Drivers side window switch is failing

[dlphnfn]

Hi All.
I have been searching, but can't come up with a conclusion. My 2000 EB 4 door's drivers side window is stuck about 4 inches down. It won't go up or down. If I click on the UP, nothing happens. If I click on down, you can hear the relay under the dash click. I took the relay out and it stops clicking when you click on DOWN. The odd part is if you click DOWN, then UP, it "resets" the DOWN and it clicks again. If you click DOWN twice in a row, it doesn't click the second time. Does that make sense?
I just tried to inspect the wiring in the boot between the door and the jam. Everything looks OK from what I can see. I suspect a problem in the relay if it is making noise though, not wiring.
Anyone have any thoughts? Or other threads that I may have missed? Thanks as always.
Erick --
BTW - This has been an intermittent problem for quite a few months. It just now officially "died" on me. Seeing as this is the wifes daily driver, it needs to be fixed yesterday!!

 

[gmanpaint]

Hi All.
I have been searching, but can't come up with a conclusion. My 2000 EB 4 door's drivers side window is stuck about 4 inches down. It won't go up or down. If I click on the UP, nothing happens. If I click on down, you can hear the relay under the dash click. I took the relay out and it stops clicking when you click on DOWN. The odd part is if you click DOWN, then UP, it "resets" the DOWN and it clicks again. If you click DOWN twice in a row, it doesn't click the second time. Does that make sense?
I just tried to inspect the wiring in the boot between the door and the jam. Everything looks OK from what I can see. I suspect a problem in the relay if it is making noise though, not wiring.
Anyone have any thoughts? Or other threads that I may have missed? Thanks as always.
Erick --
BTW - This has been an intermittent problem for quite a few months. It just now officially "died" on me. Seeing as this is the wifes daily driver, it needs to be fixed yesterday!!

Do the other windows work ok?

 

[dlphnfn]

Yes, sorry, I didn't even state the obvious. the drivers front switch works for all other windows and each window control works fine for itself, except of course, the driver's.
I may just pick up a relay for it today. I think those are only 10-11 bucks. That doesn't hurt too bad.
Erick --

 

[gmanpaint]

Yes, sorry, I didn't even state the obvious. the drivers front switch works for all other windows and each window control works fine for itself, except of course, the driver's.
I may just pick up a relay for it today. I think those are only 10-11 bucks. That doesn't hurt too bad.
Erick --

Before you buy any parts, I would do a search on the threads. Many people including myself, have had probs with your same scenario. On mine I had none working, got all working electronically, except the drivers side. Replaced motor bushings in it, and came to realize it was the track it was detached from. It was open about 2" and would not budge, it was jammed. I repaired it with epoxy, and spray lithium grease on all moving parts, works great now! After reading the threads, I can tear into my doors with confidence.
This may not be your exact prob, but there are a few more probs with answers in the threads.

 

[dlphnfn]

OK, so here's what I know so far. The weather has been nice for a window that is 3-4 inches down!!
I just pulled the door panel off to check continuity on the wires. Everything checks out OK. I checked DC volts on the power wire vs all other wires and it sits at or about 12V. If I check while the window is in operation, it moves all the way to zero, INCLUDING the drivers side window, which doesn't physically move at all!!
Now I'm thinking since there is power to the switch and the switch is controlling power to the motor, it is either a wire to the motor or the motor itself. Am I right? Any other ideas? Can I completely rule out fuses/relays?
Erick --

Since this has been an intermittent problem for a while, I'm leaning toward a motor/wire problem. Maybe I'll start checking those wires too. I'm not sure how to debug the motor though......

 

[gmanpaint]

Erick,
The switches are activated by ground. You will get a zero or ground upon pressing the switch. Did you check to see if it is just a mechanical problem?

 

[budwich]

either the motor is shot (doubtful) or the window is jammed / stuck.

 

[dlphnfn]

I wiggled the window around and there is no lack of movement. It wiggles fine and pretty free actually.
When I press the down button, I hear 2 clicks under the dash. I assume this is the relay for the auto down switch. There is absolutely no window movement from the press of the switch though. It does nothing to the window.
So I've since pulled the motor out, how do I test it? Can I just rig up a couple wires to my battery and directly "jump" it? Is that safe? I'm no electrical engineer! There are 2 wires on the motor, yellow and red. Is the red the positive?
Erick --

 

[gmanpaint]

I wiggled the window around and there is no lack of movement. It wiggles fine and pretty free actually.
When I press the down button, I hear 2 clicks under the dash. I assume this is the relay for the auto down switch. There is absolutely no window movement from the press of the switch though. It does nothing to the window.
So I've since pulled the motor out, how do I test it? Can I just rig up a couple wires to my battery and directly "jump" it? Is that safe? I'm no electrical engineer! There are 2 wires on the motor, yellow and red. Is the red the positive?
Erick --

You can go direct from a 12 volt power supply, car battery, lawn mower battery, 110 to 12v supply, don't matter. Do not worry about which is pos or ground either. Since you have your motor out, replace the nylon plugs in it. There is a thread that shows you how. The motor will spin for as long as you apply power to it, either direction,(reversing the polarity) for your test.

If it works fine, and I am sure it will, you never described hearing the motor winding when you press the switch, take a good look inside the dr panel. Check to make sure the glass is attached to the track it sits in. Check to see if it is inside the guide rails. Now that the motor is out, you can manualy move the window itself. Go up and down with it,use care, there are parts inside that can hurt you. If thats fine, your motor has new bushings, and runs, check for continuity along the wire route to the relay box in the dash.
There is a rubber loom(looks like a sm can) in your drivers side dr jamb, inside it holds the wires from your master switch, sometimes a wire inside will break from constant back and forth movement, check it. other than everything else we have talked about on this thread thats all I know, good luck

 

[dlphnfn]

OK, on to the next phase...
I tested the motor. It is good. Works fine forward and backward hooked up straight to the battery
I started looking at wires. I took apart the loom that goes through the door grommet. There was one wire that was completely sheered off. It was black w/ red stripe. I put a connector on that and resealed everything. Same problem.
I'll dig back into it tomorrow. I'm out of time for today. I do have the window up now, so that is a plus (in my book).
I'm guessing there is another wire in that harness that is disconnected or something...
Erick --

 

[budwich]

now that you have done lots of "good checks", get a meter and check for voltage at the motor when you operate the switch and similarly check for grounds... as you now figure, the door post area is a cause for lots of these problems.

 

[CDW6212R]

Did you check the motor gear box when it was out? There are three tiny screws on its cover I believe. Those plastic gears shoull be replaced any time the motor is removed.

There is one main power wire(blue/black), and one main ground wire(large black). Those supply all power for all of the windows.

Each of the two wires going to each window motor supply power and ground depending on which direction the window switch is pushed. The switch controls each pair of wires at the same time.

You can manually check the motors as you have, and the switches with an ohmmeter.

Check for continuity between the power wire and one motor wire with a switch pressed. Also check for ground on the other motor wire with the switch pressed the same way. That will diagnose any window switch in any Ford. In the Explorers the other three windows are powered by the one wire coming from the LF master switch(long button at the rear). I believe it's red/blue, it goes to all three passenger windows.

 

[gmanpaint]

Motor has (3) three torque screws, and a sm retaining clip on shaft, plugs from parts store=$8.00.