2004 Explorer power window problem
 

I have an '04 Explorer XLS that the power windows just quit working. Yesterday I programmed new remotes to unlock the doors and the windows worked fine afterward. Today when I got in the truck none of the windows worked from any of the switches. I checked the fuse under the hood and it is fine. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Try opening the driver's door and then trying the windows. If it works with the door open, or briefly while opening/closing the door, you probably have a broken wire between the door and the cabin.

-Rod

Rod,
Thanks for the reply. Tried it and still get nothing with the door open or even when opening/closing. Both with the the key in the on position and with the engine running. I realize that doesn't disprove the broken wire theory, but I have a hard time believing that it is a coincidence that I programmed new remotes one day, and the next my windows don't work when I've never had a problem before.
Any thoughts?

-Frank

There should be no tie between the windows and the keyless remote system, unless possibly you have an aftermarket remote entry system with an aux channel to control the windows.

You're probably stuck pulling the driver's power window switch assembly. You'll need to pop off the trim piece around the door handle (just snapped in) then I think there is one screw to remove and you should be able to slide the switch assembly forward and lift it off of the door panel. With the key in the Run position there should be power to the Light Blue/Black wire in terminal 6 of connector C504a. There should be ground at the black wire in terminal location 2 of C504b.

Looking over the diagram better, it appears that if the switch backlighting works when the key is in Run you can be pretty sure the power and ground is good.... So, I guess before pulling the switch assembly check the LED backlighting.

There are two fuses associated with the power windows under the hood, the 60A (F1.6) and a 30A (F1.62). Both are in the Battery Junction Box. F1.62 supplies power to the Accessory Delay Relay. Power the coil of the Accessory Delay Relay comes from fuse F2.17 (15A) in the Central Junction Box. If this relay were not working you would not have LED backlighting but other accessories would not work as well.

-Rod

No backlighting. Fuses are good (can't check F1.62 as is solid but don't have any problems with any other accessories.) Have power at the light blue/black wire. Does this mean that the switch assembly is bad? Or could F1.62 be bad, and how would I check this?

If you have good power on the light blue/black wire no fuses are bad, nor is the accessory delay relay bad. What you need to verify now is that the ground to the switch assembly is good.

-Rod

Using my test light, when I ground from the back of the connector at the black wire to the door hinge the backlight LEDs light up, but the switch assembly makes a buzzing sound when I try to roll down a window. Seeing as how the test light completes the ground to get the LEDs lit, shouldn't the windows go down when I press the switch unless the assembly itself is bad? Would the LEDs light and the assembly still be bad or is the ground wire bad and I'm not getting a good enough ground through the test light to let the windows roll down?

Mechanical problems I can usually handle. Electrical problems can be so frustrating!

Thanks for all of your help.

-Frank

The test light is limiting the current supplied to the circuit. The LEDs require very little current compared with the the power window motors. When just the LEDs are on the test light is probably barely glowing, correct? Does the test light get really bright when you try to operate the windows, indicating a large current draw? Try making up a jumper wire and provide the switch a good ground, then see what happens. It sounds like you have a bad ground to the switch.

-Rod

Definitely a bad ground to the switch. Made a long wire and went from the black wire at the connector to the negative terminal on the battery and the widows worked. Shortened it and went to where the emergency brake bracket is and it still worked (my temporary fix as it started to rain pretty good at that point). Now I just need to figure out where the black wire goes to check the end, can't see it under the dash behind all the stuff. Or should I just try to fish a new wire through the door into the car and just ground it where I can?

Thank you so much for walking me through this.

-Frank

I would suggest you fish a new wire of similar gauge through the boot as the original wire is probably broken in or near the rubber boot anyway. It's not easy, but it is possible.

-Rod

Got it done today. I removed the door panel and speaker first to give me more room to work. I found that fishing a new wire through is a lot easier from the inside of the truck into the door. I pushed the new wire along the wires coming into the truck while feeling the boot to get it as far as I could. I then pulled the boot away from the door and using needle-nose pliers and a flashlight, grabbed the wire and pulled it through. I taped the wire along the old wires and then I spliced the new wire about 2 inches from the connector. I just grounded the other end to one of the bolts that holds the emergency brake pedal to the sidewall. The windows now work again.

Thanks Rod for all of the help!

-Frank

Thank you for the follow-up post, and glad you got the windows working again!

When I fed the new wires for the speaker I tried from the door to the cab, never tried the other direction since I couldn't see the bundle. I removing the parking brake assembly to give me enough room to get my hand in there to feel for the wires I was feeding. It wasn't easy or comfortable, but it did work. I also released the boot from the door and compressed it so I wasn't tried to feed the wire through a slight S-bend.

I'll try going the other direction next time, and unfortunately I suspect there will be a next time. :(

-Rod

There is a small bundle of wires coming out of the sidewall just above the parking brake assembly. By checking the color of the wires I could tell that they came from the door. Also the location was about right for the boot. I pushed the wire along the bottom of the small bundle and felt it through the boot to make sure that it went in. Basically, took a blind chance and got lucky. I tried to direct the wire through the boot by pushing on the outside of the boot to get the wire past as many of the ridges in the boot as possible. The wire I used was slightly larger than the old wire and was pretty stiff (ever tried to push a rope?), so when I felt it start to bunch-up I could tell that was as far as I could go. Being bright green (what I happened to have on hand) it was pretty easy to see when I pulled back the boot. When I had tried from the door to the cab I never could get the wire anywhere near where I could find it in the cab. As you said, there is not much room up there and next to zero visibility.

Similar Problem 2004 explorer window quit
 

I have a 2004 explorer and the two drivers side windows will not operate at all, the fuses are good and i replaced the switches but no go! What would i look for next?
Thanks

Please read the posts above in this thread. Try some of the suggestions listed, and post where you have power and where you don't based on the suggestions above.

-Rod