Rear window down.....won't move

Texican · 09-27-09, 09:32 PM

I just spent an hour searching, my rear window went down, and now won't move, the lights dim when I hit the dash button so it's sending power, I pulled the cover but can't figure out how to get to anything with the window in the way......

.....help?

It's on my 79 FJ55

cardinal fang · 09-27-09, 10:31 PM

It is the plastic gear in the rear window motor. Classic problem with a 55. You have to take the glass, arms, and motor out of the vehicle to fix it. Been there, done that

Texican · 09-28-09, 06:57 AM

Gear is less than a year old, back to my question, how do I get to any of the bolts or mechanism with the glass in the way?

cruiser_guy · 09-28-09, 07:36 AM

There are two slide type clips where the window and the mechanism attach. Remove those and the window should come out giving you access to everything. The clips slide out sideways (can't remember if it's towards each other or away from each other).

cardinal fang · 09-29-09, 10:28 PM

Open the the rear gate. Remove the cover over the glass and gears. Remove the glass per cruiser_guy's post. You can slide the glass out after the clips are removed. If it is not the gear, then it may be in the block that has all the wires connected. Or the saftey switch may be bad.
I need to redo my rear window also. It will raise and lower by the dash lever, but not by the key in the rear gate. Which means, to me, that the connection block, mentioned above, is not functioning. If it turns out to be the motor itself, that can be rebuilt. I do have a spare if you end up needing one.

RHINO · 09-30-09, 12:19 AM

since you said the lights dim it prolly not this, but for giggles and since its right there, hold in the tailgate button with one finger and see if the glass works either with the key or an assistant on the dash

cruiser_guy · 09-30-09, 08:57 AM

Can you see the terminal block? Does it look OK? Some folks have been reporting that the terminal block breaks.

toddslater · 09-30-09, 09:56 AM

99% chance it's one of the above items...the only other possibility is the electric motor itself has cashed it in. Good luck with it Butch.

toddslater · 09-30-09, 10:04 AM

Here is diagram of the aformentioned window clips....slide them towards the center IIRC.

jmylie · 10-04-09, 07:10 AM

The rear window guides or tracks can keep the window from going back up. The glass may be out of alignment, so that there's enough resistance to keep the glass from moving.

I've had the glass come out of the rubber gasket that holds the rear window in place. Also have had the same track rust out.

Texican · 10-04-09, 09:19 AM

Fixed this yesterday, bad part about it, I don't have a F'n clue what it was, the two clips I recalled after getting to where I could see them ....they look like a 1/4'' tab curling up from the base of the metal channel on the bottom of the window and slide towards the center, My 79 does not have the connecting strip, it has bullet connectors that ya see all over LC's I took the assembly out and tested it with a jumper battery lightening fast and worked every time.........hhhhhmmm so I used a clamp to hold the switch closed and went up front to hit the switch, I had 12v coming in on "up" and "down"....dug out the wiring diagram, on the 79 voltage goes thru the key switch, so I popped it out and ohmed it........no problem here.....so I cleaned all terminals and put it back together to test, working fine now.

RHINO · 10-04-09, 03:13 PM

sounds like i was a bad ground. i like easy fixes.

Texican · 10-04-09, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHINO

sounds like i was a bad ground. i like easy fixes.

Nope, mine has the typical white wire with a black stripe for ground, someone in the past has soldered into it and has an extra ground wire running out and bolted to the tailgate......... evidently this was a problem sometime in the history of this truck.........I still have not been able to figure out why the lights were dimming when I hit the control on the dash when it was not working.............I would bet it ain't gonna stay fixed
I'd rather have found a bad motor.......

cruiser_guy · 10-04-09, 06:01 PM

My bet, the door switch is not quite right. Close but not there. Try tightening it up by moving it closer to the tailgate.

eventhough · 10-04-09, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texican

Fixed this yesterday, bad part about it, I don't have a F'n clue what it was, the two clips I recalled after getting to where I could see them ....they look like a 1/4'' tab curling up from the base of the metal channel on the bottom of the window and slide towards the center, My 79 does not have the connecting strip, it has bullet connectors that ya see all over LC's I took the assembly out and tested it with a jumper battery lightening fast and worked every time.........hhhhhmmm so I used a clamp to hold the switch closed and went up front to hit the switch, I had 12v coming in on "up" and "down"....dug out the wiring diagram, on the 79 voltage goes thru the key switch, so I popped it out and ohmed it........no problem here.....so I cleaned all terminals and put it back together to test, working fine now.

Same thing happened to me a few months ago - went down, wouldn't go back up - I assumed the gear broke - took everything apart and it all looked fine - put it back together (no fun) and it worked. I assumed something got jammed...

RHINO · 10-04-09, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texican

Nope, mine has the typical white wire with a black stripe for ground, someone in the past has soldered into it and has an extra ground wire running out and bolted to the tailgate

sure that black striped wire is a main ground wire for the whole back end, the extra ground wire added just confirms a ground problem down stream of the tailgate assembly somewhere.

cardinal fang · 10-05-09, 12:04 AM

Glad you fixed it!!
Over time, the old wires get corded and lose their connectivity. Just moving them around breaks them free and they work. That's my theory and I am sitcking with it

Pighead · 10-05-09, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texican

Fixed this yesterday, bad part about it, I don't have a F'n clue what it was,

Sounds like you have discovered one of the secrets of Pigownership...sometimes just taking it apart and putting it back together makes it work again. Pigs, due to their advanced personality, just need some hands-on attention to make them feel good. Perhaps just laying a wrench on them completes some sort of circuit, I don't know, but I cannot count the number of times when I've simply disassembled and then reassembled something and it works. and I don't know why. Don't argue with it, don't fight it. Just put a wrench on it somewhere, tighten or loosen or break it off, doesn't seem to matter...consider it a part of routine maintenance.

Texican · 10-05-09, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pighead

Pigs, due to their advanced personality, just need some hands-on attention to make them feel good.

Mine is obviously female, I left her inside the shop cause it rained all weekend, must have pissed her off greatly, cause this morning there was a huge puddle around the RR tire she blew a wheel cylinder sitting in the shop..............time for rear discs!

Trollhole · 10-06-09, 07:41 AM

Need to find where that ground wire is attached to up front. Most likely it is your issue and most likely the same place the lights are grounded to which would explain the dimming.