Power Window Question

[jhkaster]

I swear these cars just break sitting in the garage doing nothing!

My rear driver side power window no longer works. (Fortunately, it's in the up position.) When I try to lower the window, nothing happens: no movement, no sound. But, when I try to raise the window, I hear a single click like the motor is trying to raise it, but knows it's fully up.

So, my question is... How do I know if it's the switch or the motor?

[robic58]

Hey James-

May sound a little dumb, but have you tried the r/r switch both at the driver's control panel and also at the r/r door. It would be a tall coincidence that both switches went bad simultaneously.

Please post your findings, when you do... as we all encounter
tricky and trouble some quirks in our old GMVs.
Cheers,
Ralph

[jhkaster]

Ya, I tried lowering the window with both switches and it had the same result. GUess, that kind of answers the original question. It's probably the motor then. I just wasn't sure that if one switch went bad, does it disable the other switch? Lack of continuity or sommething... I really don't understand the wiring.

[jhkaster]

Well, it's not the motor. I received the new motor today and the symptoms are the same.

1) The driver door window control doesn't make it go up or down.
2) The back seat window control only goes up, not down. (Before, you could hear it click trying to go up, but it's already in the full up position.)

So, it has to be in the wiring at either switch. Not sure where to start really. But, I think I recall that when the rear switch is bad, the driver control panel does nothing. At least that seems familiar to me at some time in the past.

Do we have a wiring guru that understands these things?

[jhkaster]

Hmmm... this is perplexing... I've tried the following:

Change out rear window motor
Change out rear window switch
Change out rear window wiring
Change out driver panel switch

And I get the same results. It only wants to move up. It won't move down.

The only thing I haven't done is change out the driver panel wiring.

What else should I be checking?

[robic58]

James-
Do you have a Lincoln Versailles Shop Manual-?

I looked in mine and Sect.42 covers p/w switches.
If you don't ,...I 'll gladly scan the few pages involved and e-mail to you

I'm no expert when it comes to automotive wiring, but
I can do the basics. I had a Chrysler once that the master control "lock" would act up from time to time and prevent normal operations of windows except for the drivers door. Maybe play with your lock switch a few times to see if it has any effect.
Good luck, Ralph

[jhkaster]

Thanks Ralph.

I do have the shop manuals and they don't seem to provide much help. They tell you how to change things out, but not really troubleshoot this specific problem.

And, I have played with the lockout on both switches that I installed to see if that would have an impact. But, alas, it did not.

Makes me wonder if there's a wire somewhere for the "down" position that's grounding/shorting out.

Wish I understood wiring better than I do.

[Bill 79]

James, Do You have a ELECTRICAL TROUBLESHOOTING Manual,put out by Ford for Your 80?. If Not I would RECONMEND,finding one. It gives TROUBLESHOOTING for Wiring,and also Help You understand more how the circut works. BILL 79

[jhkaster]

Yes. I do have that manual. The troubleshooting, again, doesn't really help at all. But I can trace the diagram to one wire for "down" for that window. So, I'm going to trace that wire's path everywhere it runs and see if maybe it's broke, pinched, shorted, grounded, etc. That has to be it really. I can't think of what else would be left to check. Nothing like a good mystery.

[hipogranada]

Here's a '77 version on eBay -- Item 250143443456.




I have another electrical and vacuum troubleshooting book from Ford, but it's different from this. I suspect this one has a lot more information. Looks like it is part of a factory training course for dealer mechanics.

Bill said:

James, Do You have a ELECTRICAL TROUBLESHOOTING Manual,put out by Ford for Your 80?. If Not I would RECONMEND,finding one. It gives TROUBLESHOOTING for Wiring,and also Help You understand more how the circut works. BILL 79

[jhkaster]

The window is fixed now. After trial-and-error with replacing parts and using my wiring diagram for the car, I was able to conclude that it had to be one wire causing the problem. The "down" wire. I traced that wire through the rear door and out the door jam. It was in this area behind the black rubber shroud where the problem was uncovered. At some point in its life, the wire was spliced and it had simply become disconnected. Lot of detective work for such a simple problem. But, I'm glad it's fixed and working again. Thanks everyone for your advice and suggestions along the way to this repair.

[Jeff Roblin]

Thanks for sharing the follow-up. These electrical mysteries can be very frustrating.

[robic58]

JAMES_
Thanks for letting all of us know....

Look at it this way... you now have a spare switch /
and spare window motor.

What wonderfull toys these GMV's are.
Cheers,
Ralph

[sixty9santa]

On a side note, does anyone think a retrofit kit would be doable?