Power window problem/conundrum

[masospaghetti]

Hey all,

I just bought myself a 1998 Explorer XLT, 4.0 OHV, 5-speed, 4WD with about 200k miles on the clock. Good running truck but lots of little issues that I will need to address, the first of which is related to the power windows.

All of the power windows work fine from the driver's door, but the switches from all other doors don't work. I figured this was a problem with the master window switch lock, but get this: If i'm trying to power a window down from the driver's door (the passenger window, for example) and I also press the down button on the passenger door, the window will stop moving. So the switches must be getting some kind of signal.

Any ideas? Thanks all!

 

[masospaghetti]

Just FYI, turns out the window lock is the problem, despite my best logic. The switch must be dirty or intermittent.

 

[joecrna]

How did you confirm it was the window lock? Just curious. Im trying to understand the logic of the whole system and this is another aspect.

 

[budwich]

"So the switches must be getting some kind of signal." yes but the not the "right signal".

As you have found, "signals" from the master "move thru" the associated window switch to ultimately cause a window to do something from the master. However, as you have also found out, the master lockout switch stops the individual switches from "making" up their own "signals" to make the associated window move.... kind of what the "lockout switch" is for ... yep, the switch does get "dirty" so that sometimes even though it looks "physically" like it has been put in the right position, the underlying contacts are not being made.

 

[masospaghetti]

"So the switches must be getting some kind of signal." yes but the not the "right signal".

As you have found, "signals" from the master "move thru" the associated window switch to ultimately cause a window to do something from the master. However, as you have also found out, the master lockout switch stops the individual switches from "making" up their own "signals" to make the associated window move.... kind of what the "lockout switch" is for ... yep, the switch does get "dirty" so that sometimes even though it looks "physically" like it has been put in the right position, the underlying contacts are not being made.

What threw me off was the following: If I was commanding a window to move from the master and also commanded movement from the individual switch, the window would stop. I would have assumed that the lockout would prevent the individual switches from working at all.

 

[masospaghetti]

How did you confirm it was the window lock? Just curious. Im trying to understand the logic of the whole system and this is another aspect.

I opened up the master switch and found the contact extremely dirty, and the spring steel used to make the contact was both not "springy" enough and pitted from corrosion. I suspect my fix won't last forever, but the window lock seems to be working for now.

 

[budwich]

What threw me off was the following: If I was commanding a window to move from the master and also commanded movement from the individual switch, the window would stop. I would have assumed that the lockout would prevent the individual switches from working at all.

Basically, the lockout switch "cuts off" the 12v "feed" going to the individual window switches so that they can't move the motors...

 

[lorelei2011]

I had this issue with my 96 when I got it and it was the lock button. My boyfriend got sick of having to ask me to open his windows so he got another complete set of switches (for the drivers side) he replaced it and we haven't had anymore issues with it.