Power Windows

Monday · Sep 27, 2022

96 vert gt power everything. My problem is the same one which has been asked at all pony forums I am a participant in.

I have seen no analogous problem, so I recorded it malfunctioning, then starting to work, then stop – start – ablahblah.

I have replaced the switch, and it still malfunctions. This problem has plagued me since owning this car. I have heard the wiring gets old and contributes all the time, and I have a spare door, but has anyone replaced the wiring, or opened a panel or two and found out what is wrong.

If you look, a few seconds in you can see a blue piece of electrician tape – that is the only wire I just finished f’n with. It was already broken. If I stick my most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand in the open (broken) rubber grommet thingy, I feel some sharp ends of other wires – I know it’s not supposed to be like that, but I need an idea or two. I have thought of pulling the card and take the harness from the other door, but I can’t find anything on the procedures.

I hope I explained it well. Thanks as always…

I have spent a half hour trying to get this to a shareable format... f'it!

Here's the youtube:

ttocs · Sep 27, 2022

The wiring system that the windows and doors uses is called a 5-wire reversing polarity system that uses a master/slave switch set up to save ford from needing to use relays = less $$$$. The problem with a master/slave switch set up is that if the wires loses connection depending on where it is strange things happen. If that wire is broken in the boot it is probably the problem and fixing it will probably suck. I would probably find where it goes into the boot in the car and pull it back out, reconnect a wire and then fish that wire through the boot. To pull it through the boot A long wire tie or an old radio ant works well, a coat hanger is often a little too soft but can be made to work. Just fish it through, pull it out on the other side and connect it in there. It will make the wire a little longer and in the door I would recommend solder/tape because it will get wet in there.

Monday · Sep 28, 2022

Thanks for the reply ttocs

weendoggy · Sep 28, 2022

Monday said:
96 vert gt power everything. My problem is the same one which has been asked at all pony forums I am a participant in.

I have seen no analogous problem, so I recorded it malfunctioning, then starting to work, then stop – start – ablahblah.

I have replaced the switch, and it still malfunctions. This problem has plagued me since owning this car. I have heard the wiring gets old and contributes all the time, and I have a spare door, but has anyone replaced the wiring, or opened a panel or two and found out what is wrong.

If you look, a few seconds in you can see a blue piece of electrician tape – that is the only wire I just finished f’n with. It was already broken. If I stick my most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand in the open (broken) rubber grommet thingy, I feel some sharp ends of other wires – I know it’s not supposed to be like that, but I need an idea or two. I have thought of pulling the card and take the harness from the other door, but I can’t find anything on the procedures.

I hope I explained it well. Thanks as always…

I have spent a half hour trying to get this to a shareable format... f'it!

Here's the youtube:

I responded to this on the other fourm, but the results are the same as ttocs said.

Adfalenski · Sep 30, 2022

I have recently had this problem. What I found is that the door wiring inside the black rubber boot that connects the door to the body break due to the flexing over 22 years. I found this by disconnecting all the wiring in the door, disconnecting the boot from the door, and holding onto the door side of wiring harness and forcing the boot toward the chassis to inspect the wiring. I found the broken wire as well as several other wires about to break due to the flexing. I fixed this by disconnecting the wiring harness from the chassis wiring as well as everything in the door and removing the harness completely. Once it was removed I held onto the door side of the wiring and peeled the boot back until I could easily reach the wires that were broken. I repaired the breaks with heat shrinkable crimp splices on the broken wires as well as the wires that were almost broken. I then returned the boot to it’s original configuration and reinstalled the repaired harness.

Another thing that will stop the window motor is that normally when it reaches full up and full down is a circuit breaker built into the window regulator motors. When the window reaches full up or full down, the current to the motor increases until the circuit breaker trips. With age the circuit breaker trips at lower current causing the motor to stop whenever the current reaches the degraded trip level. This would cause the need for motor replacement.

Sorry that my solutions are so long but I was an aircraft electrician and also instructor for 25 years.

ttocs · Oct 1, 2022

Adfalenski said:
I have recently had this problem. What I found is that the door wiring inside the black rubber boot that connects the door to the body break due to the flexing over 22 years. I found this by disconnecting all the wiring in the door, disconnecting the boot from the door, and holding onto the door side of wiring harness and forcing the boot toward the chassis to inspect the wiring. I found the broken wire as well as several other wires about to break due to the flexing. I fixed this by disconnecting the wiring harness from the chassis wiring as well as everything in the door and removing the harness completely. Once it was removed I held onto the door side of the wiring and peeled the boot back until I could easily reach the wires that were broken. I repaired the breaks with heat shrinkable crimp splices on the broken wires as well as the wires that were almost broken. I then returned the boot to it’s original configuration and reinstalled the repaired harness.

Another thing that will stop the window motor is that normally when it reaches full up and full down is a circuit breaker built into the window regulator motors. When the window reaches full up or full down, the current to the motor increases until the circuit breaker trips. With age the circuit breaker trips at lower current causing the motor to stop whenever the current reaches the degraded trip level. This would cause the need for motor replacement.

Sorry that my solutions are so long but I was an aircraft electrician and also instructor for 25 years.

"Once it was removed I held onto the door side of the wiring and peeled the boot back until I could easily reach the wires that were broken." I had to laugh about this as nothing about this location and the position you would have to be in sounds "easy" to me. But then reading the last line about aircraft electrician made it make sense as I am sure you crammed yourself into some not so happy places to do wiring in aircraft...

Monday · Oct 1, 2022

Adfalenski said:
I have recently had this problem.

Adfalenski said:
Another thing that will stop the window motor is that normally when it reaches full up and full down is a circuit breaker built into the window regulator motors. When the window reaches full up or full down, the current to the motor increases until the circuit breaker trips.

Adfalenski said:
I was an aircraft electrician and also instructor for 25 years.

Nothing long about it. The 'boot' scenario sounds like it's my problem.

I just got some new (used) leather seats delivered lastnight, and putting them in today. The window is getting tackled next. Priority shuffled for today - maybe tomorrow. I have noticed every job on the car is a mutant... what should take an hour is a day, a day job takes a week.

When I pull the harness in the door jam towards me, the window starts working - EVERY TIME - so, it absolutely sounds like the problem... the rubber boot is really messed but I'll figure how to replace that bridge later.

The answers make sense - all answers - but, I'm a visual guy, and a long explanation helps alot...
Thanks for yours

ttocs · Oct 1, 2022

The heat shrink crimps are important, don't just get the regular hard plastic style. The inside of the door does get wet and it could follow the wire harness down into that connection. The heatshrink keeps it out

Monday · Oct 1, 2022

ttocs said:
The heat shrink crimps are important, don't just get the regular hard plastic style. The inside of the door does get wet and it could follow the wire harness down into that connection. The heatshrink keeps it out

I got a pkg of soft ones off Amazon last year, I'll use that. Thanks for the heads up

Adfalenski · Oct 2, 2022

Just remember, a junk yard harness is just as old and as used as your current harness. Unless you can find a factory New-Old Stock harness, you are better off repairing your current harness. If your car is a daily driver and you need it on a regular basis, get a good junkyard harness, repair it(including all wires that are ALMOST broken), and install the repaired harness to take the place of your current harness. My problem began with the remote mirror not working. The wiring for windows, door locks, mirrors, and speakers are in the door harness.