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2002 Taurus Power Window Problem
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Picking daisies to fix Taurus windows.
You can't know all have failed--and it would be a very unlikely event unless all were overloaded at the same time, both up and down.
You only know that the driver window switch Up function (or was it Down...doesn't really matter) is lost, indicating almost to a certainty that driver's window switch has "half failed" - which is really no different than "all failed. So you want to change out the driver's switch. But from where? The parts department or store?
The good news is that you will probably not have to buy 4 switches; or three; or two; or, perhaps, even one.
Let's assume only the driver switch is defective...because switch fail in one direction only indicates a switch failure in this case (had relay froze or breaker broke, then no UP or Down by any window. The question now is where to get a known good switch. Actually you have as many as 3 "suspected good" switches. So pulling one or all of those will provide a "stock" of "test" switches to try as the driver switch replacement. But let's be lazy and try to pull as few switches as possible.
Factor one: let us assume, for example, that the rear switches are the least used (depends on children or dog kids, and how they are harnessed, or not, I would suppose; so you could pick the passenger switch if you like - the idea being to use the "least-used-previously" switch...because you want the "new"/test driver switch (and circuit) to be the most reliable, and it would seem safe to say that the second most used switch (typically the front passenger switch) is closer to failure, whenever that might come to pass: could be minutes, could be many minutes.
Now, is the driver window fully functional with the "new," cannibalized switch? Yes? Okay, now you have eliminated the driver window switch fault (by introducing another fault - a missing switch fault - in one of the other windows that earlier appeared to (but almost certainly did not) fail. (Again, we hope that the now switch-less window is the least used window...why we will soon find out.
Okay, now, ignition switch On; set driver's master cut-off switch to "cut on", and try the other (two) window switches, starting with the next most frequently used after the driver window--usually the passenger window, the next in the daisy chain of window Up and window Down switches.
It's working now? Yes? No?
Okay, Yes (for real of let's pretend). Now go to that last (next to the last) window - you'll know it because it has a switch installed. It's working, too? Great! Now all we have is that non-failed, fully functional hole under the last un-recovered window. Now we have some decisions to make.
If we are in no hurry to give up $80 more or less, we can render that open hole non-open simply by plugging in the removed, faulty driver's switch - be sure to connect it to prevent accidental wire terminal contacts. Sure, the window doesn't work but, now, nobody will suspect just by looking at the arm rest. The only question now will be when to replace that switch, if ever. Some people like to have a back window that moves a little; some don't care. Some want to have at least two "backup" switches; for some just one is enough.
Summarizing, your only expense now is $80-90 or so (...assuming you to be a loyal Ford patron) for one switch; versus the $320-360, sans labor, you might have been preparing to spend to replace those four "bad" switches. So, by bringing three of your car's windows back to life, you actually saved a net $240-270! May I have my cut now? Oh, but wait.
What if that second (now no longer pretend) window switch that was tested (the first after driver switch replacement) had not worked. In that case, because current at the driver switch Up and Down circuits can't find a path when drawn by other switches, replacing the driver's master window cut-off switch, the only discrete component interruption in the two paths (window raise and window lower) to the other window switches should restore the switch-ability of power to those other window switches.
You can't know all have failed--and it would be a very unlikely event unless all were overloaded at the same time, both up and down.
You only know that the driver window switch Up function (or was it Down...doesn't really matter) is lost, indicating almost to a certainty that driver's window switch has "half failed" - which is really no different than "all failed. So you want to change out the driver's switch. But from where? The parts department or store?
The good news is that you will probably not have to buy 4 switches; or three; or two; or, perhaps, even one.
Let's assume only the driver switch is defective...because switch fail in one direction only indicates a switch failure in this case (had relay froze or breaker broke, then no UP or Down by any window. The question now is where to get a known good switch. Actually you have as many as 3 "suspected good" switches. So pulling one or all of those will provide a "stock" of "test" switches to try as the driver switch replacement. But let's be lazy and try to pull as few switches as possible.
Factor one: let us assume, for example, that the rear switches are the least used (depends on children or dog kids, and how they are harnessed, or not, I would suppose; so you could pick the passenger switch if you like - the idea being to use the "least-used-previously" switch...because you want the "new"/test driver switch (and circuit) to be the most reliable, and it would seem safe to say that the second most used switch (typically the front passenger switch) is closer to failure, whenever that might come to pass: could be minutes, could be many minutes.
Now, is the driver window fully functional with the "new," cannibalized switch? Yes? Okay, now you have eliminated the driver window switch fault (by introducing another fault - a missing switch fault - in one of the other windows that earlier appeared to (but almost certainly did not) fail. (Again, we hope that the now switch-less window is the least used window...why we will soon find out.
Okay, now, ignition switch On; set driver's master cut-off switch to "cut on", and try the other (two) window switches, starting with the next most frequently used after the driver window--usually the passenger window, the next in the daisy chain of window Up and window Down switches.
It's working now? Yes? No?
Okay, Yes (for real of let's pretend). Now go to that last (next to the last) window - you'll know it because it has a switch installed. It's working, too? Great! Now all we have is that non-failed, fully functional hole under the last un-recovered window. Now we have some decisions to make.
If we are in no hurry to give up $80 more or less, we can render that open hole non-open simply by plugging in the removed, faulty driver's switch - be sure to connect it to prevent accidental wire terminal contacts. Sure, the window doesn't work but, now, nobody will suspect just by looking at the arm rest. The only question now will be when to replace that switch, if ever. Some people like to have a back window that moves a little; some don't care. Some want to have at least two "backup" switches; for some just one is enough.
Summarizing, your only expense now is $80-90 or so (...assuming you to be a loyal Ford patron) for one switch; versus the $320-360, sans labor, you might have been preparing to spend to replace those four "bad" switches. So, by bringing three of your car's windows back to life, you actually saved a net $240-270! May I have my cut now? Oh, but wait.
What if that second (now no longer pretend) window switch that was tested (the first after driver switch replacement) had not worked. In that case, because current at the driver switch Up and Down circuits can't find a path when drawn by other switches, replacing the driver's master window cut-off switch, the only discrete component interruption in the two paths (window raise and window lower) to the other window switches should restore the switch-ability of power to those other window switches.
I will give my two cents to cover problems with 'WEIRD' power windows problems.
But first, let me say the most common problem with power windows with the Taurus and Sable is the wiring on the driver's side near the door hinge. It will be inside a black rubber boot right at the jam. The rubber boot will have a black cable TIE, that you need to cut and pull the boot down. Look at each wire and see if any are broken since it's a common problem.
However, for me and anyone that had the door panel removed in the past year, it's probably the connector to the 'master' switch. The Master switch are those 4 buttons on the driver's side that rolls up and down all windows. I will explain my problem but keep in mind yours will be different, but the solution is the same, "weird behavior." I could not roll up or down any window from the driver's side except the left rear. It worked fine. Now, going to each individual door, I could roll down the passenger window but could not roll it up. The right rear would roll down but not up. The left rear worked fine up and down, just like it did from the master switch. This problem occurred all at once.
I had removed the driver's door panel about a year ago and everything has been working fine since then. However, this time I removed the door panel and found that one of the connectors was loose. And of course, it was the one connected to the master switch. It snapped back in solid. While I'm usually meticulous with my work, maybe it didn't click in the last time I worked on it... we'll see if once the door panel is on something pressing against the plug release and the right bounce will cause it to disconnect.
So if you have a weird behavior where some work, some go up some go down or the reverse, check the master switch cable connector. If that is not it, then I would suspect a bad master switch. If still no joy go to the boot and check out the wires. From there I would check the relay under the dash, upper right one (for auto/up/down), and then the fuses. I think that convoluted order probably will get you to the solution faster than getting out the multimeter and checking voltages and connections. Also, keep in mind that some of the wiring, when it does go bad, creates a carbon path that the multimeter might measure a voltage but since the multimeter doesn't have much of a load it might be erroneous.
But first, let me say the most common problem with power windows with the Taurus and Sable is the wiring on the driver's side near the door hinge. It will be inside a black rubber boot right at the jam. The rubber boot will have a black cable TIE, that you need to cut and pull the boot down. Look at each wire and see if any are broken since it's a common problem.
However, for me and anyone that had the door panel removed in the past year, it's probably the connector to the 'master' switch. The Master switch are those 4 buttons on the driver's side that rolls up and down all windows. I will explain my problem but keep in mind yours will be different, but the solution is the same, "weird behavior." I could not roll up or down any window from the driver's side except the left rear. It worked fine. Now, going to each individual door, I could roll down the passenger window but could not roll it up. The right rear would roll down but not up. The left rear worked fine up and down, just like it did from the master switch. This problem occurred all at once.
I had removed the driver's door panel about a year ago and everything has been working fine since then. However, this time I removed the door panel and found that one of the connectors was loose. And of course, it was the one connected to the master switch. It snapped back in solid. While I'm usually meticulous with my work, maybe it didn't click in the last time I worked on it... we'll see if once the door panel is on something pressing against the plug release and the right bounce will cause it to disconnect.
So if you have a weird behavior where some work, some go up some go down or the reverse, check the master switch cable connector. If that is not it, then I would suspect a bad master switch. If still no joy go to the boot and check out the wires. From there I would check the relay under the dash, upper right one (for auto/up/down), and then the fuses. I think that convoluted order probably will get you to the solution faster than getting out the multimeter and checking voltages and connections. Also, keep in mind that some of the wiring, when it does go bad, creates a carbon path that the multimeter might measure a voltage but since the multimeter doesn't have much of a load it might be erroneous.
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54 Posts
Check the main power feed into the switch. Mine was broken in the harness going out to the door. The drivers window will still go down because of the express down feature which uses a different relay.
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10,566 Posts
Agree see pic, 3 of my last 3 have had broken wires in the driver's side. Different wires on each car. Looks to me like the shortest wire in the bundle is the first to break. Bit of a pain to fix the broken wire/wires as the shortest one/ones break and they are still too short to patch. Wires break in the door and out of the door.
-chart-
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Agreed. It happens more times than you would like. Check all the wires, not just the circuits causing trouble. I had three to fix when my door ajar light sensor stopped signaling.
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