Electrical?

[TripsDad]

My 2001 Windstar SEL was sold to me with the knowledge that the driver side sliding door did not always open but now its all of them( except the liftgate-locks/unlocks and opens everytime). The front passenger door unlocks 25% of the time and the passenger sliding door even less. The driver side sliding door actually unlocks about 50% of the time but there is no black knob coming up through the door on that one. Windows- passenger front 100%,passenger rear 20%, driver rear 40%, and driver front 5%- stuck down now in the storm. I can not afford to just throw money at it and would appreciate all suggestions.

[12Ounce]

I personally think you will enjoy "Windstar life" much better you go ahead and anti-up for only the elect diagram book, if not the whole shop set, for the 2001. Bet sure to get the real-deal from Helminc or books4cars.

[tripletdaddy]

Some of your problems kind of sound like the sliding doors aren't getting good electrical contact at the multi pin contact from the door to the column, if you even have that. Earlier models have that and is a common problem. You should do a search on this within the Windstar forum for other's experience on this. I use brake or electrical cleaner and a good rubbing of the flat contacts and the best I can do on the spring loaded pins. Others say WD 40 works. Do all of the doors open from the inside ok, locked and unlocked? That should be all mechanical, whereas, the electrical locks are operated by a solenoid motor. If I'm not mistaken with the earlier models, all of the windows and door locks have their power pass through the controls on the driver's door before going to the other lock and window controls and the locks and windows themselves. You may have dirty contacts in the main driverr's controller. If you have problems operating all of the controls about equally, the ground wire to the controls maybe somehow compromised. It may be frayed inside the rubber boot between the door and the body. Wiggling it while trying to operate things will give away if it's bad there. It may also be coming loose somewhere. You will at the very least need a test light or a voltmeter to test things for ground, power, switching on and off. If yours is like mine, there aren't any relays for the windows and the door locks for you to investigate with the exception of the automatic window down module on the driver's window, which has absolutely nothing to do with your described problems. Boy, you've got a real head banger. Sorry.

BTW, what does TripsDad mean? Do you take your kids on a lot of trips? Mine means I got too many kids at one time!

[TripsDad]

Well triplettdaddy my user name is for the same thing. Twelve years since my last child and I got blessed with not just one but three. Surprised to say the least. As far as the Windstar goes there are no handles to open the sliding doors from inside, just buttons. The front passenger door I open from inside with handle after getting in and the drivers door I unlock with key. Now the sliding doors when I do get them open usually involves repeatedly pressing unlock on drivers door switch and alternating pressing open on overhead switch for sliding doors. I have already sanded/cleaned contact areas for sliding doors and used contact cleaner on the connectors at drivers door switch. When I get home from work I will try to find and wiggle the wire that you described to see if that is a problem, thanks.

[tripletdaddy]

So how old and what sex are your trips? Mine are almost eight and all boys!?! Sigh.....

[12Ounce]

On the '99's side sliding doors, there is a switch at the rear of the opening that is important to the door closing/latching function. This switch is often missed because it is not as visible as the ones on the front of the door. Lubrication of the front plunger switches is important because all the plunger springs must be overcome as the door does its final closing ... very poor design feature, especially when two of the switches is for speakers, how important is that!

Don't know about your year model ... may be quite different.

[TripsDad]

The trips are 10months old and turning 1 on December 5th. Two girls and then my only son coming out last. Three sons sounds cool when I consider what I am going through with my 13 year old daughter thinking shes 21.