Driver window stuck down!

[twink90]

Well we got the truck running good, and then......

My drivers side window keeps getting stuck down. This is the 3rd time, the last two times I got pissed and hit the inside of the door. Wallah... Fixed it!!

Well thats not working, and I don't want to break something. We took the door panal off, and wacked the motor with a tire wrench and it rolled up. (I am feeling very redneck right now) Just happend again today I think we need to figure out how to fix this problem as its not going away.

Motor when working is strong, doesn't hesitate when it works. Buttons work, you can here clicking when you hit the buttons. What in the holy hell do we have going on here and how do we fix it. Only does it when the window goes all the way down. I would attempt not to roll it all the way down, but some genius did not make that an option. You hit the button and BAM... down the window goes before I could stop it.

Thanks

 

[pankodog]

Keep your cool and take a deep breath or go hit something else before you tackle this. It is simple but be patient. You probly don't need a new motor, just a gear kit $20-$25. Pull the motor (easy- just study, look and locate the 3 mounting bolts). Replace w/ all the gear parts with the kit. Study it and it'll make sense (I HOPE & GOOD LUCK!)

 

[fixxxer]

try this http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221272&highlight=window+motor
or this http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145469&highlight=window+motor

 

[XploreAlaska]

Mine does that too, as a matter of fact, 3 of my windows do.... Took one apart today and couldn't find the third mounting bolt, the two you can see plain as day where's the third at??

 

[dillon1340]

the third bolt you have to drill a hole to get to. if you take all the plastic off you will find a very small dimple; that's where you drill. then you can get to the third bolt.

 

[Russianblue]

it's there. just gotta drill for it. just did this last weekend and it works. just read the links provided and don't use too much grease when reinstalling or it will get into the motor brushes and you'll have to take it all apart again to clean the motor!

 

[XploreAlaska]

Kinda what I figured wasn't sure though. Thanks a million

 

[twink90]

thanks I am heading to Oriellys now to see if they have bushings. Rain is coming tomorrow & due to it being the drivers window... It must get fixed.

While I am tearing the door apart, are there any good tricks to stopping the flow of gravel dust into the vehicle? I swear I have to roll all 4 windows down to let some of the dust return to the road! I feel like its a vacuum, thats with all heat/ac off. I can see dust collecting on the rear window really bad. The side windows I see some dust, but the rear one dust covers the entire window when I drive down gravel roads.

I may start a new thread later on about dust problems. Its just killing me and when I had to turn the heat on the other morning... WOW I had to step out of the vehicle and dust myself off!!

 

[twink90]

Had problems finding place to drill, but after removing dust, I am on my way. Found the dimple that needed drilled out.

Thanks

UPDATE....This blonde just outsmarted her husband!! He gave me the you can't fix it that way look when I told him about the bushings. Thank you all so much. When the husband got home, I had everything apart and ready. He did assist in removing the motor and getting bushings inside gear box. (Only due to our drill crapping out, so I had to attempt the hole with a DREMEL. I am not as good as the husband, so I waited till he got home) The window works perfectly!!

 

[Galbert]

Passenger window stuck down happened to me last week. I took it apart, lifted the window manually and the motor assembly worked fine - put it back together and hope to keep it from traveling all the way down again! After some thought, I believe that the mechanical stops that limit the travel of the window (probably some rubber bumpers) have fallen off allowing the window to travel to far down. If you've ever noticed, there are no electrical limits to the travel of the window - it works on the current draw by the motor assembly. At the point all the way down, past where the rubber bumpers use to be, the assembly is folled into thinking it is done because it draws to much current to move.

 

[SthrnTrbl75]

I read many of the posts and I have a similar issue but not sure it's quite the same.

"Fred" is my 2000 Ford Explorer XLS (320k + mileage, original everything other than general maintenance parts). All of my windows have become possessed. The only switch(es) that work are the driver's door sometimes. I am leaning towards it being some type of electrical short/sensor. Because when it starts this multiple personality crap, I will have to figure out what random selection of actions to combine with the driver door being opened at a particular angle. Unfortunately, these combinations never last for more than a month.

Any opinions on whether this presumption would the culprit?

There is no other issue with electrical issues. When I find the proper 'combination', the windows go up with no issue, no sounds, no hesitation. Yet I have noticed rain will almost always trigger the 'freeze'.

Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions? If this was referenced in the thread and I missed it, I do apologize. I'm under a time squeeze because it's looking like Noah's flood outside and there is no covered parking where I work. I also refuse to turn Fred into a 'redneck work of art' with duct tape that'll never come off. Other than that, I am willing and able to check/fix/etc any suggestions you may have.

Thanks everyone!

Elizabeth

Well we got the truck running good, and then......

My drivers side window keeps getting stuck down. This is the 3rd time, the last two times I got pissed and hit the inside of the door. Wallah... Fixed it!!

Well thats not working, and I don't want to break something. We took the door panal off, and wacked the motor with a tire wrench and it rolled up. (I am feeling very redneck right now) Just happend again today I think we need to figure out how to fix this problem as its not going away.

Motor when working is strong, doesn't hesitate when it works. Buttons work, you can here clicking when you hit the buttons. What in the holy hell do we have going on here and how do we fix it. Only does it when the window goes all the way down. I would attempt not to roll it all the way down, but some genius did not make that an option. You hit the button and BAM... down the window goes before I could stop it.

Thanks

 

[larrydd999]

Elizabeth, it almost has to be electrical, and needs a wiring diagram and some analysis to come up with a likely cause. Without looking at a wiring diagram I could suggest a bad ground, a bad switch, or maybe even something related to electric door locks or an alarm. The newer the vehicle, the more wiring and possibilities for problems. Sorry that I can't be more helpful.

 

[Mike0001]

Well we got the truck running good, and then......

My drivers side window keeps getting stuck down. This is the 3rd time, the last two times I got pissed and hit the inside of the door. Wallah... Fixed it!!

Well thats not working, and I don't want to break something. We took the door panal off, and wacked the motor with a tire wrench and it rolled up. (I am feeling very redneck right now) Just happend again today I think we need to figure out how to fix this problem as its not going away.

Motor when working is strong, doesn't hesitate when it works. Buttons work, you can here clicking when you hit the buttons. What in the holy hell do we have going on here and how do we fix it. Only does it when the window goes all the way down. I would attempt not to roll it all the way down, but some genius did not make that an option. You hit the button and BAM... down the window goes before I could stop it.

Thanks

The armature in the motor has a short in it. I have went through the same thing. The trick to getting it up or down, if the button isn't working is this. Open your door. Hold the button up or down, depending on which way you want to move your window. Now while holding the window button. Slam your door. It doesn't need to be shut real hard. Just remember to keep your window button pushed, when you shut the door. This should get your window moving again And it may work forever or it might not work the next day but if you follow those steps you should be able to move your window until you can get it fixed.

 

[Centaurious]

I had the drivers window fail to go back up before but it wasn't the motor/bushings. I had to replace the window lift scissor mechanism because the motor gear was binding at the end of it's travel from wear. I had to stop it short of full down or it would bind and not come back up. This replacement is DANGEROUS!!!! The spring is powerful enough that one member went to the hospital to get his thumb reattached! I would suggest buying one with the motor attached if you are not prepared for the risk involved in swapping over the old motor.

 

[Mike0001]

I heard the same thing about the spring. And that it's very dangerous. I hate to hear that somebody got hurt by it. It's better to pay a little more for the one with the motor attached. Another reason why I'm old fashioned. I would be happy with the old crank up by hand windows. Tech is nice but that's more that can go wrong.

 

[Centaurious]

The old crank up windows had an even stronger spring. Usually because the windows were larger. I like my old Ford, new enough to run a long time, (fuel injection, electronic ignition, proven engineering) and old enough to be easy/cheap to fix when it does break.

 

[Mike0001]

Me too, I have had several Thunderbirds. And I really like the ones from 1983 to 1997. As far as dependability the ones from 89 to 97 were awesome. I rarely had any mechanical issues and even then it was minor stuff. I also really like the F 150s from the early to mid 90s too. Great dependability. Same goes for the Explorers. The 4.0 is a really reliable engine and has definitely proven itself. Now recently I got my wife a 2003 Lincoln Aviator which is basically Lincolns version of an Explorer. The neat thing about it though is that it has the dual overhead cam 4.6 in it. It likes to run. Big difference from the 4.0s that I am used to in that size vehicle. I have had T Birds with the 4.6 but they were single overhead cam and didn't have nearly the get up and go of this one. But it has its downsides too. For instance I need to replace the thermostat in it, which I thought would be a piece of cake. Well it ends up not so much. Because instead of where I thought it would be, up front and easy to get too, turns out that it is on the bottom side of the engine. I was like hmm, that's different. Learned something new. So I'm waiting until I'm off of work to tackle that.

 

[Centaurious]

If your new thermostat doesn't have a purge hole in it find one that does. Being at the bottom of the engine it will be very slow to open if it doesn't see a trickle of hot water going past. Found that out in my Mark VIII.

 

[Mike0001]

If your new thermostat doesn't have a purge hole in it find one that does. Being at the bottom of the engine it will be very slow to open if it doesn't see a trickle of hot water going past. Found that out in my Mark VIII.

Oh, ok I didn't know that. Thanks for the info.