These instructions apply to the Subaru WRX Mk1 (VA) 2015-2021.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
If a window on your Subaru WRX / WRX STI (2015–2021) — the VA — has lost its one-touch up/down — usually after a flat or disconnected battery, or a fuse change — you can re-initialise it yourself in under a minute. No tools. This is normal and not a fault: the glass still raises and lowers while you hold the switch, but the automatic run-to-top and the anti-pinch reversal stay off until the window has been driven to both end stops so the electronics can re-reference them.
Why It Happens
Each window’s control module learns its fully-up and fully-down stops. Cut the power and that memory is lost, so one-touch and anti-pinch stop working until you re-teach the limits.
How It Works on Your WRX
The auto window — on the VA that is typically the driver’s door — has a module that counts the motor’s rotation to track exactly where the glass sits. That count is what lets one tap run the window to the seal and stop it cleanly, and it is the reference the anti-pinch uses to sense an obstruction and reverse. Cut the 12 V supply — a service disconnect, a flat battery, or a pulled fuse — and the count is erased. The window then only moves while you hold the switch, and the automatic and safety functions stay disabled until you drive it fully closed and fully open so the module re-learns both ends.
Getting Ready
- Sit inside with the door closed so the glass seats fully in the frame.
- Switch the ignition on to keep the window powered throughout the learn.
- Confirm the battery is healthy — a weak or still-charging battery can interrupt the sequence.
- Work on one window at a time from its own switch, keeping fingers clear of the glass.
- Check the glass slides freely and clear any grit from the run channel first.
Re-initialising a Window
Do this with the door closed and the ignition on, one window at a time:
- Pull the switch up and hold until the window is fully closed; keep holding for 1–2 seconds after it stops.
- Press the switch down and hold until the window is fully open; keep holding briefly after it stops.
- Pull up again to fully close and hold briefly — one-touch and anti-pinch are now relearned.
- Repeat for each affected window.
If It Still Won’t One-Touch
- Hold the switch past each limit — letting go early aborts the learn.
- Do it with the door shut so the glass reaches its true closed position.
- Re-check the battery — if it was only just reconnected, leave the car powered a minute, then try again.
- Clear the run channel — grit or a dry seal can stall the glass short of the stop.
- Run the sequence twice — a partial first pass sometimes needs a clean repeat to take.
- A faulty regulator or switch can block the learn — any stored fault can be looked up on autodtcs.com.
What Happens Next
With the relearn done, a single tap sends the window fully up or down on its own, it stops neatly at the seal, and the anti-pinch reversal is live again. The learned limits are stored permanently, so they hold through normal driving and locking — you would only repeat this after the next battery disconnect or flat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my WRX’s window stop going up with one touch?
The window module lost its learned limits, usually after a battery disconnection or fuse change. The motor and switch still work — the glass moves while you hold the switch — but the automatic stop and anti-pinch stay off until you drive the window to both ends so the module re-learns them.
How do I reset the windows?
Hold the switch fully up (and a moment more), then fully down, then up again, one window at a time. The brief hold past each hard stop is the key step — that is what lets the control module register the closed and open limits and switch one-touch back on.
Do I need any tools?
No — it’s done entirely with the window switch. No diagnostic device, menu or workshop kit is required. You simply sit in the car with the ignition on and run each affected window fully closed, fully open, then closed again.
It still won’t work — now what?
Repeat carefully holding the limits; if it still fails, a regulator or switch fault may be stored — check autodtcs.com. Also make sure the door is shut, the battery is fully charged, and the glass channel is clean so the motor can reach its true stops.
Do I have to do every window?
Only the ones that lost one-touch. Windows that still tap up and down normally have kept their memory and can be left alone. After a battery job it is quickest to run the sequence on each auto window so you know they are all set.
Why won’t the window reverse on something in the way now?
Anti-pinch relies on the same learned position data, so while the memory is cleared it cannot sense the glass meeting an object. Completing the up-then-down-then-up relearn restores the automatic stop and the anti-pinch reversal together, which is why finishing the sequence matters.
If the windows dropped out after a battery change, see our WRX battery disconnect/reconnect guide.
Independent guide — not affiliated with Subaru. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions. Read our full disclaimer.