81 power window problem
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Cruising
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 12
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81 power window problem
Driving the other day, I put down my driver's side power window. I didn't put it straight down. I put it down about a 1/3 of the way. I then tried to put it back up again. It wouldn't go back up, so I put it down a little more. Seemed to work going down. Then tried to put it up again....no go. So I put it down a little more and it worked fine going down. Tried to go up agin and no go. Put it down all the way and it worked fine going down again. Would not go back up at all.
Any suggestions? Any help? Switch? Lose wire?
Any suggestions? Any help? Switch? Lose wire?
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 12,634
Likes: 15
From: IL, Chicago area.
St. Jude Donor '14-'15-'16
Driving the other day, I put down my driver's side power window. I didn't put it straight down. I put it down about a 1/3 of the way. I then tried to put it back up again. It wouldn't go back up, so I put it down a little more. Seemed to work going down. Then tried to put it up again....no go. So I put it down a little more and it worked fine going down. Tried to go up agin and no go. Put it down all the way and it worked fine going down again. Would not go back up at all.
Any suggestions? Any help? Switch? Lose wire?
Any suggestions? Any help? Switch? Lose wire?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,639
Likes: 3,102
From: Shamong, NJ
Probably the switch, but it could be the motor, too. Pull the carpeted, console side panel off, and see if you can unplug the pigtail form the switch. If you have a battery from an electric drill, make 2 jumper wires and attach them to the terminals on the battery. The pigtail will have 3 contacts. Put the 2 jumper wires, in different combinations, into the 3 contact holes, to see if the window will go back up. If it works, then you have a bad switch. If it doesn't, then the motor is probably too weak to lift the window, and will need to be replaced.
To get the carpeted side panel off, there will be 3 phillips head screws, "hidden" in the carpet. You'll have to look around in the carpet, to locate them. Any battery powered electric tool battery (18V, 19.2V, etc.) will work to raise or lower a power window, and won't hurt anything.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,850
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
My bet is the switch has a tit burned on it. A quick test would be to jump the connector and see if the window goes up. If it does then remove the switch and either purchase a new one or rebuild the old one...
Rebuilding the original switch is pretty simple too..
If you look a the bottom of the switch you'll see where the cast metal is punched or staked inward on both sides. This stake is what holds the board and switch together. If you us a pair of pliers you can straighten this out and the board inside will come out.
Once out, look at the contact points... if they are burned, file them flat again and re-install. When you go back together stake the sides. If part of the side broke away when you straightened it out stake it in a different place.
Willcox
Rebuilding the original switch is pretty simple too..
If you look a the bottom of the switch you'll see where the cast metal is punched or staked inward on both sides. This stake is what holds the board and switch together. If you us a pair of pliers you can straighten this out and the board inside will come out.
Once out, look at the contact points... if they are burned, file them flat again and re-install. When you go back together stake the sides. If part of the side broke away when you straightened it out stake it in a different place.
Willcox
