2011 Fusion SE with 97 k...

As background, the drivers window appears to be going down slightly on its own as I drive, hit bumps, etc. Maybe a 1/16 or 1/8 of an inch. Not more than that. Just very slight.

So when I go to press the button to lower that window, nothing happens, the window stays in place. This is intermittent, not all the time.

Finding that I need to first lift the button to raise the window. Then i can press the button and the window lowers.

Any idea what's causing this?

 

Unless someone has seen this exact condition before, Suggest starting with the master sw on the driver's door.
If it is making occasional contact, it could be getting a false intermittent signal to lower the window..Driver's door module could be involved.

 

Definitely possible. Since the window appears to be going down slightly when driving, could be the road vibration causing the occasional contact. Thing is though it never moves more than a few millimeters in total. For example, drove it 250 miles this weekend, and wasn't more than a couple millimeters. Feel like with that distance the occasional contact would cause the window to be down all or most of the way. Wondering if this could be a window regulator issue.

 

Power window units require more than tiny bits of power to operate.
Momentary contact can be just enough to jolt the motor and not enough to do a full contact.