not a normal power window problem

[talincolnlsc]

my 92 ex sport has a problem with passenger side power window. wont go up or down, doesnt work from either switch(drivers or passenger)if i ground out one of the wires giong to the motor it works so for some reason its not switching polarity to the motor but why. if anyone knows how to fix it please help. thanks tim

 

[Brock94]

It appears that the proper ground is not getting connected for the window operation, so you'll have to follow the ground circuit through the window wiring system and find out where it is not getting connected. Here's how I'd work through the problem:

1) Since your other windows are working, we can assume that the driver's master window switch is getting proper ground into it and since connecting ground makes the window work, we know that the driver's switch is connecting positive properly.

2) Since you can get positive voltage at each pole of the window motor connector, you know that there is no break in the wires between the switches and the motor.

3) Check for ground coming from the driver's door window switch at the passenger door window switch, if there is ground from the driver's switch, then the passenger switch is probably faulty-- replace it. If there's no ground passing through from the driver's door switch then move to the driver's door switch, unplug it and check to see if it is connecting the ground properly-- if not, it is faulty and needs to be replaced. Shortcut-- If you get positive voltage alternating at the window motor connector when you operate the driver's switch, but no ground, then the problem is at the driver's switch since the passenger switch is passing the voltage through properly.

My bet would be that the driver's switch is messed up since that gets used the most. I had a strange problem where the passenger window would only go down, not up. I disconnected the window motor connector at the door and my multi-meter showed positive voltage alternating between wires as it should when I operated the switch, then I checked for ground and it turned out that the driver's door switch was connecting the ground only in the downward position.

 

[l1k2gadd]

I haven't gotten far enough into grounding or ungrounding plugs and switches on Fords, but, in several of my Fords over the years I have had problems with motors stopping after putting a window down, or up. One day, out of frustration, and not knowing about grounding connectors, I pushed the window switch on the door in trouble and at the same time with a closed fist rapped real hard on the door in the area the window motor was mounted in. I did this with the door panel in place because my next step was going to be removing the door panel and removing the window motor. The motor(s) started to work and continued working and working. I have done this on several Fords now for several people. I have had to help my mom with her E150's drivers window a couple of times (as her van was one of the many vehicles I have corrected this way). What I have found is as SOME of the window motors start to wear one of the brushes gets caught up in the end of the brush housing and the motor stops. This happens a lot of times when the window goes to a full down or full up position. The rap on the door frees the stuck brush and corrects the condition (although the correction might be temporary). If this works for you and you ever remove and disassemble the motor some time in the future you may see that the brushes are worn wa-a-ay down.

 

[talincolnlsc]

thanks for the help guys. i talked to a tech and he said if you have a faulty switch on the drivers side (for passenger window) niether switch will work for the window because it wont complete the circuit. went to junk yard and got switches and it works fine now but what i dont understand is why there was power to the motor on both sides but no ground either side? if it wasnt completing the circuit i should have had no power. right?

 

[ma96782]

Switches.....we all need those ^&%$@!* switches.

My sad story........my window switch, fixed:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150995&highlight=window


Aloha, Mark

 

[Brock94]

but what i dont understand is why there was power to the motor on both sides but no ground either side? if it wasnt completing the circuit i should have had no power. right?

The switch alternates positive and negative between the two wires depending on whether you want the window to go up or down (the wire that is negative when going up switches to positive when going down and vis-versa). Sometimes the ground portion of the switch gets broken, but not the positive portion such that it will only send positive and the wire that should be grounded is left open. That's why it shows power at each wire when you use your multi-meter or test light grounded to the frame. To do a complete test you have to also check for continuity to ground on the side that is supposed to be grounded.

 

[jmitchell]

2001 ford explorer

I have window issues, can anyone advise??? i changed master switch in drivers door and still no window will work , whats my next step??