Window motor - Does this make sense?

[COBRA_ESQ]

Anyone disassembled the inner workings of a window motor?

03 convertible- both windows on driver's side stopped working in the full down position. Passenger side fine (all 4 windows are on the same fuse and relay). I could hear clicking at switch but nothing else. Grabbed the window and shock as I pressed the button and with little further effort, the motor worked and operates fine now. Same thing with the rear.

HYPOTHISIS - The windows were in the down position for the season, about 5 months. Corrosion/dust/dirt between contacts/brushers from sitting? Thoughts?

 

[ttocs]

the wiring system that works the windows is called a 5 wire reversing polarity system. What that means for ford is that the switches do all the work there is no need for relays, what that means for us is the master/slave system that it uses is a complete PIA to troubleshoot. If the slave switch has a bad connection or stops working(clicking does not mean it works) then the master switch also stops working. If you have done any work in the doors or the kick panels you might have bumped the harness and caused the bad connection. I would start by checking for voltage at the switch, if there is power there then test for it at the motor. Then if it were me I would have a helper hold the switch while you trace the wiring and push/pull/tug on all the connections to see if the window starts working.

 

[COBRA_ESQ]

the wiring system that works the windows is called a 5 wire reversing polarity system. What that means for ford is that the switches do all the work there is no need for relays, what that means for us is the master/slave system that it uses is a complete PIA to troubleshoot. If the slave switch has a bad connection or stops working(clicking does not mean it works) then the master switch also stops working. If you have done any work in the doors or the kick panels you might have bumped the harness and caused the bad connection. I would start by checking for voltage at the switch, if there is power there then test for it at the motor. Then if it were me I would have a helper hold the switch while you trace the wiring and push/pull/tug on all the connections to see if the window starts working.

Correct, no relay, I misread the diagram. Door panels have never been off on this lower milage Terminator. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. For now, I am not going to fix what is not broken but will be researching 5 wire reversing systems just in case.

 

[ttocs]

I would start on the drivers side. IIRC the master switch is the drivers side. If the passenger side(slave) were to go bad, the drivers side(master) would also stop working and no windows would work.

 

[I_LIKE_TURTLEZ]

Grab the diagram and test your powers/grounds on the driver's side.
Make sure you look at the diagram carefully because it's easy to get tripped up being a slave design.

The most important step here is that you remove the driver's panel entirely and visually inspect, it's no coincidence that the car sat for 5 months with the wiring/switch/motor exposed and then suddenly doesn't work.

For the record I'm highly unsettled by the entire situation, the amount of spiders that must now live in that car is the stuff of my nightmares, personally I'd just flamethrower the entire car.

 

[ttocs]

Also be aware if you remove the drivers door panel, there is the one touch relay that is attached to the panel on the back. You normally unplug it when you remove the panel, the drivers window will not work with out it plugged in

 

[COBRA_ESQ]

Grab the diagram and test your powers/grounds on the driver's side.
Make sure you look at the diagram carefully because it's easy to get tripped up being a slave design.

The most important step here is that you remove the driver's panel entirely and visually inspect, it's no coincidence that the car sat for 5 months with the wiring/switch/motor exposed and then suddenly doesn't work.

For the record I'm highly unsettled by the entire situation, the amount of spiders that must now live in that car is the stuff of my nightmares, personally I'd just flamethrower the entire car.

You misread my post. Nothing was apart or exposed. It is a limited use garaged vehicle only driven with the top down. Once it gets warm the top and windows go down. They remain down until it gets cold, then it is put away for the season.

 

[Flade]

The motors in these cars don’t like sitting. I bought my 94GT convertible new. One of the rear windows stopped working withing a few weeks and needed the motor replaced. Since that time every motor has been replaced at least twice with the rears being replaced multiple times. We have 3 others SN 95s and they have similar histories with these motors. The front and rear motors are identical and even though the front window are much heavier, it’s the rear motors that fail most. I attribute this to them sitting and not being used as often. When they stop coming up without help, it’s time to replace the motor and get a few years without having to do it again. That reminds me…after sitting 6 months my passenger motor needs replaced…again… GRRRRR

 

[GTR]

Just a thought on these motors. The regulators are nylon, which over time will deteriorate. If you can hear the motor running chances are the bearings are toast. Very simple to replace. I bought aluminum rollers years ago on EBay, don’t know if they’re still available. A little grease and problem solved.