Steve777

I've searched the forum and found a bunch on the various electrical problems associated with rear windows, but nothing quite like what seems to plaguing my truck. My rear window had been working fine, until a recent cold snap. Now even when it's warm, the window motor will engage and move it down 1/8 inch or so then nothing. I can move it back up that 1/8 inch too. Same from both switches. Judging from the lights dimming, the motor is still trying, so I don't think this is an electrical issue. Rather the window seems stuck at about 1/8 inch of the way down. FWIW it also seems that the right side isn't moving that 1/8 inch or so when the left is; so maybe just one side is stuck. As a newbie, I thought I would check and see if there are any great ideas of dealing with this. My thoughts are to pull the inner panel and look at the linkage/tracks for the window. And hopefully get it to go down so that I can work on it from the outside. Are there any clever tricks for getting the window down at least once, without pulling the panel (so I can work from the outside)? TIA

rhale

sounds like a track issue to me since you notice the electrical "pull" when trying it, and the right side doesn't seem to move. your best bet is to crawl back there with a flashlight and tools and go to work. maybe it has a slight leak around the felt and it has frozen the tracks since it has only started after the cold weather came? is it parked outside in the rain/snow or inside?

Steve777

It sits outside, so frozen water in the track certainly could have been the problem. That's actually what I thought since it first happened after a snow and cold weather. But it's been above freezing for a few days now, and even after sitting in the sun it's still stuck. So it's either a big block of ice in there, or other problems...

rhale

it's amazing where water can get to in a short amount of time. it will probably be pretty straight forward once you open it up.

kiyobrown

When you open that thing up, check the gears on the regulator. Amazingly, those beefy gears will shear off and it might be jamming itself and getting stuck. Its a long shot, but not completely out of the question.

I had one that would close up to about a half inch, then I would have to manually finish it.

Not a nifty trick, but if your window won't move at all, you might have to take the panel apart from inside, and take the 4 bolts out that hold the regulator in place. It should buy you enough space you can open the tailgate, just remember to grab something to support the weight of the window.

Good luck, and let us know what you find.

Steve777

Well got the window down and back door apart. The regulator looks good, EXCEPT for the first few teeth on the motor gear at the up position (of course). Those are chewed up a bit. Not gone yet but half way there. Seems the window/mechanism was sticky especially at the top and that led to the extra strain on those first few gears.

I lubed every thing up, and it is working again smoothly, at least for a while. I expect I will need a new regulator at some point, but this should get me through a month or so.

A few related question on things inside this back door:

1. What type of lube do people use on the rubber lined window tracks? Anything stay slippery and not deteriorate the rubber?

2. When looking for a replacement rear regulator, where should I go, dealer? ebay?

3. I thought I would investigate the lack of rear defroster while I was in there, dash light and relay work, no defrosting. Problem was obvious no wires going to the window grid, and no wires with connectors loose in the door either. I did fine a white with black stripes and red dots wire that was just cut off coming out of the harness on the drivers side. But no wire stubs on the pass side. I was thinking that maybe this white wire is power and the pas side just needs a wire to ground. That right? Also, anyone know how one should route the wires to the defroster/glass so that they won't get cut off by the window movement; how'd the factory do it?

kiyobrown

Good you found the problem.
1. Find a non petroleum based lube (silicone should do)
2. I just went to a junk yard for another regulator, dealer is gonna rob ya. IIRC, mine was $50, but I had to swap my motor over from the old one. No biggie

3. The wires are a different story. There should be 2 wires on the drivers side coming from the harness. They connect to the drivers side lower corner of the window, one to the grid, one to the middle track. On the pass side, there is a little ground that jumps from the corner of the window touching the grid) and jumps over to the tracks in the middle, completing the circuit.

Sorry I don't have any pics or better info on wire colors. The wires have a history of breaking, and depending where people live, they would just get rid of the wires altogether.

Steve777

Thanks Jason. I found the wires, should be the right ones voltage goes on/off with the rear defroster switch. PO just cut off the wires at some point. I'm going to have to get some flexible 14ga wire and splice it in there.

I'm guessing that it's important to keep the ground wire from that bundle going to the track. Otherwise you could create a short.

Did Toyota do anything special with the wire harness. Any connection points or elastic to pull it back out of the way of the window?

kiyobrown

Yeah, it had a rectangular plastic piece with a plastic pop rivet type deal coming out that would pop into the frame of the tailgate. I am assuming the PO probably tossed it out. The plastic piece was just electrical taped onto the wires. I'm sure a zip tie, with the right amount of slack in the wires to allow the window to attain full travel, would suffice to keep it out of the way. Just look for an empty hole in the diagonal frame pieces of the tailgate.