June 21, 2020
Alfred Hitchcock once made a mystery thriller film called "Rear Window." It had nothing to do with the rear window of today's cars, SUVs, CUVs and light trucks. But there is one thing that some drivers DO find mysterious. Why don't the rear windows in the second row of many of these vehicles go down all the way?
You've probably seen or owned one or two. That rear side window only goes down about a third, a half or three-quarters of the way. Yet there are some similar vehicles where the window goes down all the way. What gives?
There was the rumor going around that the restriction on how far those windows could go down was a child safety feature. The thought was that if those windows couldn't open up fully, a child (or pet) would be less likely to fall out. But it turns out the real reason is that the way the rear doors were designed, there was just no room for the window to go down all the way into.
Many vehicles are configured so that the rear wheel arch continues into the rear door. That arch restricts the space that would accommodate the window, so they had to stop the window somewhere higher than bottom of the door.
Seems buyers would prefer those back windows to go all the way down, so many manufacturers are changing designs to make that happen. Longer vehicles can have their wheels pushed further back so the wheel arch isn't an issue. Some have altered the position of the rear window track.
If you have any questions about your rear side windows, you may want to consult your service advisor to check yours. If they ARE supposed to go all the way down and they're not, it could be due to a few problems: corrosion, broken or bent window regulator components, electrical issues, etc. But if they're not supposed to go down all the way? At least now you know for sure.
Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Columbus
4188 W. Broad
Columbus, Ohio 43228
614-276-0164
http://www.tuffycolumbus-broadst.com
June 29, 2025
If you have a vehicle with an automatic transmission, you probably never think about gear shifting. When motor vehicles were invented, all of them had to be shifted manually. But that wonderful self-shifting transmission, referred to these days as simply an automatic, changed everything. Automa... More
June 22, 2025
We all know about winter tires. But did you know there is such a thing as summer tires? Most people have all-season tires on their vehicles. They work pretty well in a variety of weather conditions. But if you want better handling and performance, you might consider switching to summer tires. ... More
June 16, 2025
As you know, todays vehicles rely on a lot of computers in them to keep them running clean and efficiently. Those computers depend on information delivered by several sensors throughout the engine and exhaust system. And one of the most important is the oxygen sensor. Known as the O2 sensor f... More