The driver’s side power window switches all failed at once. The individual window switches all work. The fuses are fine. I replaced the device that all four toggle switches feed into, and that did not fix the problem. Looking at the general Chilton’s electrical diagram does not even show the power window circuit. I cannot figure out where the failure could be that would affect all the driver side switches but none of the others except for the two places I have already dealt with. Does anyone have any suggestions?
What kind of car is it? What year, etc.? This would help out a lot. If you have a new car, check out your warranty. You seem to have eliminated a lot already. Once again, if you have more details, it would help a lot.
Sorry, I thought that things would generally be the same across makes and models. Specifically, it is a 1989 Chevy Suburban.
Check the ground on the master module. For a quick check, you could just get a short wire and ground it to whatevers handy. If you’ve got a Chilton’s I’m guessing you have a multimeter. Blow the dust off and check the hot too, it’s not as promising as a bad ground, but still a posibility.
Have you tried to see if the power window motor is working correctly? There are also wires…maybe one of them is broken. It should actually be pretty easy, as I have had this happen to me before. You could easily check the wiring by undoing panels, etc. But be careful. Causing more damage would be pretty easy if you are not a good car fixer upper. A lot of good mechanics would give free estimates, but do not feel pressured. Get at least two different ones to look at it and tell you what they think. If they both differ in their opinion I would try a third and get it in writing before you allow them to fix it. It sounds confusing since they all work individually, which should eliminate the motor. If I was to tear it apart for you, going with what I know, I would start with the simple wiring, especially since you say everything else works and you did what you did already.
Sounds like NurseCarmen is closest. The groung from the drivers unit is failing, and thus the switches from that unit are too.
The windows work from other locs, so go to the source of the problem and check the ground (because the ground would cause all buttons on the driver control to fail simultaneously)
I know that three of the four windows have working motors. Since they stopped working simulateously, and all the others work, I assume the drivers side motor really works too. I assume the master module is the thing I replaced. It has a wire harness that plugs into it. I checked every wire and it does seem to have a functional ground.
Check the Hanes manual for the same model as well, The have the wiring diagram in the back. They might also introduce a tact you haven’t explored. Did the box the module came in have a diagram? You say all the other windows work individully, does this include the drivers window? If this is the case, then it’s something with the throughput - I still thinks it’s a bad ground - but it could actually be a bad ground on one of the other doors!
:smack: I must read more carefully, you already said 3 of 4 work. I just keep on running into a ground. There’s a slim possibility you got a bad replacement module.
I can only assume the replacement module works. I got it from a junkyard and therefore couldn’t test it. Of course it has no manual.
And no, the drivers side window does not work at all. Unfortunately, this is the only window I really care about, being used for drive through fast food and such.
I would also suggest that you dust off the multimeter and start checking for power at the driver’s door switch. I know you said the fuses are good, but the harness to the door flexes everytime the the door opens. Over time this can cause the wiring to fail.
I had a 1965 Bonneville with power windows that would stop working intermittently. I couldn’t find anything wrong with them and of their own accord they’d start working again later on.
As with yours (dauerbach’s), I could control the window in question through the switch on that door itself, just not through the driver’s side master-control switchset.
Could never find a frazzled or loose connection. (We finally posited the existence of prankster-installed timed circuit breakers in obscure parts of the wiring harness)
Does the vehicle have an amp gauge? Does it peg when you hit the nonworking window button?
In both my 1989 Mustang and 1995 ford Taurus, the windows quit working from the driver’s panel. I found that over time the switches get dirty and if dirty enough, the contacts no longer “contact” and the other windows fail to operate.
A little Windex and a paper towel did the trick in both cases.