Ok - long story short. Bought a 98 ranger a few weeks back with power windows. Was just driving around and my passenger side window died (I was putting both passenger and driver's side windows down at the same time). The driver's side window has issues but still works. It goes up and down in a very jerky manner. The passenger side was OK but it is now completely dead (and DOWN!). Looked under the hood in the fuse/ relay box. The previous owner had conveniently JUMPED OUT the main 20A fuse for the power windows (apparently this is not the first time this has happened!) and the contacts look a bit charred!

Questions. How do you close a power window manually?
What are the components of the power window system and where are they located? I know that there is probably a relay(s) somewhere - would each side have their own relay (and where are they located?). That's the first thing I need to check. Beyond that I assume I am going to have to take off the door panel to see what is going on with the lift motor (if it's getting power or not).

Thanks in advance!

Eric

 

My passengers side switch went bad on my 99 with the same results. I discovered if I unpluged the ps switch and plugged it back in without touching it the ps window would work with the ds switch. If I touched the ps switch it would quit again.
John

 

The biggest killer of power windows is dirt in the window guides. Over time it loads the motors causing them to eventually fail. Once the motor dies, and it usually does in the down position, is to pull the window regulator from the window cam channels and push the window glass up and find some way to lock it in place until you can replace the motor. Be careful replacing the motor as some are under spring tension in the regulator and unbolting the motor without locking the regulator arms can cause injury.

To clean the window guides I use Silicone spray lube...lots of it down the window guides running the windows up and down a few times and more lube. You should also put some light grease in the regulator cam rollers and channels.

 

Thanks for the replies. I definitely have some work to do on the driver's side with it sticking the way it does. I'll try lubricating that track. The passenger side switch mysteriously started working again! Not sure why. Guess I'll have to keep an eye on it or perhaps pull the switches and hit them with electrical contact cleaner!

Eric

 

It may be a loose connector on the motor or a bad switch. You can pull the switch connectors and lightly sand the terminals with 400 grit paper and then roll a small piece up and push it down in the connecter. You might also try bending them a little to put more pressure on the switch terminals. Also take a look at the connector at the motor for signs of corrosion.

Also would be a good idea to put a little die-electric or in a pinch vasoline on the electrical connectors just in case...

 

Luckily, my passenger side window on my 2003 Edge only had a bad switch. It stopped rolling up from the passenger side, but from the driver side was fine. $32 later I got it working again.

 

Luckily for you, I have an entire working passenger's side door from the Explorer sitting in my garage, waiting to be parted out. If it's just the rails, some rail grease will do fine. If it's something electrical, I've got you covered.

 

also check to see what the resistance of the motor and wires. check each wire. they should be all below 5ohms. But when checking do so with one end to the other IE yellow red from the driverside to the passenger side. If you have infinate or high resistance there may be somthing wrong with the wire. check those to ground and see if there is a low resistance {all but grounds} if there is: there is a short.

Hope this helps.