If your vehicle is showing grinding or crunching noise when operating power window, here are the most likely causes and the parts you'll need to fix each one.
Most modern power windows use a metal cable system. Over time, the cable can fray, causing the loose metal strands to grind and crunch as they are pulled through the plastic pulleys.
The internal gears of the window motor are often made of plastic. When these gears strip or break, the motor spins and grinds against the damaged teeth without moving the window smoothly.
The plastic clips that hold the glass or the pulleys that route the cable can crack due to age and temperature changes. When they break, the mechanism binds and crunches against the metal door frame.
If the window mechanism was recently replaced, the cables may have been routed incorrectly or the motor may not be fully seated, causing the moving parts to grind against the door shell.
Dirt, sand, or remnants of previously broken glass can get lodged in the window run channels, causing a scraping or grinding noise as the glass slides past the debris.