Power window problem

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83WOT

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350 SBC
i bought my truck last month and the guy had half done a bunch of little stuff I’m now having to go back over to fix.. the latest land mine was the passenger power window. Neith window worked so I changed the popped fuse and got the drivers side working. Then pulled the passenger side switch (it was half shoved into place) and found 2 of the 5 or so wires not connected to the new pigtail. I figured this would be simple and stuck them together one way, fuse popped, tried the other way, fuse popped again. So I got out Hanes and went over the schematic. Went ahead and rewired the pigtail per the diagram, fuse did not pop and when I turned the key on I heard a real quick sound then it went away. It sounded like the window motor budged. Fuse still intact, now I’m thinking the motor is seized and just needs to be replaced, at its age couldn’t hurt anyway right? So I get the new motor, take out the regulator but before I swap motors I decide to plug the old motor into the harness to see if it will move now... it does. The sound I heard was the window snugging up. Apparently the motor is getting constant juice to go up all the time. It doesn’t make any sense. The pink wire and blue w/ white stripe are hot with key on. So I go poking around the driver switch (both switches are new) to see if the pigtail maybe has a wire jumped or something. Drivers side has hot to pink and tan... wtflip. Nothing jumped but I had to break the back off to get into it plus some of the wires were frayed where they connected so I got to order a new drivers side pigtail.. in the meantime has anyone had this happen?
 

chengny

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Apparently the motor is getting constant juice to go up all the time. It doesn’t make any sense. The pink wire and blue w/ white stripe are hot with key on. So I go poking around the driver switch (both switches are new) to see if the pigtail maybe has a wire jumped or something. Drivers side has hot to pink and tan... wtflip. Nothing jumped but I had to break the back off to get into it plus some of the wires were frayed where they connected so I got to order a new drivers side pigtail.. in the meantime has anyone had this happen?

The driver's window operates normally - correct? So the problem is isolated to the RH window.

The pink wire and blue w/ white stripe are hot with key on.

With the key on, there should only be power coming into each switch set on the PNK. And with all the switches in the neutral position, that should be as far as it goes. The PNK into the RH switch is power for local operation. Toggling the switch UP/DN switches the polarity of the leads that run from the switch to the motor. Power on the DK BLU is UP and power on the BRN is DN.


But that only takes care of half of the circuit. In order to run, the other side of the motor has to be connected to ground.

Those little switches are more involved than they look. When you push UP for example, one set of contacts within the switch closes and connects PNK to DK BLU. Easy enough right?

But simultaneously, another set of contacts closes and connects the BRN to ground. That completes the motor circuit and it spins up.

But here is where it gets involved; the only path to ground for the entire system is via the drivers side master switch and then to the common ground bus.

So that means that one of the two remote power supplies from the master switch (TAN or DK BLU/WHT) becomes the ground wire. They alternate depending on which lead is hot to the motor. This design allows the slave windows(s) to be operated with just two wires from the master.


When going UP; PNK is connected to the DK BLU in the switch, the DK BLU is hot to the motor from the switch, BRN runs back to the switch and then the TAN wire supplies the path over to the master switch.

When going DN; it's PNK to BRN, through the motor, back to the switch on DK BLU and over to the master switch on the DK BLU/WHT.

With the master switch in the neutral position both the TAN and DK BLU/WHT are connected to the BLK lead which runs to the common ground bus.

Anyway, if you have power on the DK BLU/WHT lead at the RH switch (and you are pretty sure your master switch is good internally), that would suggest a short somewhere between the PNK and the DK BLU/WHT or TAN.

Also if you show voltage on the TAN - at the LH side - but find that it is on the DK BLU/WHT when the RH side is checked...IDK could the harness sections be connected wrong?

A good clear wiring diagram - showing everything in the neutral position:

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Example of RH window UP from local switch (ground path is traced in blue for clarity):

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And RH window UP from the master (driver's side switch):

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gmachinz

Harnessworx Inc
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There is a problem with the above description of the circuit. All leads except pink are grounded @ rest-not neutral. So flipping the switches removes a ground lead and applies power. So for example, on the RH switch, at rest the blue w/white wire is grounded as is the tan wire. When the switch is depressed, tan stays grounded but now pink applies power to the blue w/white wire.

ALL leads except pink are grounded through the LH switch-the black lead travels through the loom and grounded at the common grounding buss-bar behind the dash. If you need new color coded pigtails and/or wish to upgrade to a relay triggered system I’ve got everything on hand.
 

83WOT

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1500
Engine Size
350 SBC
Thank you guys for educating me on how these work. I've been pondering all week on what it could be (normally don't have time to tinker until the weekend). I have theorized, and this info backs it up, that there is probably some exposed wired in the door hinge area. I've had newer vehicle develop a short by just normal operation of opening and closing the driver door. Both switches are new, I'll update what I find once I track it down.

thanks again!
 

83WOT

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CENTRAL TEXAS
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1500
Engine Size
350 SBC
so yeah... switch was wired wrong. I don't know why I didn't see it before but tonight I was studying the diagram above and just thinking how it doesn't make sense to have full power on (up) just by plugging in the switch. I went out to the garage and spent 5 minutes switching the wires around and BINGO. I'm sure this is considered a family friendly forum so I'll refrain from any explitives but dang.. well I really see the value of electric screw drivers now lol.
Well if anyone has a strange problem with windows going up or down without using the switch after doing some tinkering or maybe picking up a project from someone else, check your wiring to the switch, then double and triple check them.
 

gmachinz

Harnessworx Inc
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Jabin
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K10
Engine Size
350
Lol-you never know what previous owners were thinking when it comes to electrical “mods”
 

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