On my '99 Ranger the passenger window stopped going up with the passenger switch, but it still went down with the passenger switch and I could put it up from the driver's side, so I just lived with it. But today I decided to see if I could fix it. I assumed it was a bad switch, but when I tested the passenger switch with my meter it looked good. So I started checking the wires. It looks like the white/yellow and the tan/blue in the opposite corner of the switch harness are grounds because when I set my meter to ohms and touch one probe to the wire and the other to a good chassis ground, I get a reading of 0 on the white/yellow and 3 on the tan/blue. So I figure the tan/blue wire has issues.

Next, I take a piece of wire and splice into the tan/blue and run it to a chassis bolt. Now I can put the window up and down using the passenger side switch! BUT the driver's side master switch no longer controls the passenger window. Why?

Also, is running that tan/blue from the passenger wiring harness to a chassis bolt safe? It seems to work fine and isn't blowing a fuse.

Edit:
I just saw this and now I'm wondering if the driver's side switch might be the problem ...
https://www.ranger-forums.com/genera...l-down-150170/

 

white/yellow and the tan/blue wires run to drivers door switch, yes they are the grounds for passenger side switch

So in removing the tan wire from drivers door, you took that switch out of the "loop"

There is a light blue/black wire at each door switch, that's 12volts from window relay and fuse

Drivers door has ALL the grounds, its switch will have a black wire that is grounded just inside the drivers kick panel
white/yellow and the tan/blue wires carry the grounds for up and down from drivers switch over to passenger switch
This is how the drivers side switch controls the passenger window

So your problem is in the drivers side white/yellow and the tan/blue wires most likely, could be one of these wires is broken but might be the switch as well


And no, grounding the tan wire won't hurt anything, it should have already been a ground in drivers door

 

Thanks, Ron!
Sounds like the next things I need to check are the grounds on the driver's side and the switch in the driver's master. I don't think I have any broken wires since I get an ohms reading on the two grounds at the passenger switch (0 and 3), but I may have some corrosion.

 

Just one ground for the system, at drivers door switch, and its OK if drivers door window works

But the driver door switch shares the ground internally with passenger side switch

Diagram of 1998 below, same as 1999

 

Today, both my windows stopped working. I pulled the driver's-side door panel and checked for broken wires in the door and between the door and frame; everything looks good.

I then checked the power at the switch and it's 10.7V. When I back probe the motor harness while pressing the switch, I get 10.7V on the black and white wire (up) and ~8V on the red wire (down). Shouldn't they all read 12V?

(If I hit the motor with jumper cables from the battery--12.6V, it goes up and down fine.)

 

It should be battery voltage so 12.6v if thats what your battery reads

Read the diagram
The light blue/black stripe wire should have 12.6 volts, if not then fuse or accessory relay is reducing voltage

Also the GROUND you use to test voltage is important
The Driver switch has a Black wire as the ground, which runs into cab and is grounded by E-brake pedal

If you are using door metal as the ground then you would read lower voltage as the door is not grounded

 

I used the black wire and I tried the ground bolt behind the kick panel. Both gave 10.7V.

So what should I look for regarding fuses or the accessory relay? (I thought fuses were either good or bad. How would a working fuse lower the voltage.)

 

I just checked the #4 fuse (20A) under the hood and it's blown! I'm shocked that I got any power, but I obviously was getting 10.7A. So I sort of found the problem, but I know replacing this fuse may not be a true fix since something caused it to blow. I wonder if I could replace it with a 30A or 40A fuse and avoid it blowing.

 

No, use the 20amp fuse

A fuse is rated for the WIRE SIZE it is feeding, wire size(gauge) is set by the amps the device it is connected to will use

A fuse is just a smaller wire size made in a way that can melt(blow) if heated up by too many amps, and not start a fire

If you put in a larger fuse then the WIRE becomes the fuse, and it can heat up and melt(blow) but not in a good way, lol, it can take several other near by wires with it, and then you have a real mess

You most likely have a bad motor or bad switch, if its a shorted wire new fuse will blow as soon as you install it, the 20amp is live all the time, not a key on circuit
Its possible the the wires that run from kick panel to the door have rubbed thru, inside the rubber boot, they should be taped tight so they can't rub but.............

 

I just wrapped extra electrical tape around the wires on both the door side and the cab side and I replaced the fuse. Everything is working so we'll see if it lasts.

Thanks for taking the time to give me advice. I really appreciate it!