'97 Taurus Wagon GL (3.0): Power Window Just Quit

Fully opened driver's power window while cruising along today and now it won't go back up!

I hate power windows! You know this day is coming. Just have to hope the window doesn't fail during bad weather.

Other windows still working fine. All motors are original. Car has 143k miles on it. Only noticeable clues: pressing the top half of the rocker switch (UP) does nothing. No sounds inside door, nothing. Pressing bottom half of switch ("AUTO"/Down) produces a "clicking" noise under the dash which appears to be coming from the fuse block. No such "clicking" appears to be audible when the other windows are opened and closed. The cover of the fuse block shows a "Driver Window Relay". Also, the switch for the inoperable window makes a noise that the other three switches on the panel don't make. It's a very short, tight, "boing" vibrational sound. Maybe it's just a broken switch? Problem is, the door panel has to come off regardless, according to the Ford Manual, because the panel is pretty much a single molded piece (unlike a GM panel where the handle comes off separately with the switch panel attached to it).

Any ideas or insights? I'm going to start pulling the door panel off as soon as I finish typing this.

Pulled the door panel off. What a pain in the ###! Why don't they just screw the damn thing on instead of using those stupid plastic pushpins! There's GOT to be a way they could do that and still make it look decent. Unfortunately, all the pushpins came off intact, but the door panel cracked where two of the pins attach along the top. Probably won't hold tight to the door now (and a new panel is probably $500!). Anyway, got the switch cluster out. The two plugs that go into the back of it took me about an hour to pull out! It was like they were welded in there - even with the release pin depressed! Ran out of daylight so I just taped plastic over the window. One thing I DID try was to connect a wire from the "B+" (hot?) socket to the "UP" socket and a 2nd wire from the "ground" socket to the metal door. When I turned the key for power, the clicking noise under the dash was like a machine gun! So I guess it was the equivalent of repeatedly pressing the window button, except before there WAS no click sound when I pressed the UP button. The click only occurred when I pressed DOWN.

Does this mean it's probably going to be the motor?

Since you have the switch cluster out, you can now check for voltage leaving the switch and heading to the motor if you have a test light or voltmeter (preferred).

Backprobe the wires going to the window motor and check for voltage when pressing the switch up. The wires you want to be monitoring are the orange/white wire as the the white/black wire. If using a voltmeter, you should see the polarity reverse when you press the switch to the down postion. If you do, then chances are pretty good the problem is the motor. However, if the voltage to the motor drops significantly below battery voltage momentarily, then your problem may be a seized window regulator or poor connection.

-Rod

I got +14volts, -14volts, and 0volts depending on the switch position. I had the probes inside the plug that goes into the bottom of the motor (which is after the switch). So this proves the switch is OK (plus, it passed a continuity test while disconnected from the car).

Yanked the motor out tonight. Might give it a quick out-of-car test before replacement, but it really seems like this is the problem. With the motor removed, I was able to manually push the window fully UP effortlessly. Regulator linkage is apparently OK. I duct taped the window in the fully UP position for now...

A bench test of the motor would be worthwhile. If the motor appears to work on the bench, perform your same voltage measurement test, but at the wires that connect to the motor instead of at the switch. If there is voltage there, then you need to determine if you have a weak motor that draws excess current under load, a bad ground, or a corroded connector somewhere that is limiting the current capability of the circuit.

-Rod

Was just about to head down to the dealer to pick up the new motor when I decided to plug the old motor in and see if it worked under no load:

It worked fine - both directions.

So now I'm not sure WHAT to do. I guess I'll shove it back inside the door and give it a load test again. Maybe shaking it or dropping it (once) dislodged some binding inside the motor. Or maybe there IS a problem with the regulator (possibly at the gear that meshes with the motor). Or maybe it's a current problem like you mentioned. If it moves the window, I'll leave it in there and continue to drive the car around with no panel and the wires hanging on the door until it fails again (probably won't be long). If it doesn't move the window, it's history.

If you use the window quite a bit, the brushes in the window motor could be worn and, just like you suggested, the jostling of removing, dropping, and bench testing could have repositioned the brushes enough to get a few more operations out of it.

When you reinstall, watch the window regulator assembly for any twisting, moving, or binding while trying to operate the motor. You certainly want to be sure the motor is the problem before replacing it. Well, actually, you may get the regulator and motor as an assembly from the dealer, in which case it should solve the problem (unless wiring issues are the problem).

-Rod

I'm hoping the regulator is OK. After the motor came out the window went up without any problem - could've pushed it up with my pinky finger (wonder if it's counter-weighted in there).

You're right, though - I need to make absolutely sure it's the motor. The new one is going to run $91+tax. And I also need to make sure the regulator isn't warped in any way such that it'll blow the new motor! Getting tired of driving around with no door panel and the wires and switch cluster hanging on the door. My foot keeps kicking the cluster every time I get in and out. Also tired of reaching down toward the bottom of the door and turning the switch cluster to open/close the other windows (all of which are working fine - even after the car is shut off ... something that I had thought was broken)...

Powered the motor again outside the door, this time via independent AC-to-DC source and motor worked fine in both directions. So I reinstalled the motor inside the door, and - you guessed it - the window is working fine in both directions!

Going to drive like this for a while with the panel off until the motor fails again. Then I'll reach inside the door cavity and rap it with a screwdriver handle to see if it starts running again. This will prove (to me, at least) that it's the motor...

You do realize the window won't act up again until you decide it must have been a bad connection and re-install the door panel again, right? Then, within 3 days, it will fail. :)

-Rod