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If you're having troubles with your rear window going up/down both with the console control or the keyswitch, check if the issue is the safety interlock on the left latch. When mine was intermittent, jostling the left side of the closed tailgate would sometimes affect the ability of the keyswitch to function.
If you want to test the switch, remove the inner carpet panel, then metal support panel, and then carefully peel back the plastic on the left side. Near there you'll see a 3-pin connector. The outer wires (red/blu and wht/blk) will connect/disconnect with operation of the left side latch. You can latch it with a large philips screwdriver, and unlatch by either then outside handle or tripping the release lever if you have the switch assembly removed. It's a cinch to remove it -- just three philips head bolts.
When operating the latch, you should get consistent ohmmeter readings when closed, and less than an ohm. Before fixing mine, it was all over the map and intermittently open.
My advice is if you have any intermittency now, spray that silicone spray liberally into the latch area and actuate the latch repeatedly to work it into the switch area. That should allow you to avoid entering the inside of the tailgate, but once you've done that a couple times, it only takes a few minutes.
This is timely. I just finished swapping tailgates and replacing the guts over to the new tailgate. The window wanted to roll up but not down at the key.
The cabin switch was working fine. Will troubleshoot more, but thank you for this post!
On my 'Runner the release cable that runs from the middle of the tailgate to the LH latch mechanism got all bound up with rust inside the cable sheath. The rubber boots on the cable sheath ends were gone on that one, allowing water in. The rusty cable was stiff, and wouldn't retract back towards the latch upon release of the handle, thus holding the latch open. This prevented the switch from closing, interfering with the operation of the rear glass. Sometimes I could push in on the upper LH corner of the tailgate while operating the key to get the glass to go down/up. Replacing the cable with a good one from a U-Pull vehicle fixed it.
On my 'Runner the release cable that runs from the middle of the tailgate to the LH latch mechanism got all bound up with rust inside the cable sheath. The rubber boots on the cable sheath ends were gone on that one, allowing water in. The rusty cable was stiff, and wouldn't retract back towards the latch upon release of the handle, thus holding the latch open. This prevented the switch from closing, interfering with the operation of the rear glass. Sometimes I could push in on the upper LH corner of the tailgate while operating the key to get the glass to go down/up. Replacing the cable with a good one from a U-Pull vehicle fixed it.
Yes, that's the same symptom I've seen: pushing on the upper left corner can make the window work/not-work. My truck has been to Burning Man several times, and lived in Iowa winter salt for years, so most failures are generally explained with corrosion. I've also replaced the rear window motor and the license plate light assembly. I expect the keyswitch is next someday.
My hope is to save others the time spent diagnosing these issues, and that'll keep more of these fantastic trucks on the road.
Very good write-up. I'd like to see more of these.
I second that! Thanks, Blueman.
May I also add this quick and clean way to isolate / eliminate doubts on "rear wiper out of park" position (rear wiper retraction detection switch).
Disconnect this connector for rear wiper assembly. IF this solves the window not working, troubleshoot the rear wiper park position or switch.
Last edited by RAD4Runner; 01-10-2017 at 02:07 PM.
So I have a problem with my window going up but not going down, which I think may be the rear wiper switch. where exactly is this switch that tells the wiper it's parked so the window will go down?
The wiper park switch is integrated in the wiper.. unplug the wiper and it thinks it's in the up position.
Of that doesn't work push in on the left side of the tailgate while trying the key, so ilar to above that's the latches detection switch.
But if it went down and won't go back up it's the switch on the inside of the tailgate most likely. It's located to the left of centerline near the bottom. Iirc it will also make it difficult to impossible to pull the lock up also, but that might be a second switch..
Somewhere around the red or yellow boxes shown in the below photo is the circuit/switch that reverses direction
Sorry it's late dark cold, and we have a cougar on the prowl recently. The best I can provide tonight..
01-02-2017, 09:28 PM
