Tailgate Window Wiring

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Jul 20, 2019 | 07:10 PM

#16

Black Ford XLT

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Aug 2002

Posts: 1,568

Likes: 33

From: Swansea SC

Evan sorry , went back thru to see you tested your motor . anything is possible but more likely problems occur where we ALL had problems , At times my 92 would roll up down then some days not work at all.. I got tired of this BS, AND REWIRED IT with steve83 advice and prints. The stock circuit is resistive .Explaining resistive is like plugging a drop cord into a house receptacle and adding 4 or 5 more and at the end of the line you have a voltage drop to where your light is dim. Unplug all but one the light is bright.

I like you though- this switch is bad -that switch was bad but after my rewire everything works great. Where your tailgate opens and closes many forum members have problems -broken wires-pinched wires and some have had no power in the wiring from dash to tailgate .My specialty is electrical, still - learning after 42 years .We are here to help.(or get help) TR

Jul 21, 2019 | 06:01 PM

#17

Bruners4

Elder User

Joined: Feb 2014

Posts: 501

Likes: 0

From: Lincoln, NE

Remember that each on of the switches is also part of the circuit for the negative voltage. This would be the NC portion of the switch.

Aug 29, 2019 | 08:28 PM

#18

big ole ford

More Turbo

Joined: Mar 2008

Posts: 525

Likes: 6

From: douglasville

I feel your pain on how complicated and intricate these tailgates and their wiring are, my 88 bronco came with all the guts out of the tailgate in a cardboard box and it was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together but by some miracle I got it back together and the damn thing actually works... Most of the time!

Sep 9, 2019 | 08:38 PM

#19

evan_nugget

Thread Starter

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Mar 2017

Posts: 1,371

Likes: 138

From: Manassas, VA

Quote:

Originally Posted by big ole ford

all the guts out of the tailgate in a cardboard box and it was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together

That sounds terrible. But you are right, the wiring on these bad boys are just like a puzzle.

And fortunately this puzzle has been finished.

Should've known to rip it apart and check it - there was a good bit of the wiring harness inside the tailgate itself covered in black electrical tape. The PO clearly was a ********. Inside one of the wires was frayed really badly and spliced a couple times. It had broken inside where we couldn't see it - no power to the tailgate switch.

Replaced the entire length of it - WORKING TAILGATE WINDOW!!!!!!!!

Sep 16, 2019 | 01:38 PM

#20

inforlanding

New User

Joined: May 2019

Posts: 2

Likes: 0

Also check for broken wires between motor and tailgate switch. On my ‘78, the window would put pressure on the wires when in the fully down position. This finally led to one of the wires breaking.