pwr window issue

[Four0Sport]

I did some searching earlier today but did not see anyone posting the same issue I am having..

Purchased my 03 Sport Trac with the RH front window inop. Will not not roll down from driver master switch or passenger door switch. I picked up a new motor and removed the regulator to install it. I put the assembly back in the door and before buttoning it all up I plugged in the door switch to test function. The track went up but will not roll down. Tried master switch and same thing. Plugged old motor into door harness and same outcome. Checked for voltage on both pins coming from the switch and both get power in each position of the switch. I am at a loss.. hoping someone else has had the same issue or can help troubleshoot.

 

[koda2000]

Each window motor itself is controlled with just 2 wires (a red and a yellow). 12V power and ground hooked up directly to the motor one way make the window go up. Switch the power and ground and the window goes down. If the window motor will go in one direction it should go in the other direction.

As previously said, the function for all windows is controlled through the driver's master window switch. If there's a problem with the master switch, or the wiring going to the other 3 windows they will not work at all or may work in one direction but not the other. The way I proved where my problem was to...

1) Tested each of my 3 inoperative windows by applying 12V power and ground to each window motor directly. They all worked in both directions, so the motors were all good.

2) Studied a wiring diagram to determine which wires from the master switch went to each window, then tested for continuity on each wire between the master switch's plug to each door. I had continuity on all the wires, so I knew I had no breaks. TIP: I helps to make a drawing of which wires goes where and color code it, rather than having to continuously need to go back to the hard-to-read wiring diagram.

3) While technically not necessary, I ran 12V power and ground from the master's plug to each window for UP and DN functions and each window worked, double proving the wiring was okay.

4) As I had to replace a hinge on the driver's door I removed the door and checked all the wiring in the boot just because it was easy to do. I didn't expect to find any broken wires, but I figured why not check while I was in there and I was also having power mirror problems.

In my case, all that was left was the master window switch. Replaced it and all the windows have been working perfectly for over 3 years now.

The previous owner of my vehicle had literally torn the truck apart assuming that the door switches or window motors were at fault (all 3 of them failing simultaneously... the logic fails me). IMO this was one of the main reasons he stopped driving the truck and sold it cheap. He made a real mess and lost/broke many of the pieces he removed in the process, which took me days to diagnosis and correct.

I never just throw parts at an electrical problem hoping to fix it. Electrical problems can be intimidating, but if you take your time and study the wiring diagrams diagnosing an electrical problem isn't hard to do, it just takes time, patients and logic. Sealed "black boxes" are the only really hard things to test.

 

[Four0Sport]

The PO of my vehicle has also been into the doors as the lh interior panel is busted. Makes me think it might be one of the reasons it was traded in, that and the HECU has an internal fault but I can deal with that.

Thanks for all the tips, after some further testing today I am also leaning towards the master switch as being the culprit.

 

[koda2000]

The PO of my vehicle has also been into the doors as the lh interior panel is busted. Makes me think it might be one of the reasons it was traded in, that and the HECU has an internal fault but I can deal with that.

Thanks for all the tips, after some further testing today I am also leaning towards the master switch as being the culprit.

If you prove the problem is the master window switch, as was my problem, I bought a new cheap one off eBay (probably made in China) for around $22. It works perfectly. RockAuto shows $73 for a Motorcraft switch. Same switch shown for '01 and '03 and I would assume '02. I was building on a budget so I chose the $22 switch.

When I bought my ST all the interior door panels were loose or off and the passenger side rear window was being held up (and not very well) by a piece of cardboard and an old screwdriver. I ended up having to replace every single part inside that door because the PO had broken everything except the glass (speaker, window regulator and track, window motor, lock actuator, latch mechanism, linkage and the interior door handle). Thank goodness the regular Gen II 4 door Explorer internal door parts are the same. As it later turned out, these were only the first things that the PO had destroyed in his repair efforts.