this window is playing with me

[IgotTwo]

Just when I thought I was ahead of it all. Today.....
97 4 door XLT LF Driver's (obviously) window

-Hit the DOWN button on electric window:
Windows drops 1in? and stops, no noise, no moaning, no grinding or other unfriendly sounds, no smell, just stops.
-Hit the UP button
It returns to the fully closed position, no problemo

Fussed with WIN LOCK button - no change

Tried many times with same results. All 3 others windows work fine from driver's control.

I think since the other 3 windows work from the driver's control, that is a good thing.

I think that since I do not hear any other noises that is another good thing.

I think having juice to the "I only feel like opening an 1in just to piss you off" drivers window, is almost a good thing. Better than no juice at all.

Why only 1 in? I don't hear any mechanical or electrical binding or strain?

So I'm going after the driver's side control switch especially that "one hit- window down thing"
which may (help me on this one)
???have a control module before the switch for the
"one touch" feature??

Something tells me "some module" sounds better than the switch, motor, electrical supply or mechancial workings of window?

Anyone have any thoughts or words of encouragement before I get out the tools out and wreck the door panel.

Real time updates: Just as I finished typing all this, my daughter walks in and informs me that the driver's six way seat didn't work two days ago? (?I never move the seat?) I told her next time why don't you wait at least a full week or even a month before you tell me these things!! KIDS! Am I the only one with these problems?

I may have to rethink, but how are we going on the above so far?

 

[JDraper]

Did you check to see if your voltmeter drops a little while you hold the button down?? If it stays a down a little until you let go of the button, you may have some sort of obstruction, otherwise, it's a good chance that the motor is cooked

 

[Dannyboy]

This may sound a little crazy but take the buttons out and plug the drivers side into passenger button and vise versa, this way you might be able to pinpoint the problem. Just a wild guess but I do the same thing in audio when an amp or speaker is bad and you need to figure it out

 

[IgotTwo]

Volt meter - good one - before I pull the panel
"Switch Switches - not dumb at all - a good fast and dirty
I planned to go after it with a meter after i pull the panel

Since the motor does turn and stops at that 1in point, do you think the motor's toasted?
I read a past post about a plastic shear pin in the motor which shears on overload...(thinking) the pin may have something to do with it?

 

[IgotTwo]

If you guys have the time to get back so quickly, I have the time to run that thing into the garage and check it out.

No voltage drop when I tried the window. It still went down an inch and stopped.

So in desperation, and I WILL go to Ultimate Explorers Under the Hood Hell for this, I rocked that window switch back and forth, hard and heavy about a half a dozen times. Well, the windows did go down but I have a mechanical binding in the rear track.

I think it needs a good visual inspection to see what's going on. ?maybe a foreign object?
Thanks for the feedback
If anyone is interested I let you know how it plays out.

FYI My daughter is reading the owner's manual. I tried to explain to her that the seat was never designed to raise anyone into a ball turret. It was at its limit! KIDS!
CARS! WINDOWS!
thanks again

 

[JDraper]

Good luck on it. I worked on a friend's Ni**an P***finder (Piece of s***!) that had a similar problem, and it turned out that her track had bowed to the point it bound up the window. Let us know. Sooner or later another one of us will run into the same problem

 

[IgotTwo]

It is suppose to rain this weekend..maybe be a good time to "open up the patient". Till then, I guess its NO NJ Turnpike & GSP (garden state parkway.) You look like a real putz trying to pay a toll when the window doesn't open.
I may have to practice -"over the top" from the passenger side....maybe in the garage with a laundry basket (a big one to start with)
Let's see what the damages are.
thanks for the feedback

Subsequent edit:
I think this was 100 for IgotTwo... oh my God .. oh my God
Maybe the edit will bump it to 101 let me hit return and see

 

[JDraper]

That's what I love about having a garage!!!

 

[Bigcheck1]

check the window track inside the door, mine broke off at one of the mounts laast summer. all you need ot do is pull the panel, you should see the track that the window slides up and down on, if the track moves, thats the problem, i welded mine back in and no problems since, good luck

 

[IgotTwo]

Bingo! Fixed the window and it was quite painless.

If anyone is interested:
It was the rear track on the window inside the door. It is held with a riveted clamp at the bottom. The track slides into a postioning mount just below the window line.

I pulled the panel and saw the rear track was sliding around in there. The two rivets on the bottom mount must have gotten tired, and said to each other "on three... let go!"

(thinking) I'm going to Ford and spend um teen dollars for another riveted track? I think NOT!

I drilled out the rivets on the mounting bracket and on the track where they met. I used two pan head stainless steel screws and locking nuts in place of the rivets! Those boys aren't going any where.
Total cash outlay $.57

Sometimes you the get bear, and sometimes the bear gets you. For now - Bear 0 IgotTwo 1

But Bigcheck1 knew this
Thanks for all the feedback!