windows & radio quit working when key is removed

[justanother1]

Lately the radio quits and the windows won't go up & down after removing the key from the switch before opening the doors. Has anyone else had this issue? Got any ideas? What do I check? How do i check to see what the issue is?

 

[mez4406]

is this a late 90's explorer there is a accessory delay relay that controls this function what year are we talking about exactl Ill look it up

 

[mez4406]

just looked at wiring diagram for a 97 and there is a 30 amp maxi fuse and a 10 amp mini fuse but if either one were blown it would have other issues it is controlled by them gem module and is also powered through the battery saver relay it is located to the right of you throttle pedal under the dash look up you will see a black box it may have a cover on it it has only those two relays in it. check to see if the glove box light and map lights and under hood lights all work that is the 10 amp mini fuse

 

[justanother1]

This is for a 2002. Glove box & dome / map lights work. Doesn't have an under hood light because it is not equipped with that.

I did not check any fuses or relays yet. Are there any that would specifically cause this issue?

Also, has remote start with keyless entry. Everything seems to be working otherwise.

 

[jyates]

Do the interior lights stay on with the key in the ignition? If so, it's probably the door ajar switch

 

[BigRondo]

I had similar electrical issues with my '02 XLT. The dome lights would stay on until the battery saver feature turned them off, the accessory delay wasn't working, the driver side puddle light didn't work, the keypad on the door would set off the alarm when I pressed it, the door ajar light would flash and beep at highway speeds, the radio would shut off as soon as I turned the key off, the alarm would beep twice when I armed it. Recently all 4 windows stopped working. Most recently the driver door lock actuator stopped working.

A lot of electrical issues can be traced back to broken/damaged wire(s) in the boot between the body and the driver's door. I found 3 broken wires and repaired them. The thin black ground wire was broken and after repairing it all was back to normal. When the windows stopped working, I repaired the thick black ground wire and the windows now work like a champ. I had to repair the pink/black wire to fix the driver door lock actuator.

Here is the thread for removing the door panel: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=303524

Here is a great thread for checking for broken/damaged wires, thanks to synyster for this awesome write-up: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=270081

Unfortunately the pictures are no longer available in the above thread. IIRC, I believe I unwrapped the wires enough to gain access. When I have gone searching in there I had an idea of what wire I was looking for. I located the the wire I was looking for and gently tugged on that wire on the door side. The wire was pulled toward me and out of the harness. I then went inside the vehicle and gently tugged on the the wire I was looking for and was able to pull it inside the vehicle. I then spliced a length of wire to the 2 ends, completing the circuit. I then gently pulled the excess into the door.

Be sure to take your time when looking for broken/damaged wire(s). Check all the wires for breaks/damage. When you think you're done looking, look again, and again, and again. A bright flashlight can be very helpful.

 

[justanother1]

Sorry for the delay in reply, we were on vacation last week. I appreciate your help and was helpful.

Took time tonight and removed the drivers door panel. There were 3 wires that had been repaired sometime in the past with crimp connectors. 1 was white w/yellow tracer (about 14gauge), 1 was black (about (14-16 gauge), and a tiny pink w/green tracer. The white w/yellow tracer and black wires came apart. I added a 3-4 inch piece to both and sealed with shrink tubing. Things are back to normal.

Still question if there is still a problem. We have aftermarket remote start with keyless entry (no alarm). If you lock the doors using the lock buttons or keypad on door and unlock with remote, the factory alarm goes off. This is the only time the alarm goes off. Is there a problem? What do I need to check?