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Help with power windows

Sosurreal

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Joined
November 1, 2009
Messages
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City, State
Allentown, PA
Year, Model & Trim Level
'99 Explorer XL
My '99 Explorer power windows just stopped working a few days ago. I checked fuses and #17 on the dash panel was blown, but replacing it did not fix the windows. I have checked the window lock position several times...if I need to check connections at the switches.....how do I remove this panel?
 



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Can you hear the motor in the door at all? If not, do you have a volt meter?
 






I had the same problem in my 98 the front passenger side window stopped working, get a volt meter(I used a continuity tester) since I knew I had twelve volts before the wires went into the door but not at the switch, its one of those things where you may be playing whats behind under door number one.
 






I was going to mention that if the motor is making noise that there is a gear that can be replaced in the motor that can be replaced for $18 (a common problem with any window).
 






I think that poster "inferred" none of his windows work so I don't think its a mechanical issue (ie. window motor). Lots of post... as suggested, get a meter and check for voltage at the switches... odds are you have a broken wire in the door post.
 






Most people that know a lot about how to use a meter have one. If you don't have one then find a friend who does and borrow. Most electrical types are helpful people. Will troubleshoot for BBQ and beer.
 






power windows

Thank you all for your replies. I don't get to check back here everyday....There is no motor sound and I do have a multi-meter. Haven't used one in years but I think I can use it to check the voltage. Sorry for being a novice at most of this. I don't want to destroy any clips & whatever on the door panel to get to the switches. What is the best procedure to get to the switches?
 






I would check the boot going into the driver side door 1st. The wires in that boot are known to break. I had a couple broken in my 96 ex. If you find any broken wires just add a lil piece of "jumper" wire and reconnect them.

To check the switches you will have to pop the door panel off. This is pretty simple to do:
1. Remove 2 screws by door handle.
2. Pop trim piece out that goes around the handle itself.
3. Take off plastic top piece of lock. Just twist it, its threaded on.
4. Use a flat head screwdriver (or something similar) to slide underneath panel and pry outwards. If the panel has never been popped you may have to pull pretty hard. You should be able to feel the general area where the clips are and you will want to pry as close to those as possible.

Mike
 






Window inop

Take off door panel. Remove 2 screws behind handle. Pull around panel to unsnap panel. Unplug motor and use jumper wires to run motor. If good check wiring harness between door and door frame for a broken wire. This wire harness is in the rubber boot between door and frame. Cut the tie strape and pull the rubber boot down to expose the harness. Blue wire with red stripe is power for windows.
 






I have same problem. 1996 explorer xlt. problem started day after I had in to ford dealer for a recall issue.

Have replace swith still nothing. I dont see any of the fures in the side panel that are marked power windows.
 






power windows not working

also where is in dash fuse box?. how do you get to it?
I see only two boxes once in the driver's side by the door and the other is under the hood wih the relays in it.

I think had it at the dealers for a recall, I think it was a speed control sensor. The attached some wiring to my brake master cylinder. Doesn't look it goes anywhere.

Any suggestions, I am desparate.
 






that recall added a fuse to a sensor on your brake master cylinder, this sensor shuts off the cruise when you hit the brakes and was known to short out and start fires, the fuse prevents this short
 






power windows not working

any idea where the other fuse box is located and how you get to it?
 






power window problems

solved problem.

I went thru all fuses one at a time( there are about 30 of them) and found one that was blown. replaced and this fuse, solved the problem. The chart in the owners manual did not indicate that this fuse has anything to do with power windows.

Hope wthis wll be helpful to anyone else who might enounter the problem. Don't trust the owner's maunal
 






solved problem.

I went thru all fuses one at a time( there are about 30 of them) and found one that was blown. replaced and this fuse, solved the problem. The chart in the owners manual did not indicate that this fuse has anything to do with power windows.

Hope wthis wll be helpful to anyone else who might enounter the problem. Don't trust the owner's maunal

I'm having the same problem. Do you remember what fuse number you replaced? Was it in the box under the steering wheel or the fuse box in the engine compartment? Thanks!
 






power windows.

The fuse was in the box on the passsenger side. I had already replaced the switch, but that did not solve the probles, so I just started pulling the fuses one at a time and sure enough about the 4th one I pulled was blown.
Good luck, hope that will solve your problem also.
 






My '96 EB has a fuse for the power windows/locks/seats in the power distribution box under the hood. It is a 20 amp fuse and it is the 3rd from the firewall on the inboard side. If you have an owners manual, it is on page 387. I had to find a manual on the internet and I downloaded it to disc. I hope this helps pinpoint it for you
 






I can tell you I just spent the last six hours with my door torn apart because all my windows stopped working a few weeks ago. Several threads discuss the exact issue I suffered - a severed light blue/black striped power wire going to the master switch in the driver's door. Before all my windows stopped working, they worked sporadically.

If all windows stop working altogether, this is the first thing I'd check. However, just in case, and as a potential time savings, crawl under the steering wheel and look at the fuse panel. There should be a fuse puller hanging by the fuse puller. Pull fuse 17. If it's bad, replace it - your problem should be solved. If it's good, proceed.

I gotta warn you, this is a serious PITA to get to, but you can do it with some patience and time. With the door open, you can pull the rubber boot back at the door (this is where mine broke), but mine looked fine initially. It wasn't until I removed my door panel, disconnected all the connectors I could, removed the sound deadening baffle, and unwrapped the harness of its electrical wire all the way up to where the harness enters the door, before I saw the break. If you have 4 inches of 12 gauge wire and some electrical tape, you'll have it fixed in five minutes.

In my '02, here's how I removed the door panel. Get a flat tip screwdriver or, better yet, a putty knife, and pry off the plastic cover around the door handle. At that point, you should be able to remove the door lock/window buttons/window lock assembly and pop off the three connectors. This is a good time to see if a broken wire is your problem. Grab a voltmeter, set it to DCV (DC Volts) 20 ("20" volts is the right setting since you have a 12-volt auto) and stick the positive lead of the voltmeter in pin 6 of the connector (this is on the opposite side of the connector from where the light blue/black striped wire enters the connector) and put the voltmeter's negative lead to ground (try to find a bolt on the frame that doesn't have paint on it or, better yet, if the leads are long enough, put the negative lead on the ground side of the battery). Do this with the ignition ON. I did this and got a reading of "0.0" so I knew I was not getting power to the connector. If you get "0.0" or less than 10 volts, proceed.

Go back to the area just above the door handle. You'll notice a single screw holding a white plastic bracket that provides support for the arm rest. Remove that screw. You'll also notice two screws at the very bottom of the door panel. I believe they're 7/32 or 6mm. Remove them.

At this point, you can lift the door panel off the car. I swung it around and rested it on the running board while doing the work. I also had to leave it there because I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to remove the connector for the @#$%ing memory seats! Remove the speaker and disconnect it.

Remove the sound baffle. Be careful not to tear it. Before you reinstall it, go to Wally World and hit the window weather stripping aisle. You can pick up some double sided "Duck" tape in a 1/2 inch x24 foot roll for $2. Once the baffle is removed it'll make sense where to apply the double-sided tape.

As mentioned above, I couldn't remove all the connectors to just pull the harness through the door and check out the light blue and black striped wire. So, I had to slowly, painfully unwrap the harness of its eletrical tape until I got up to the door opening. This also required some extremely sensitive use of an exacto knife.

I hope this helps. I couldn't find the above information yesterday when I was researching how I'd go about this, so I figured I'd give you as much info as possible (sorry if it's too long).
 






windows and relays

After mardis gras I had set up to sleep in my 96 explorer. The interior lights would not go out so finally in frustration I pulled the bulb from the back dome light. Well after that all the lights stopped working as well as my power windows. The fuse for the windows is fine. So I tried to locate the relays at 'location 4' but was unable to find them.
 



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My '99 Explorer power windows just stopped working a few days ago. I checked fuses and #17 on the dash panel was blown, but replacing it did not fix the windows. I have checked the window lock position several times...if I need to check connections at the switches.....how do I remove this panel?
Good video online. It is held in by clips. You will need a small short flat blade screw drive and flat trim tool.
 






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