Power window roll down with doors off the truck??

[RodneyKessler]

I have doors off a 91 suburban. Power windows. I’m trying to remove the door panels but with the windows rolled up it seems impossible without tearing up the panels. I tried hooking up a battery and operating the switches. Tried bypassing the switch as well with no luck. I figure there is something simple I’m missing. Thanks for any help on this

 

[gmachinz]

which door specifically?

 

[Honky Kong jr]

I don’t see a correlation between the 2 or am I missing something?

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

I don’t see a correlation between the 2 or am I missing something?

I didn't either, but I didn't want to be the new console expert. If it's not coming loose, it's because something's is still bolted on, and when everything's removed, you just tap the door panel upward with your hand.

 

[74 Shortbed]

Well, when I changed the motor in Big Red I couldn't get the panel to pop off with the window up, took forever to get the glass down but when it was down it popped right off, after replacing the motor I had the glass all the way up and I tried to put the panel on and no way in hell would it go on, dropped the glass and the panel dropped right in, maybe it was coincidence but I'm thinking that being that old the rubber deal is not pliable anymore and jammed against the glass would make it hard to get the panel off or back on, also corrosion back there don't help, I smeared a film of grease on the back side before I put it back on, and with the glass down it just dripped right into place..

 

[bucket]

It can be a real bitch getting the panel popped loose from the top of the door with the window rolled up. The glass takes up the space you need to get the barbs to let go.

When the panel isn't a bitch to take off, it's likely already been removed a time it two.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Didn't know the two could be correlated, but that makes sense!

 

[Snoots]

The trolley (what the glass sits in) will press against the door panel when the glass is up. You don't need to have it all the way down to remove the panel, just an inch or 2. bucket is right. It can be done but is really a b*tch and you can damage the panel. You need to make a ground connection to the door then apply 12vdc to the window motor. One side up, the other down. I don't know which color wire.

 

[RodneyKessler]

Thanks. I kinda have a plan. Just didn’t think rolling the dang power windows down was gonna be such a pain. I had a guy tell me you can pop those off with the window up but he must have a truck. I have wore myself out trying. Thanks fellas.

 

[chengny]

Thanks. I kinda have a plan. Just didn’t think rolling the dang power windows down was gonna be such a pain. I had a guy tell me you can pop those off with the window up but he must have a truck. I have wore myself out trying. Thanks fellas.

This is a fairly involved circuit and would take some time to explain properly. But I think I can help you get all of them rolled down using a battery (or battery charger), in a few minutes - if you are interested.

The key to your problem is, that when installed in the vehicle - the only path to ground for all the motors in the entire circuit is via the drivers side master switch. To complicate matters further, the ground path and remote power (supplied from the driver's master switch) are alternately provided on either of two leads. Direction of current flow (and motor operation) depends on whether he selects the up or down mode.

But, in the end, all that really matters is that since your wiring harness is currently broken up into the five individual sections and not installed, the system is not grounded.

Quickly stated, there are three pins at each motor's harness plug. To run the motors you will only need to supply them with power from the test battery's positive and a ground connection back to the negative side of the battery.

Supply power to the motor you want to operate via the pink lead at the end of the associated harness plug. That pink lead is the local power supply (i.e. the one that the passengers can always use). When using the local power supply (the pink), one of the other two pins will become the ground - depending on position of the local switch (up/down). To simplify things, I would suggest that you connect a jumper to each pin, splice them together and then run that common wire over to your test battery.

Using the left rear window as an example:

Pink lead is hot to the switch. Supply it with 12VDC at the harness connector. As stated above, either of the other two leads can provide the ground leg (depending on whether up/down operation is selected by the operator). Unless you want to spend the time to read the diagrams below - and truly understand the circuit - it might be easier to just splice both of the possible ground legs together and run a common wire to the battery negative.

When your battery to harness plug jumpers are wired up, all you have to do is toggle the window switch down. If the motor/switch - and the wiring inside the door - are all working as designed...the glass will come down.

Do all the slave windows first. And if you need help with dropping the master window, come back and someone will help you.

Simplified diagram of the test battery connected to the LR window:

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The complete 4DR PW circuit:

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Physical layout of the wiring for a 4DR system:

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Link to a previous in-depth discussion on a similar situation with a 1986 4-door:

http://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/ultra-low-voltage-at-power-window-breaker.10878/