Electrical Gurus - Power Window and Lock issues

[Greenlee]

I posted this a few days ago, but I think my post was so unclear I may as well start over.

I am finishing up the restoration of my 87’ chevy. I used the wiring harness from an 89’ Suburban for the TBI, computer and just about everything else. Everything has been easy, plug and play, until I got to the windows and locks. Where the door harness split off to go to the rear doors, I just cut it off thinking the front doors are independent from the rear doors. For the driver door, I plugged a driver door harness from a truck into the Suburban harness because the Suburban door harness had a gang of 4 window switches and the truck only has 2 window switches.

My symptoms are as follows:

1) Both windows work from the driver side switch, but the passenger side window goes down when you push the button up and it goes up when you push the button down. The switches are ganged together and it only plugs in one way, so the switch is not upside down. I tried two different switches and they behave the same way. I checked the wires going to the motors and they are plugged in the right way. The passenger side motor was a rebuild I believe, so I guess it’s possible some wire were crossed inside when it was rebuilt???

2) None of the switches work on the passenger side. I have tried two different passenger side window switches and various lock switches. Chances are at least some of my used switches are good.

The mess of wires going to the rear doors has a few that are the same colors. I am beginning to think the wires must return from the rear to the front, and I have cut a link in the chain that operates the switches. I have a wiring diagram, but not sure I’m smart enough to read the darn thing. It looks like a tan wire runs between all the switches and there are two tan wires in the ones that I cut going to the rear.

I am wondering if I need to start over with a wire harness from a 2 door, or if I can piece this one back together? Or maybe I have some other problem? Even if I broke a link between the switches, it doesn’t seem like that would cause the passenger window to operate backwards. Below is a picture of the wiring diagram.

I hope someone smarter than I am about this stuff can help me figure this out! I looked at buying a multimeter at Autozone to see if I can test some wires, but that looks more complicated than the wiring diagram.

Thanks

[mrhino]

Im not sure I can help you but, I just converted mine to power windows and locks. Mine didnt run backwards or anything but. when i first wired them I couldn't figure out why only my driver side window would work. it wasn't till all the switch were plugged in before it would work. With that said, I'm thinking they all tied in together. cut the harness may be your problem.

[brothers69c-10]

Just to trouble shoot, do you still have the door harness from the suburban? I'm wondering that although the connectors look the same in your drivers door, if some of the wires in the connectors go to different places or are in different locations.

[motornut]

my 87 burb had power locks and crank windows
plugs and colours were the same, just different spots in the plug

i found two close shots
87 no
88 unplugged
89 plugged in...may help

[Greenlee]

I'm getting close on this. I swear the widows and locks have been the biggest pain of this rebuild!

I replaced the Suburban harness with a truck harness and that fixed most of my problems. I figured out the lock relays apparently need to be screwed to the body for a ground, because I screwed the bracket down and the locks started working. I also had to replace both lock switches. I had a mess of old switches but none of them worked in both directions. I guess after 30 years they wear out.

My last problem is the passenger side window switch. It only works in one direction. Sometimes it only moves the window up, other times it only moves the window down. It's not the switch. I have a new switch, and several used switches and they all behave the same way. Any one have any ideas? I figure I must have a bad wire somewhere, but I'm not sure how to test it.
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[1981Stepside]

Does the pass. window work in reverse from the drivers side gang switch?
I read on another power window post that some replacement window motors (forgot which years) have the motor windings in the opposite direction so the wiring is reversed on the plug. As far as the intermittent operation, unplug the harness from the window motor and try using a multimeter (or at least a test light) to see if you're getting voltage on the harness. If so, it's the motor that's gone sour. If not, start tracing backwards up the wiring in the door to the switch.
Are you popping fuses?

[wraprail]

Originally Posted by Greenlee

I'm getting close on this. I swear the widows and locks have been the biggest pain of this rebuild!

I replaced the Suburban harness with a truck harness and that fixed most of my problems. I figured out the lock relays apparently need to be screwed to the body for a ground, because I screwed the bracket down and the locks started working. I also had to replace both lock switches. I had a mess of old switches but none of them worked in both directions. I guess after 30 years they wear out.

My last problem is the passenger side window switch. It only works in one direction. Sometimes it only moves the window up, other times it only moves the window down. It's not the switch. I have a new switch, and several used switches and they all behave the same way. Any one have any ideas? I figure I must have a bad wire somewhere, but I'm not sure how to test it.
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I'm just suprised you still haven't fixed it after 4 months but lets give it a try..

Now the passenger window switch only works in one direction BUT...

sometimes it only moves up and other times it only moves down???

Up and Down.....TWO directions?

Hmmm....

I'm gona guess that if you replaced the window harness with a 2 door truck harness and you did not cut it up or molest it in any way, The wiring is not your problem. If not cut they rarely go bad.

Fugure which way they work and maybe we can help.

[Greenlee]

Ha,ha. I haven't worked on the windows continuously for 4 months. The truck was taken down to the frame and I have been putting her back together. When I get frustrated with something like the windows, I move on to another project like the bed for a while. here is my build thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=425848

The passenger window goes up and down like it is supposed to from the driver switch. From the passenger switch it will only goes one direction at a time. Last weekend I was messing with it and it would only go up. Yesterday I was trying out my brand new switch and it would only go down. I'm not sure what I'm doing that changes the direction.
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[wraprail]

Originally Posted by Greenlee

Ha,ha. I haven't worked on the windows continuously for 4 months. The truck was taken down to the frame and I have been putting her back together. When I get frustrated with something like the windows, I move on to another project like the bed for a while. here is my build thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=425848

The passenger window goes up and down like it is supposed to from the driver switch. From the passenger switch it will only goes one direction at a time. Last weekend I was messing with it and it would only go up. Yesterday I was trying out my brand new switch and it would only go down. I'm not sure what I'm doing that changes the direction.
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I'm thinking it SHOULD only go one direction at a time.
Both directions, same time....Danger!


So that's it then.

Problem fixed!

lol ....

Seriously though, did you replace the driver side window switch?

[Greenlee]

I didn't change the driver side switch because it seems to be working. I may have another used one laying around that I can try to test that theory.

My suspicion is that it's one of the connections in the plastic piece that the passenger switch plugs in to. I have tried wiggling each of those wires around while pressing the switch. I was hoping some one on here may have dealt with this and could tell me which wire might be the problem.

This is an unmolested factory harness.
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[Greenlee]

I replaced the connector that the window switch plugs into in the picture below with another used one that I had. I crimped and soldiered the wires and covered them with heat shrink. I figured this had to be the problem as I have a new switch, new window motor and I can't see any other obvious problems with the wiring. I also read some other threads on here where this was the culprit. I got it all back together and tested the window, and unfortunately it behaves exactly like if did before!

The passenger side switch only moves the window in one direction at a time. It goes up and down fine from the driver side switch. When I cycle the passenger window up and down from the driver side, it changes the direction that it will operate from the passenger side switch. For example, if I start out with the passenger switch only moving the window up and I cycle it up and down from the driver side switch; the passenger side switch will change to only moving the window down and not up.

Anyone got any ideas? This is about to drive me insane! I'm running out of things that I can blindly change. I have the wiring diagram posted above. It looks like the tan wire would be the culprit, but I suck at reading wiring diagrams.

The driver side switch is used. Since it's working from the driver side you wouldn't think this would be the problem, but one thing I have learned is all the windows seem to be dependent on each other to work properly.

I am starting think I might have a broken wire where the door opens and closes. Apparently, that's another common problem.