Power Window losing its Mojo & Posstibly trying to Sever my Fingers

[May_Chile]

Hi hi! I'm back although this issue isn't as annoying as the rogue radiator fan to which I threw down $200+ for in the shop for a new temp sensor, problem wasn't fixed [as well as the wrong sensor replaced and no..the shop of course wouldn't own up to their mistake], and it turns out I simply needed a new relay -_______-

Car: 1996 Mercury Mystique LS 2.5L V6 Engine

Anyway: so my power window[s] are the issue now. First it was the driver only, now it's the passenger. I can press for the driver side to go down and sometimes it will hesitate, finally going down; it's going UP that's the problem. If I try to stop the window halfway through going down, it'll shoot up, pause, then shoot ALL the way down and not move. I can clearly hear a motor or something clicking when I press for it to go up..but it refuses. Sometimes, I have to use my fingers or pliers to grab the window and try to force it up. The passenger window isn't as psychotic as the driver side. That one just refuses to go down or refuses to go up. It won't shoot back and forth at top speed like my drivers side. Either way, there's an issue. My rear windows move like molasses. I can play a full Conway Twitty song in my head [thanks to Family Guy] before they go down. Now there are rare occasions [like this past summer] where my driver window was working perfectly..now it seems to be deteriorating. It's gotten stuck all the way down before in this cold weather and it's freezing here on the East Coast :/

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Obviously, the title should read "Possibly" not "Posstibly".

[jdmccright]

Sounds like the sliding tracks that the window rides on (called the regulator) are old and the grease that is used to lubricate the track is gone, all dried up, or the track has simply worn out from use. The window usually has a plastic piece that rides in the track and this wears out, causing it to hang up and turn crooked in the track.

For the fronts, you'll probably need new regulators since they are used the most. New ones run in the $40-50 range with motor and your car is very popular so finding new ones should be easy...or good used ones from a junkyard for less.

The rear regulators might be salvageable by cleaning the old dried grease out and smearing some new all-purpose grease in there. If you have to scrape it out, use plastic scrapers and carb cleaner. This is best done with them removed from the door, so mark where the window sits in the plastic rider before removing it.

When reinstalled correctly, the windows should slide straight up and down without wobbling in the track or turning crooked. If so, this means the window isn't balanced and needs to be repositioned in the rider bracket.

Good luck!

[May_Chile]

Thanks for the reply!
So it's not possible for the issue to be the power switch since it's both front windows that are an issue? I'm more concerned about the driver side since, well I'm the driver, but it's both windows. Even trying to put down the passenger window by using the passenger-side switch won't work.

This also might be irrelevant, but the locks have been acting up once in a while too--like I'll have to continually press them for them to obey [particularly to unlock]. Idk if all of that is connected electrically or not..

[jdmccright]

Oops, I completely forgot to respond about the "killer" window part.

It could be the driver's door switch assembly, but it is more likely to be the wiring harness that goes through the door to the body. Over time and many, many door openings and closings, the section of the harness that is at the hinge points becomes fatigued and the wires start to break inside. You'll get intermittent contact or maybe even cross-contact. If you operate the window and move the door at the same time, you might get it to work...sometimes rolling that section of the harness between your fingers helps, too.

[May_Chile]

okay, so wiring harness & regulator? or simply one or the other. I'll get [whichever] part installed by Saturday :l