Power windows inop

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Nov 3, 2004 | 05:51 PM

wiskyseria

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Power windows inop

I have a 97 Explorer. It started with just one window then all of them started to mess up. The problem is that the windows wouldn't go up or down sometimes. In put wold be great. Thanks

Nov 4, 2004 | 03:46 PM

LV Dan

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From: Las Vegas, NV

Probably the gearing in the window regulators, but could be power related, too. Do a search on this forum for window problems and look for discussion on the gearing. There is a way to replace the gears without replacing the entire window regulator, saving a bunch of money.

Since several windows are a problem, you could also look to the window switch on the drivers door, which is a central point for controlling all the windows.

Nov 4, 2004 | 05:42 PM

wiskyseria

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Thanks. I'm going to take the door panel apart and have a look at the switches.

Nov 5, 2004 | 01:27 PM

wiskyseria

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I took apart my driver side door panel and I'm looking for broken wires but I have another question. Since how none of my windows will go down and I have a problem with my unlock swithch on the d/door I desided to unplug the door/window controlls. If something was wrong w/the driver door controlls would that prevent the other windows from operating correctly and would the other window controlls still work if I did unplug the d/side controlls? None of the other window controlls worked either when I unpluged the driver door so is that supposed to happen or is something else wrong.

Nov 5, 2004 | 02:41 PM

ottosmom

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I had a similar problem once. It didn't start out the same, though. First, my windows would not open or close when the driver's side door was open. Then, all of a sudden none of my windows would go up or down at all. It turned out to be a broken wire (the ground wire, I believe) in the harness that goes through the door. There is a rubber thing ( the proper name escapes me at the moment)that protects the wires in the opening where the door hinges are. If you carefully pull that back, you might find a broken wire in there. I have heard that in the process of opening & closing the doors, sometimes a wire will get broken in there.

Nov 5, 2004 | 03:44 PM

LV Dan

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All the signals for each door go through the one controller/switch on the driver's door. So if you disconnect that switch, no power windows will operate.

If the driver's controller works but each local switch does not, look to the lock-out switch on the driver's door. If the driver's switches don't work either, make sure there is power on the switch. Replace the proper fuse to make sure it is good condition. And the ground problem that ottosmom refers to is common: use an ohm meter and make sure the ground wire has a good path to the chassis ground.

Nov 6, 2004 | 09:10 AM

wiskyseria

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Thanks LV DAN. I pulled down the ruber boot where the wires goes through the door hing area and fount 2 borken wires. (A 10 amp blue/black and 20 amp pink/green.) I wouldn't have thought to look there for a problem. You saved me lots of TIME and money.