Diesel_Freak

OK, so I'm guessing that this is something that alot of 4runner Owners have dealt with, but I'm new to this game, and I'm learning so help me out please

So, MY rear electric window has been a problem since I bought this truck a few weeks ago... I WAS able to push on the left upper corner of the tailgate adn get the window to go up and down... when I did this, I could hear something clicking on and off every time the key was used... Now I'm thinking I may have blown a fuse today as it just stoped working all together, but NOWHERE in my Hanes or Chiltons manual can I find a wiring diagram for the rear window electrics... I've had it apart and greased it all up which helped alot, but still, I have to push on the tailgate to get it to work, so I can't exactly use the front switch... does anybody have any troubleshooting suggestions, or a wiring diagram, or some knowledge that they'd like to share with me please? I really love this truck to death already, but I'd like to get some of the little things sorted out so she's a bit more reliable ya know...

Cheers and No worries

Dave

Godzilla

congrats on the runner and now its time to get to know the search button. tonnes of stuff for the rear window with the wiring diagram. the most common problem is goin to be your motor or regulator. i believe your manual tells you where the main fuse is for the rear window. also it wont go up or down if the wiper or rear defog is on. best thing is to open the tailgate up and inspect. changing the regulator and motor is pretty simple and relatively cheap if you get used parts. hope all goes good. your runner looks sweet. i really like 1st gens.

Diesel_Freak

OK... the search function get's me nowhere but lost in a mire of unrealted threads... and to top it all off, I just got the bloody thing to go up finaly, but now it is again simply motionless... there is no wiring diagram in ANY of my manuals that aplies... come on, I know someone out there know's exactly what's going on here, I really would enjoy some help... even simple'r can some one tell me where the main fuse for the window is, and also where the regulator is... I'd really apreciate it... thanks Godzilla for the point in the right direction, but I need a bit more help

Dave

vmax84

Your problem was different than mine on my 89 Runner. Wasn't getting any power to the tailgate. Finally figured out someone in the past had the top off the truck at one time and forgot to put the bolt back in holding the topper down, the bolt which also actuates a switch to complete the circuit. Works like a charm now. Took me a while to figure it out.

vmax84

AxleIke

Well there is a swtich in one of the latches, that, if the latch isn't closed, the window will not go up...that's the most likely culprit, since at first you had to push on the gate to get it to go up..up to you, but my first step would be to replace that sucker...

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Almost everything you need to know is on the page below...

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...arWindow.shtml

Diesel_Freak

YES!!!! thank you, I don't know how I missed the 4Crawler page bit, I've been swarming all over it for the last week... really good stuff in there. I was told by the freind I bought the truck off (for 1500 bux NO ÅÅÅÅ!!!!!) that the top has never been off, but I did notice that the #1 bolt on the hard top was part of the circut, so I think I'll have a gander at her tomorow... I'd really like to figure this all out (no ÅÅÅÅ eh) cause were headed for the rouge river for a 5 day raft trip, and I think it'll be the perfect maiden road trip for her...

thank you all

Dave

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

His site has just about everything you need to know about a 1st gen (84-89) 4Runner...or a FSM...but he has most of that on there! or the important stuff.

Dr.Feelgood

My 9yo son sees Roger's name on a lot of threads and sees me at his site a lot too. Just the other day I was talking to my brother about something Yota and Roger's name came up. My son said, "What can Brown do for you?!" We got a kick out of that! I think Roger should add that to his sig.

Diesel_Freak

Yeah, seriously... that is one well thought out and helpfull site... It's pretty much my homepage right now, Mr. Brown you are one bloody helpfull guy...

Now my dad's looking for someone like you who knows XJ's and the Jeep 4.0L...

as for an update, I'm tracking it down, it's now working half the time, and not the other half, I think it's either the switch in the latch, or the A bolt relay... going out to tear into it right now, wish me luck...

menko

Ok, I'll offer my experience on this one.

I had the EXACT same problem with my rear window in my 87 for the last 6 months or so. I couldn't identify it exactly, so I went to look at the likely culprits. Roger has a great troubleshooter, so this was in addition to what he has listed.

Since I was sometimes able to activate it by pushing on the left rear corner, I thought perhaps the problem was more mechanical than electrical. So I went and greased up the actual locking mechanism (I assume you've been inside the tailgate to have a gander, and its obvious what the moving parts are). BTW I didn't see if you had mentioned any trouble with the actual locking lever? Is it stiff or troublesome?

Anyway, I greased this sucker up nicely. I also had some questionable function from my window lock switch in the center console, so I jumpered that to make it a straight pass through. These two things led to a reliable and working motor for the last few weeks. I *hope* it will work for you!

And while you're at it, crawl behind the driver's seat and pull off that panel to get at the window control unit and give yourself some constant power to the rear windows and power windows if you have them. It makes life so much easier. If you have a little one like I do, and your window lock switch is functional, move it to the dash so he's less likely to step on it while crawling around and you can lock out the constant power. As you can see from my avatar, mine crawls all over the place!

I miss having constant power in my 3rd generation--but i've only owned it about 2 weeks and still don't have a FSM so I'm waiting on wiring trickery until then.

Hope it helps! Report back the good news!

MJ

Diesel_Freak

Ok, I feel really stupid for not trying this in teh first place... I noticed that if I pushed to the left/sideways on the T.Gate that it would work, so I suddenly thought of just fliping the bloody latch's (the metal "u" bolts on the body not the actual T.Gate latches/locks) around, so two screws later I was in business... I'm super glad that I got caught up in some other projects beofre I tore into the panneling and switches only to find everything was alright... Best of all, I now can operate the stupid thing from the cab again... that's real nice... thanks for all the suggestions, they'll help in the future I'm sure...

Cheers and No worries

Dave

thook

Hi all, new to the forum and could use some help, please. I have an '86 runner and have had progressive problems with rear window apparently like many others. Have been dabbling with the system for over a week now due to total operation failure as of two weeks ago. Have checked aformentioned possibilities and here is where I am at with it. I am an a novice to electrical systems, but have managed to atleast confirm the following. All bolts are intact (top has never been removed), I am getting power to the module, the contacts in the module and connecting harnesses are clean from tip to toe (save possibly one I could not get apart in the rear), and the motor and window mechanicals are in great shape, mechanically. My problems may all be in the relays ???, but I'm just learning Greek. After playing around with the module loosed from the mount I discovered, with ignition off, the module when lightly tipped around makes a click.....click, click....click,click, clicking like when the tailgate key switch is engaged and/or the console switch is engaged. However, when the two operating switches (tailgate and console) are engaged I get nothing. Before two weeks ago the window was operating albeit only when I pushed in on the gate and would only go up from the console. Of course this has been a progressive deterioration in operation since I bought it four years ago. I'm sure that sounds familiar. So, in trying to troubleshoot I am at the limit of my knowledge. Can I test the relays with a meter? I assume that I can, but exactly which contacts on the relays to test from I do not know. I wouldn't mind bypassing relays and all, but I tried the best way I could figure out and it didn't work. Also, I'm not sure if what I tried was even safe for the electrical system on long term or short term basis. What I tried:I connected the batt. power wire (guessing I didn't need the engine)directly to the up/down wires for both the rear and console and the two motor wires, assuming direct power to the window might make it work. ???? Nada. I did not connect the ground wire or the limit switch wire to the splice, so don't know if that was a problem. In addition to this, I tried testing for input to the gate/window/motor in several locations including the connecting harness in the driver side wall near the tailight wiring assembly.That is the one I couldn't get apart, though. And wasn't sure what I was doing at the switches and connections in the gate and motor. So, I really don't know if I am getting power to the motor/window. Hopefully, the info I have supplied here is somewhat explanatory and gives someone something to go by, but if I have missed something please say so. Or ask if you need any clarification on what I have mentioned. I would respectfully appreciate what anyone may have to offer, but bear in mind I am also on a budget and can't afford to replace parts "just to see" if I don't have to. My wife and I run a nonprofit shelter for animals, so we are a bit limited in that respect. However, we will do what we need to do to make the vehicles operational. Afterall, we do haul alot of animals, food, and supplies. One thing I haven't tried is the latches as Diesel_Freak mentioned. So, I will do that. In the mean time, again, I will appreciate what anyone has to offer.

Matthew

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

If you can hear the relay click but nothing happens, that is a faily good indication of a relay with bad/diry contacts. Relays always click when energized (the contacts pulling in make the sound) but it is normally masked by the noise of the window motor running. If a relay does not click when energized, that usually means the relay coil is burned out. To test a relay, contact should go from open circuit (infinite ohms) to short circuit (0 ohms) when they close. A relay coil can be tested for continuity, usually reads about 40 ohms on a 12V relay. You can also test a suspect relay by shorting the two contact terminals together with a jumper wire to send power to the load. If that works, then it means the relay is not making an electrical connection when it is on.

Diesel_Freak

Ya know, I just fliped the U/Horseshoe shaped hasps for the tail gate over... in fact, ONLY the left one, and it now works perfectly... Now if only the Rod Berring was as easy to fix... BAHHHHH I still LOVE this thing to death... Any insight into the Deck Lamp? this thing is completely baffling me...

Cheers and thanks for the tons of help your site has been

Dave

bob200587

what about the deck lamp?.....turn on parking lights and flip the switch, if you want to turn it on.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Or do this:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...l#DeckLightMod

thook

Thanks! I did notice on the back of the module where one of the relays is sodered (sp?) there was some discoloration around the contact points where the sodering is. None of the other relays have this discoloration. It is a brownish color. Wasn't sure if that really meant anything. Could this be a problem? Forgive my ignorance here, but is there a difference between a relay and relay coil? I believe what you're saying is that there is, but want to make sure. Doesn't hurt! Furthermore, what is a relay coil and where is it located in relation to the relay itself? Is it the little doodads further up the module from the relay locations that have a little insulator (?) across the middle of those little wire bridges. Assuming we may not be on the same page here since you only mention two contact points, would you mind clarifying where the points are that you refer to? I tried testing the five soder points on the back of the relay. ???? Thanks again!

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

See below for a full description:
- http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/relay.htm

In short, relay coil is an electromagnet. Run current through it and its magnetizes. Stick a hunk of iron by and and turn on the coil, Mr. Iron meet Mr. Electromagnet - CLICK! Attach a pair of contacts to the hunk of iron and have it pull them together, viola, a relay.

Look at the wiring diagram on the page I posted to identify the coil and contacts of each relay.

Likely the "doodads" are diodes, lots of them on the wiring diagram, they show up like a triangle with a line across the pointy end:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/diode.htm

thook

Okay! Studies the diagrams and will post back after I've gotten somewhere with it or not. Thanks again!