Topic: Passenger door electrical issues

[79TeeTop]

I am having trouble getting both the power lock and power window on the passenger side to work.

I've cleaned all connections on both the switch side and at the lock actuator and window motor sides.

I can use the passenger side door lock switch to operate the drivers side lock but nothing on the passenger side. The actuator is new because the old one was clearly seized up.

Power window motor is new.

It looks like the previous owner had replaced the console window switch. It looks fairly new and if you turn it over it lights up when operating the switch. Switch operates the driver's side great.

Is there any common thing (a relay, bad ground, etc) that would knock out everything electrical in that one door?

[eroc022]

bad grounds for one! did you check the connections behind the kickpanel ?

[ta78w72]

Those circuits use different ground applications.  The power door lock is grounded at the drivers door while the power windows are grounded via the window motor fasteners.

Power door locks:  Try switching the switches.  If the passenger sides works after the switch and the drivers doesn't, you've got a bad switch.  Otherwise you'll need to break out the volt meter and test for power.  You could have a bad or sticking solenoid.

Power windows:  You need to pull the door panel and measure for voltages at the motor.  Work your way back to the switch.  Sometimes a wire pulls out of the switch if someone has monkeyed with it.  So, visually check the switch for a pulled wired.  Note the color of the wires going to that side of the door.

[79TeeTop]

Those circuits use different ground applications.  The power door lock is grounded at the drivers door while the power windows are grounded via the window motor fasteners.

Power door locks:  Try switching the switches.  If the passenger sides works after the switch and the drivers doesn't, you've got a bad switch.  Otherwise you'll need to break out the volt meter and test for power.  You could have a bad or sticking solenoid.

Power windows:  You need to pull the door panel and measure for voltages at the motor.  Work your way back to the switch.  Sometimes a wire pulls out of the switch if someone has monkeyed with it.  So, visually check the switch for a pulled wired.  Note the color of the wires going to that side of the door.

Thanks for the tips.  Luckily the door panel is already pulled on that side so I'll give the things you suggest a try and go from there.

[John007]

I had a loose wire on the window switch,,,,, the window would go down but not up.............

The only way Russ,,, could find it,,,,,,,was the volt meter...............

[ta78w72]

I had a loose wire on the window switch,,,,, the window would go down but not up.............

The only way Russ,,, could find it,,,,,,,was the volt meter...............

When we got no voltage at the motor we worked our way back to the switch.  I saw that the brown wire was pulled slightly out of the connector.  Pushing it back it resolved the problem.

[79TeeTop]

Didn't have a lot of time this weekend but I did swap the door lock switches last night.  Same result, driver's side worked fine but dead as a door nail on the passenger side.

I'll continue investigating but I believe the windows have a relay somewhere near the steering column.  Any chance that has something to do with the window issue?  I wasn't sure if the power flowed from the source through the relay to the switches or what.  I know I have juice at the switch....

[ta78w72]

If the relay was bad you wouldn't have power at all to the switch.  So, both windows would be inoperative.

[79TeeTop]

Thanks for the tips.

I am going to have to get a day and whip out the mutli meter I suppose.

My hunch is there's something going on with the wires as they go through the door into the car or behind the kick panel.

Windows could be at the switch though, just old brittle wires maybe?  I had a headlight harness and a turn signal switch harness like that on my Mustang that were so brittle they were beyond hope.

[ta78w72]

My guess is a bad door lock solenoid and perhaps a bad wire in the power window switch connector, or a bad  power window switch. 

You know both power door lock switches are good.

[79TeeTop]

I finally got a chance to get out the multimeter today.

Something curious. 

I read volts when operating the switch on the door lock plug and read volts when flicking the power switch at the motor plug.  I can pick up ohms when the switch is not operating on both of the plugs in the door.

I still have to wonder if there's a common ground for both the window and the lock somewhere....?  I put the negative terminal of the mutli-meter on the door so that grounded the meter out.

[ta78w72]

You're not measuring ohms at this point.  As I stated before, the power windows use a different ground than the power door locks.  The power windows ground at the window motor fasteners.  The power door locks ground on the drivers door.

Disconnect the connector at the power door lock and measure for power.  If you've got 12 volts at both the lock and unlock, it's the solenoid.

On the window, do the same thing.  Disconnect the connector at the motor.  Measure for 12 volts at both the up and down functions.

On both connectors, one terminal controls up or unlock and the other controls down or lock.

[79TeeTop]

I had 10.5 - 12 volts on both lock and unlock. 

Where's the solenoid located?

Window had around 12 volts as well.  After I replaced the old burned out motor the window worked exactly one time, went down fine, just barely made it back up and dead since.

On the plus, the lock and window on the driver's side are working great, LOL!

[ta78w72]

The solenoid is located on the back door edge.....under where the door stickers would be.  You should see two rivets one above the other.  That's what's holding the solenoid to the door.

As far as the window is concerned, did you clean and grease the tracks?  Did you run a ground wire from one of the motor mounts through the boot to a suitable ground point on the chassis?  Sounds like the switch is doing its job.  You are sticking or you don't have a proper ground.

[79TeeTop]

The solenoid is located on the back door edge.....under where the door stickers would be.  You should see two rivets one above the other.  That's what's holding the solenoid to the door.

As far as the window is concerned, did you clean and grease the tracks?  Did you run a ground wire from one of the motor mounts through the boot to a suitable ground point on the chassis?  Sounds like the switch is doing its job.  You are sticking or you don't have a proper ground.

I figured it out this weekend.  I have an actuator not a solenoid which appears to be two different things in the shop manual.  But the long and short is when I bought the car the actuator was pretty much frozen.  I had purchased a new one from O'Reilly and had been running on the assumption it was good.  I took that one back and exchanged it at O'Reilly.  Turns out the one I returned was a bad part right out of the box.  Installed the one I picked up Saturday and it works.  It will unlock the door at least.  It operates in both lock and unlock but appears there is a remaining problem in the lock portion of the door.  It's old and probably junked up some.  I was thinking of removing and cleaning / grease on the part but I didn't have much luck getting the three big screws out of the end of the door that hold it on.  May end up having to drill them out because they are pretty stuck.  Honestly, the lock mechanism sees bad enough off I may be better off just replacing it.

I am going to try running a ground wire for the window when I get time to take the kick panel, etc off.