Driver's window stopped going up/down.

[BrooklynBay]

Check the connections from the bulkhead connector to the switch panel on the driver's side. Sometimes there could be a bad connection in the bulkhead connector or an intermittent break in one of the wires in the door.

 

[TheVarmit]

If the main wiring is good, I'd go to the RF switch first. The power has to go through each door switch whether it's the main switch or that one controlling the window. You can check for gorund at each of the four terminals.

All switch terminals are normally grounded. The switches disconnect a path to ground, and supply power to one of the motor wires.

My drivers side window on my 2001 Limited would work sometimes, and then stop for a couple of days then work again. Now its not working at all. I checked all the wiring, ok as far as I can tell, a few minutes ago I replaced the main switch for all the windows and the drivers side STILL won't go up or down. Where is the RF switch? Is there a fuse for the window(s)? I checked my manual, there's a fuse for everything BUT the windows.

The boot in the door jam is all sealed, how do I expose the wires?

 

[aldive]

I am having the exact same problem.

Just pull back the boot to expose wires. That didn't help me at all.

I am lost.....

 

[TheVarmit]

Aldive, the boot won't just "pull back". You ended you post abruptly, everything ok?

Where and what is the RF switch?

 

[aldive]

The master switch controlls all.

 

[TheVarmit]

I just found the problem and its fixed!!! Yea!!! Now I can use my window!!!
The boot on the door end (the boot between the door and the jam), the boot on the door end was stretched and wire tied to the bottom on a plastic swivel hing. I cut the wire tie and slid the boot down. It was stiff and I had to put some muscle into it to get it to compress all the way back to the jam side. I had to get close and I spotted an end to a red wire, broken near the jam side. I guessed about where in the bundle on the door side the other end of the red wire was and sure enough it slid right out between all the other wires.

I had to remove the kick plate on the left beside the emergency pedal (best to push the pedal all the way down) then behind it was a stiff rubber cover. I rolled that back out of the way and was able to see the bundle of wires where they passed through the jam, going towards the door. In the bundle of wires there I guessed which red wire was the broken one and pulled it out through the jam side. I ran a long piece of scrap matching wire through the jam, through the boot and out the boot towards the door. Stripped and connected both ends of the broken wire to the scrap wire, left a little slack in the end by the door and pulled the excess back through the kick panel side, shoved all the excess in a hole, and put the kick plate back on.

The hard part was stretching boot and putting it back around the large plastic hing bottom. With a piece of coat hanger I was FINALLY able to seat it all the way around and back on. All I had to do then was run a long wire tie back around the hing to secure the boot in place.

I'm not happy that I spent $67 for a new switch when I didn't need it...but..

All is well...its beer thirty.

 

[CDW6212R]

Red wire? The auto down function of the LF window is controlled by the GEM, and not in the door. I would take from your mention of an odd colored wire in the LF doorjamb that it is likely for the auto down function. I forgot about that, that means that there are a couple more wires which can affect the LF window. Interesting,

Al, was there a difference between how your window worked with the button pushed down versus just touched? Those are two different circuits as I just mentioned.

 

[aldive]

No difference in touch or pushed; just fails to work.

 

[CDW6212R]

So it still doesn't work? Hmm, how much digging have you done with the main blue/black wire?

I just bought a few more Taurus auto down modules. I think it's time to make some go up by themselves also.

 

[TheVarmit]

Red wire? The auto down function of the LF window is controlled by the GEM, and not in the door. I would take from your mention of an odd colored wire in the LF doorjamb that it is likely for the auto down function. I forgot about that, that means that there are a couple more wires which can affect the LF window. Interesting,

Al, was there a difference between how your window worked with the button pushed down versus just touched? Those are two different circuits as I just mentioned.

Yep, a solid red wire. It was a PITA to find but that's all it was. I almost lost what little religion I had fixing the problem. I'm a big guy and getting my head and shoulders down in front of the seat in order to find the broken wire then route the new one was tough, my son had to do the task for me. I have large hands also and trying to work in the gap of the door and jam wasn't fun either. I inspected the other wires the best I could but there's so many bundled together it was hard to get them seperated.

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes the solid red sounds just like the window wire for the LF window. The individual motors have a red wire, but the one you have is away from the motor. It runs from the LF switch to the GEM for the auto down function. I don't know the colors much by heart, but some ring a bell when mentioned. I had to rewire my RF window wiring with my old 93 auto down module, and I compared it to the new 1995+ style. In 1995 Ford put that feature in the GEM, along with most everything else.

It does amaze me at how much current is run through those 14 gauge wires for windows, through connectors etc. Night,

 

[NSoffroad]

So I know this is a bump of kind of an old thread, but my research led me to this thread.

On my last trip out to the desert, I rolled all my windows down and when I get out there, the back right window wont go up. I have had intermitent problems before with both my back windows but if I usually push the switch a couple times or try one switch or another it goes up. This time it just wont go up. Throughout the weekend of offroading, I kept trying to put it up and it just wouldnt go. So I did some testing and determined it might be the window motor itself. I bought a new one and plugged it in and it doesnt work so that tells me most likely its not the motor. I have 12 volts to the switch in both the up and down position on the back door switch and on the master switch at the front door. Now for some reason both back windows dont respond to anything, but they have power. I have checked for good wiring, both front windows work fine so I really dont think it is the ground or the fuse, could it be the master switch up front? I have sprayed electrical cleaner into the connections but it seems to just not effect anything. I feel like I have tried everything I could, even what was suggested on this page so far. Anyone else have these intermitent to permanent window malfunctions? If so, what did you figure out?

Jerrod

 

[joedirt12345]

Jerrod what year is your truck and did you check where the wires go from the switch to the motor one of them may have gotten stuck in the mechanism and been cut or shorted out

 

[NSoffroad]

Sorry I meant to put that info. Its a 93 explorer 4 door.

I check the condition of all the wires that I can. Surprisingly it is all in decent condition in the door all still wrapped. I popped the flex tubing from the door and car and checked the wires and they are all good condition. I even checked continuity from the motor plug and everything is good so the motor is getting power. It really points to the motor but I got a new one (refurbished) and it doesnt work and the driver side back door went out at the same time so I think it is something more.

 

[CDW6212R]

The LF master switch is the place to start checking. All ground goes through that, as does all power. Check the two wires for each window in question, at the master switch. Those two must be good grounds for that one motor to work. The switches used to apply power to any window, they also isolate the return ground path for that same wire. So all motors have both wires grounded at all times, except/until a switch is pressed.

Check the main power and ground wires, the "other three" power switched power, and then the individual motor wires. The window wiring(logic) is the same for almost all Fords.

 

[NSoffroad]

I will double check this even thought I already checked it. I have learned a lot about these switches and the way they work. Part of me thinks it is a ground issue because there is power so it should work...only if there is a ground. Could the connection inside the switch to create the ground be bad do you think? Corroded or not having good contact? I have my explorer haines manual book and it explains a lot but the wire colors dont match the book so it is a lot more difficult.

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, the switches themselves are the weakest links. They have very fragile and tiny components, be gentle when pressing the buttons. Most people here have been having the main power wire become broken in the LF door jamb, but that affects everything. You should be able to narrow down your issue by knowing how the power flows. That's why I keep mentioning the basic design, the logic.

Other than the main window, the others get power from one wire in the main switch, and the grounds are the actual switch wires(pairs for each window) of the main switch. keep at it.

 

[NSoffroad]

Thanks for the help. I will maybe go to the junk yard and try to find a switch to get, figure out how to take it apart, and then double check my stuff. I will update you if I have any break throughs. If not I guess my back seat passengers better bring a hand power fan lol

 

[CDW6212R]

Do either of the back windows move with the master switches? The small switches can be bad and the master switch will still operate the windows. I'd bet on the master switch being the problem, they are used so much more often. They cost about $55 new online, and salvage yards usually ask $20 at least for them.

Get the door lock switch if you go to a yard, those are about $25 new.

 

[NSoffroad]

SOMETIMES either one will work but right now the problem is niether will work. My first bet is that it is the front switch and thats what I was going to try off the bat. I want to see if I can take the switch apart and look at the connection and its condition but I dont want to break my current switch...thats why i will try the junk yard first