M45 Power window issue

[starscream21]

Hello everyone,

I have a 2003 Infiniti M45 and the Driver side power windows will not go up.

I took the car to a local Nissan dealer for a inspection and oil change. Half way through the day I get a call from the service manager and he said his tech rolled the driver window down and it now will not go back up. When the switch is pressed it will not do anything. They said they need to take it apart to find out if it is the motor or regulator but they are not sure because they don't work on many M45.

So I called te infiniti dealer in town and they told it may cost up to $500 to fix it. But they did tell me a trick to close the window which is to press up on the button and tab the middle of the door penel where the motor lives and according to Infiniti that will temporarily close the window.

Before this I have notice the front windows has always operated slower than the back ones.

Base on your experience, what do you think is wrong here?
Since it happened under the dealer's watch, should I try to get them to work with me(they dont sound like they are willing)

Anything will be helpful! Thank you!!

[The00Dustin]

This is a long shot, but where is the battery in the 2003 M45? If it is in the trunk, then maybe you need a new battery. I had my rear windows closing slower than my front ones in my 2006 M45 (which has the battery under the hood) and it turned out to be a weak battery. That having been said, I m guessing it's not the battery, so if you want the windows to work and you want to spend less, you need to get your hands dirty (and specificaly ask for advice on how to determine which component is bad) or talk to an independent mechanic who will determine this for you and replace the parts at a much lower labor rate. To save more, you could also look for generic/rebuilt parts or get the OEM parts for less at one of this forum's sponsors, like infinitipartsusa.com (I think that's Infiniti of Scottsdale, and I think Circle Infiniti is another sponsor, but I'm not sure if they have a site to order from), or possibly from a nissan dealership. If you can't find or aren't comfortable with an independent mechanic, you could also consider having a Nissan dealership do the job.

[starscream21]

This is a long shot, but where is the battery in the 2003 M45? If it is in the trunk, then maybe you need a new battery. I had my rear windows closing slower than my front ones in my 2006 M45 (which has the battery under the hood) and it turned out to be a weak battery. That having been said, I m guessing it's not the battery, so if you want the windows to work and you want to spend less, you need to get your hands dirty (and specificaly ask for advice on how to determine which component is bad) or talk to an independent mechanic who will determine this for you and replace the parts at a much lower labor rate. To save more, you could also look for generic/rebuilt parts or get the OEM parts for less at one of this forum's sponsors, like infinitipartsusa.com (I think that's Infiniti of Scottsdale, and I think Circle Infiniti is another sponsor, but I'm not sure if they have a site to order from), or possibly from a nissan dealership. If you can't find or aren't comfortable with an independent mechanic, you could also consider having a Nissan dealership do the job.

Thank you for the reply. I am going to fix it myself. I tried the tab on the penal method with no luck. How does one diagnose whether it is the motor or the switch?

[The00Dustin]

Unfortunately, I don't have any diagnostic experience or advice here. That having been said, I think you can find the field service manual (FSM) by searching this forum (or looking in the right mod's signature block). Assuming they have one for the 2003, it will have schematics for everything. You may find out that the switch communicates directly over the CAN-BUS, though. I know the switch in the drivers' door on a 2006+ is a master and no windows will work if it fails completely, but I don't know how to test it. Maybe the best way to test would be to figure out how to power the motor directly (if the motor works, then work your way back, if it doesn't, replace it), but I don't really know if there is any risk of breaking anything by doing that.

[Boonies]

If you pull the door panel or remove the switch you should be able to use a volt-ohm meter to check if there is current passing through the switch when the switch is activated. if there is, then it is likely the window motor.

[starscream21]

I confirmed it is the window and bought a new one through infinitiusa for $250 and replaced it. It took about 8 hours, not the easiest job to do.

interesting note, the brand new motor from nissan is made in Philippines, no wonder they break so easily. my 03 has about 110k and now that I fixed the driver side, the passenger side just went out as well. Seriously?