2002 Lexus ES 300 Car Window Motor

Hi cipnj718. Welcome to the forum. This is a classic case of the "ever since" syndrome. "Ever since you changed my oil, my power antenna doesn't work". At some point in time, something on your car stopped working. Where were you or what were you doing when that happened? If you were driving through the bank drive-up, the bank must have caused the problem. Where where you when the rear motor died? At the repair shop; therefore, the shop caused it to die. That is the logic, and I know it stands to reason they caused the problem, but don't be so quick to blame them until you know for sure what the problem really is. Every part that fails was working the minute before the failure. It is very possible you were driving to the shop the minute before the failure.

First of all, with the engine not running, try to operate the rear window while watching the dome light very closely. If you see the light dim just a little when you press the window switch, the motor is trying to run. It could be stuck due to a frayed cable. That will happen all of a sudden. The rubber tracks can become gummed up but that causes the window to run slowly, not stop completely.

If you do not see the dome light dim a little, no current is going through the motor. Possible causes are a broken wire between the right rear door hinges or the driver's door hinges. The driver's door is the most common place to find broken wires because it gets opened more.

Most window motors have a thermal cutout to prevent overheating. Those thermal units actually cause more trouble than they prevent. When the contacts become pitted, the motor will run very slowly or not at all. The test for that is to measure the voltages on the two motor wires and / or to apply voltage directly to the motor to see if it runs.

To actually cause damage to the motor, they would have to remove the trim panel, drill out the rivets holding the regulator to the door, pull the assembly out, remove the motor from the regulator and take it apart. That sounds like an awful lot of work. If you really think they would go through all that trouble, take the car to a different shop and have them diagnose the problem. Ask them to check for signs that the problem was caused intentionally, but be aware most reputable shops do not boost their reputation by cutting their competitors down. That is a trick dishonest shops use.

Caradiodoc

Dandy. You can forget what I suggested about the dome light. Any light would work but the dome light is just the easiest one to see. When any motor runs, (heater fan, wipers, window, etc.), They draw current which lowers battery voltage just a little. That is seen as the light dimming just a tiny amount, ... Barely noticeable. But that is an easy trick to tell if the motor is trying to work. A locked up motor that is trying to run will draw higher current and the lights will dim even more. That difference is hard to describe. It relates more to an experienced mechanic's observation vs. A beginning mechanic's lack of observation. This can be done from either switch that controls that window.

It doesn't matter though. Since you hear, ... Well, wait a minute. Describe that clicking sound. If you hear one single click each time you press a button, that might be a relay turning on and is independent of the motor. If you hear a series of clicks that continue as long as you hold the switch, that would tend to indicate a broken cable or a broken gear inside the motor. Tell me which you hear.

Caradiodoc

Note: My sixth laptop crashed last night since the first of the year! I'm working on an old desktop unit I built over ten years ago. Will be leaving shortly to buy a new hard drive and have a friend install the wireless drivers so I won't reply for a few hours. Rest assured I will be back as soon as possible.

Caradiodoc