Help! Where is the "one touch down" relay?

[fordfan123]

After pulling apart the driver's side door and testing the power window motor, I think that the problem is in the "one touch down" relay. The owner's manual only says that this is in "relay module #4" located by the instrument panel. It is NOT part of the fuse panel at the left side of the instrument panel. Does anybody know where this relay is located? Do I need to pull the instrument cluster apart?

 

[gijoecam]

If the feature was working before, this will not apply. If it never worked, this might change that:

Window, One-Touch Driver's Side, Ranger and Explorer
NOTE: The one-touch window feature can also be toggled on or off during the active test mode. Refer to Active Test Modes in Section 18-04A.



When the power switch for driver window control is held down (between 0.04 and 0.4 seconds) and then released with the ignition switch (11572) in RUN or ACCY, the driver window will automatically move to its full down position.

Only the driver window has this feature. Holding the driver switch down longer allows the operator to stop the window as soon as the switch is released.

The one-touch window feature can be enabled or disabled by the operator.

Close both front doors (20124).

Key on.

Key off.

Remove key from ignition switch.

Press and hold the down window switch to enable/disable the one-touch window feature.

Reinsert the key into the ignition switch within two seconds after pressing the down window switch.

Continue to hold the switch until a two-second tone is heard.

Release the switch while the tone is active.

After the two-second tone, the following confirmation beep sequences will be heard:

one beep — feature disabled.
two beeps — feature enabled.
Repeat the procedure again to toggle back and forth



As for the relay location, I can't find a diagram of it myself. Still searching.....

-Joe

 

[fordfan123]

Thanks a lot! I will try this as soon as I get home tonight. BTW, I found the location of the one touch down relay, it is in a module with 7 other relays located under the dash above the gas pedal. I replaced the relay, but driver's side window is still inactive. Hate to try to trace all the wires going from the switch, but might have to. May just decide to bypass the OTD feature and wire it to the fuse (as suggested in another thread). Could the GEM be responsible, or would that show additional symptoms??
Thanks again for all your help.

 

[gijoecam]

Any possibility it's the motor? I'd start there and work my way backwards, although it sounds like you may have already.

-Joe

 

[fordfan123]

When I connect the motor to a 9 v battery (from my cordless drill), I can roll the window up or down. I attached the battery to the switch contacts, and also could power the windows up or down, so I think it is something external to the door. Was hoping it would be the OTD relay, but replaced that yesterday and it did not help. Its pretty cramped and dark working up under the dash.

I appreciate your help and any other ideas you (or anyone else) may have.

 

[Georgia_Birdman]

If the feature was working before, this will not apply. If it never worked, this might change that:

Window, One-Touch Driver's Side, Ranger and Explorer
NOTE: The one-touch window feature can also be toggled on or off during the active test mode. Refer to Active Test Modes in Section 18-04A.



When the power switch for driver window control is held down (between 0.04 and 0.4 seconds) and then released with the ignition switch (11572) in RUN or ACCY, the driver window will automatically move to its full down position.

Only the driver window has this feature. Holding the driver switch down longer allows the operator to stop the window as soon as the switch is released.

The one-touch window feature can be enabled or disabled by the operator.

Close both front doors (20124).

Key on.

Key off.

Remove key from ignition switch.

Press and hold the down window switch to enable/disable the one-touch window feature.

Reinsert the key into the ignition switch within two seconds after pressing the down window switch.

Continue to hold the switch until a two-second tone is heard.

Release the switch while the tone is active.

After the two-second tone, the following confirmation beep sequences will be heard:

one beep — feature disabled.
two beeps — feature enabled.
Repeat the procedure again to toggle back and forth



As for the relay location, I can't find a diagram of it myself. Still searching.....

-Joe

Section 18-04 of what? What are all the five digit numbers in perentheses? I am having this issue now, but all these numbers and codes don't tell me anything. Your procedure didn't work for me.

 

[nuke649]

Thanks a lot! I will try this as soon as I get home tonight. BTW, I found the location of the one touch down relay, it is in a module with 7 other relays located under the dash above the gas pedal. I replaced the relay, but driver's side window is still inactive. Hate to try to trace all the wires going from the switch, but might have to. May just decide to bypass the OTD feature and wire it to the fuse (as suggested in another thread). Could the GEM be responsible, or would that show additional symptoms??
Thanks again for all your help.

What do you mean by "in a module"?

 

[J_C]

^ Module is a black plastic relay box, with a cover on it that is held on by a molded in springy-tab clip or two on the bottom and possibly top as well. See the pics on the following linked post, showing location if you put your head next to the brake pedal and look up and to the right:

1998 Ford Explorer Map light Vanity Mirror Lights Not Working

Greetings my fellow Explorer Owners! I read just about every thread relating vanity mirror issues but I still have not been able to solve the problem I’m experiencing. Any help would be greatly appreciated : ) I am restoring a 1998 Explorer. The map light and vanity mirror lights do not work...

www.explorerforum.com

If you need a new one touch down relay or one of the others that look like it, there are 3rd party replacements cheaper on Amazon than at auto parts stores, for example:

Amazon product ASIN B000C83SRC

 

[CDW6212R]

^ Module is a black plastic relay box, with a cover on it that is held on by a molded in springy-tab clip or two on the bottom and possibly top as well. See the pics on the following linked post, showing location if you put your head next to the brake pedal and look up and to the right:

1998 Ford Explorer Map light Vanity Mirror Lights Not Working

Greetings my fellow Explorer Owners! I read just about every thread relating vanity mirror issues but I still have not been able to solve the problem I’m experiencing. Any help would be greatly appreciated : ) I am restoring a 1998 Explorer. The map light and vanity mirror lights do not work...

www.explorerforum.com

If you need a new one touch down relay or one of the others that look like it, there are 3rd party replacements cheaper on Amazon than at auto parts stores, for example:

Amazon product ASIN B000C83SRC

I believe the one touch feature is controlled by the GEM module, and the one relay in dash is just the main one used for the feature. That's all I have ever read about the 2nd gen Fords, and presumed it is similar for later cars. Prior to the 95's, the one touch down feature began with a single module just for that, with five wires going into it. Those were popular to buy used and add the feature to any Ford, or to add one touch up if you like. I installed my old 1993 Limited one touch module, in my 99's RF door, so the switches for that window run it down automatically.

The one touch circuit should not affect the normal operation of the window, it should go up or down regardless of that module, but that may not be true given some defective circuitry.

 

[J_C]

^ Yes the GEM senses the duration of the window switch activation and energizes that one touch down relay which is not used otherwise to operate the windows.

The windows do need both the battery saver relay and the accessory delay relay, regardless of whether using the one touch down feature or not, but if either of those relays is faulty, there should be more vehicle features non-functional besides just the windows. I haven't done the statistics but my vague impression is that the battery saver relay is a common one to fail, so I keep a compatible spare in my govebox... compatible with that but it's also one of the most used types of relays on this generation for several circuits.

 

[CDW6212R]

I haven't identified any of the relays in general, just those I had to with my 99. I reconstructed that 99 that required a ton of wiring, including new relays for my secondary window control system.

There are just two relay types in the 2nd gen's, identical to each other I think. The half sized versions take up half the space and are equal in capacity.

The relays are all old now, it's time to expect many to have issues. I had to replace the one for my fog lights in my 98 Mountaineer, they were on all the time. I rarely ever use the fog lights, so the outside environment and age had to be the cause of that one failing.

Below is my RF door as I was half way through the wiring, the 1993 auto down module is hanging down low there. The last pic is with the wiring done, ready for the door panel to go on. Note the two extra relays at the middle of the door, those intercept the power window signals from pairs of switches(master LF and master RF), and each relay powers the window motor. Those relays were required to isolate the circuits of each master switch, for each of the four doors. That took a while to figure out, and longer to add eight relays.