How to: Acura MDX 2007-2013 no power windows, sunroof, gas/fuel door or rear door fix

Recently, I encountered a problem with my trustworthy 2008 MDX – the rear windows just stopped working. I had replaced the driver-side window switch not long ago, thinking it would solve the problem, but it didn’t. This left me wondering, “What could be the underlying issue here?”

With a resolve to figure it out, I embarked on a mission to find the answer. My research led me to the culprit – the window wire harness, or as it’s technically known, the door sub-wire.

This component, when faulty, can cause various problems such as a stubborn fuel door, an unresponsive sunroof, a stuck rear hatch, or, as in my case, uncooperative power windows. My issue was specifically with the rear passenger and driver-side windows that refused to go down.

After pondering what could have caused the door sub-wire to malfunction, I concluded it was simply wear and tear. Over a decade of continuous use, the relentless opening and closing of the doors, had caused the wires to become fatigued and tear off.

However, the situation wasn’t as grim as it seemed. The wiring harness was reasonably priced, and replacing it was quite straightforward. In fact, it took me just about 10 minutes to fix it. So, if you’re interested in learning how I resolved this issue, keep reading. I’ll outline my process in the next section.

What you’ll need:

How to: 

1. Make sure you have a replaceable door sub-wire. The lowest price I can find on the internet was from Amazon.com

 

2. Identify the Sub-Wires: These are located on the front left driver side, nestled between the door and the car body.

View of the left sub-wire

View of the right of the sub-wire

3. Start by pulling back the left side sub-wire rubber grommet and plug. It should come off with relative ease. If necessary, apply some force. You can use a flat-head screwdriver to push the top of the plug and release it.

It should easily come off. Feel free to use some force. 

What it looks like pulled back.


Use your fingers or a flat head screw driver to push on the top of the plug so you can release it. Push down and pull the plug.

4.  Next, pull back the right side rubber grommet and plastic retainer. The plastic retainer can be a bit stubborn – this is where your flat-head screwdriver will come in handy. Wedge it between the retainer and the body, and apply force to pry it out.

I found it easier to pull out the rubber grommet from the bottom.


The plastic retainer might be a little stubborn. What helped me was a flat head screwdriver to pry it out.

5. Unplug the Sub-Wire’s Green Plugs and Clip: You’ll find these under the dash, right next to the e-brake pedal. I found it helpful to depress the e-brakes to create more working space.

I made three red circles in this picture to show what needs to be unplugged. Two green plugs and one plastic retainer clip.

6.  Once everything is unplugged. Pull out the wires from the front. (Update: Optional, you can read about Opus method on using the fishing line method to simplify step 7. Look below at the comments or click here)

7.  When everything is pulled out, feed the new wire harness back in. I found this to be the most difficult task. It might take a little jiggling, pulling the wire out and pushing it back in so you can see it from under the dash. A flashlight came in handy for spotting the green plugs so I can maneuver them.

8.  Lastly, put everything back and you’re done!

The Culprit

As it turned out, the malfunctioning rear windows in my 2008 MDX boiled down to a simple issue: a broken wire within the door sub-wire.

Despite the initial uncertainty, the process of identifying and replacing this faulty component was straightforward. The simplicity of the repair was a pleasant surprise, saving me from a trip to the mechanic and the associated costs.

This guide is here to show that with a little patience and the right guidance, tackling such issues by yourself can be pretty straightforward. There’s a certain satisfaction in resolving the problem with your own two hands, bringing a piece of your car back to life. So if you ever encounter a similar issue, remember – it’s simpler than you might think.

22 thoughts on “How to: Acura MDX 2007-2013 no power windows, sunroof, gas/fuel door or rear door fix”

    • Yup, I have a 2010 mdx and it was this exact issue. I found that moving it a bit made it work but I suggest replacing it to anyone else.

      Reply
  1. Same here. Followed midnightime’s procedure with a couple of (hopefully) improvements:

    Before removing the harness back through the side of the car, tie a fairly strong piece of twine or light rope to the last green connector. This becomes a “fishing line” to help pull the new harness back through. Tie the end of the twine/rope to the back of the new green connector.

    On the new harness, I also put some shipping tape (or you can probably use masking tape, painters tape, etc.) to wrap the two green connectors against the wires. This forms a sort of pointed shield to keep the connectors from getting caught in the interior of the chassis and allows the harness to thread itself fairly easily as you pull the “fishing” line back through the interior.

    Took about 20 minutes total…found a broken wire, also, which kept my windows from operating.

    Reply
    • Hey Opus, thanks for the tip. The fishing line trick would have been really helpful. I didn’t think about that.

      Reply
  2. Great step by step instruction, thank you! I spent $50 for the new harness, and saved $230 that the dealer would have charged for this job. I did the suggested fishing line trick with an old shoelace. I should have wrapped tape around the two new green plugs, as it would have made it easier to pull them through the hole without getting hung up on the other components. Just like the others, there was a broken wire in the old harness.

    Reply
  3. Thanks for these pics. Nice job!

    I’m waiting for my new part to replace the broken ome but till then it would be good to have closed window 😉 Do you know which wire in window motor plug is responsible for going up?

    Reply
  4. I think I have the same problem. I’m no car whiz but I can use a screwdriver. I called some mechanics and they want $120ish for diagnostics…One guy said the harness could be thousands….then I saw it on eBay for $35. I think I’ll just try this myself.

    Reply
  5. This was very helpful and saved me hundreds of dollars! My passenger side windows, sunroof and rear hatch stopped working. I ordered the part on Amazon and only cost me $42.50. It arrived quicker than expected and only took about 30 minutes to replace using the fishing line technique that was mentioned. Now my blind spot indicator is showing me a warning but hopefully it will reset itself. I’m thinking this should be a recall issue with the amount of others that have experienced this issue.

    Reply
  6. Thanks midnightme and opus! My 2012 MDX lost power (intermittently) to two windows, the moonroof, and the tailgate. Quick and easy fix using midnightme and opus’ instructions, saving me hundreds at the dealership. FYI the part number that midnightme quotes – 32757-STX-A00 – is for the 2007-2009 MDX: the correct part number for the 2010-2013 is 32757-STX-A01. Thanks again, guys!

    Reply
  7. Fuck yes!!! Thank you for this post!! Initially changed out the panel fuse that was about 40 dollars with no change in the windows and sun roof function. Bought the wire cords changed it out and boom!!! Fixed!!! Thank you so much!! Just saved me the hours it would have taken a shop to diagnose! Costs about 220-250 per hour to figure it out. Probably would have cost me at least 1k!! Thank you!!! Total parts 220…

    Reply
  8. This worked perfectly! All of a sudden I wasn’t able to open any windows, the sunroof, the back door/hatch, and the fuel tank door — the power locks and car alarm also were not functional. Now everything is back to normal after replacing the subwire (as detailed above). The job was easy, and took me around 30 minutes. Thanks for posting this fix!

    Reply
  9. Thank you for making this information available. So easy to understand. It was exactly what was wrong with my 2011 MDX. Both rear windows did not work because the wires shown here were broken. I could diagnose before ordering part. Very helpful!

    Reply
  10. My 2009 Acura MDX has a sub wiring harness problem, like many other people. The part is currently on backorder with no arrival date. One mechanic has been told 8 months. Anyways, my husband was looking at the wires and we have repined 2 broken wires. Now my sunroof, gas tank, trunk/hatch door, passenger side window, and passenger rear window are now working. My driver side door window and the rear driver side window are not working. Does anyone have a sematic of the female adapter plug that shows which slot/pin controls these 2 locations?

    Thanks for your help.

    Reply
  11. I am having same problems like rear door,side mirrors and rear right window.
    It’s almost one month now I am searching online this driver side harness cable 32757-stx-a00 but it is short since March. No electrician is ready to adjust it and no one helping me. Please can anybody help me , I am in Brampton, Canada. My cell no is 9057826024

    Reply

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