roll the window up. If you don't pull/push the button past the first "click" it will act like the other windows, momentary switch.

Not sure if the power window has any logic to it - ie, software limits. If it does, likely to get to them, you'll have to access the ECM. Not likely going to happen with Toyota, unless you get your hands on a Toyota TechStream device and software.

The window might have electrical or hardware stops - ie, current limiter, run out of teeth on the regulator. With current limiters, those don't always stop the same place each time - which is what this sounds like.

I've taken apart some older motors on Toyotas, they use little rubber hockey puck like lobes to transfer power from the motor to the gearhead. If you try and overrun that motor, they will deform and roll around - probably the squeaking sound you are hearing.

 

The window might have electrical or hardware stops - ie, current limiter, run out of teeth on the regulator. With current limiters, those don't always stop the same place each time - which is what this sounds like.

I've taken apart some older motors on Toyotas, they use little rubber hockey puck like lobes to transfer power from the motor to the gearhead. If you try and overrun that motor, they will deform and roll around - probably the squeaking sound you are hearing.

That sounds like a good description of the cause. I was wondering if there was some sort of "clutch" like the hockey puck pieces you describe. They would squeal if slipping due to the motor not shutting off from current limiting. It makes sense.

 

I think if there was a defective physical limiter, I might hear gears grinding, but that isn't what it sounds like.



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