Hi guys-
I've been working a couple of weekends trying to solve the problem of my rear window (driver's side) not responding to the rocker switch either on the console or on the door. I have checked the window with a separate and direct power source and it works fine. I have checked the wires from the motor to the switch in the console with a continuity tester and there are no breaks in the wires. When I finally gave up I had it so the window would go down only and only using the rocker switch on the door.
Initially I discovered two broken wires which broke at the rubber boot that goes through the door into the center pillar. I solder these and the window worked until I put everything back together again. When it didn't work when I put it all back together again, I figured I broke the wires while re-threading them through the center pillar and back into the door to the rocker switch and motor. But, as I said, I checked the wires with a continuity tester and there are no breaks. I have taken apart and cleaned all the rocker switches. How do I trouble shoot this to figure out what's wrong?

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Ed
1985 300D w/ 196,000 miles

Even though you have continuity in all wires, they are likely shorting to each other. Also, you say that when you had wires exposed, everything worked ok, but when you put back together, problem recurred......I think you were on the right track toward fixing the problem, but you probably didn't do a complete fix.

What you should do is remove inner door panel and unplug harness from window motor, and detach any brackets attached harness to door....this will give you a lot of play. Then remove the rubber boot again and pull as much of the harness out of the door as you can, leaving the end of the harness with the plug inside the door. Slide the rubber boot out of the way and inspect each wire thoroughly. Look for small cracks or gaps in wire insulation. I will almost guarantee that you will find gaps...not breaks in the copper wire, but gaps in the insulation. Remove sections with faulty insulation and replace with same guage wire. Some of the gaps may be right where the harness enters the central pillar, and you dont have much slack and working room to splice in new sections....just go slow and dont cut any corners (this is one of those pain-in-the-neck jobs that you only want to do once!!)

You must make these repairs using the very best permanent methods. What I did was to slide on heat shrink tubing before you connect replacement sections of wire. Then solder wire connections, making connections as tight and smooth as possible (this will prevent sharp points from protruding through insulation). Then put a small piece of electrical tape around the soldered joint (extra protection). Then slip heat shrink over and shrink on securely. Put together and you will likely be problem free.

Just a note..when using heat shrink tubing (available at radio shack) slide well out of the way before you solder to prevent shrinking it from the head of soldering.

That said, if you are confident that you have already fixed all wires in fool proof fashion, then you should look at are the insides of the window switches (both on the door and in the console)...they get very dirty, and contacts get carbonized, and sometimes the kill swith on the console that disables the rear door switches gets screwed up. Clean out thoroughly, scrape all terminals with a blade (both in the switch housing, and on the underside of the brass contacts), put a dab of grease on bearings, and re-assemble.

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1984 300TD Wagon, 407,800 mi (current daily driver)
1985 300DT Sedan, 330,000 mi (gone to that great autobahn in the sky)

Thanks for the detailed advise Mark. I did exactly what you said. In fact, I pulled the wires back through the boot and out of the center pillar. I cut the wires off cleanly just above where they come out of the carpet and go into the pillar. I carefully soldered, taped and shrink tubed new wire in place. It still doesn't work. I have a thought and maybe you can help me with this. I wonder if I have the wires mixed up at the connector block (where the rocker switch plugs in). Can you tell me what color wires go to which holes ( they are numbered) on the switch block?
Bye the way, were you at the get-together in NJ? I was the guy with the dreadfully slow Burgundy 300D.
Happy Thanksgiving!

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Ed
1985 300D w/ 196,000 miles

I will check out the wires tommorrow and let you know....seems very odd that it worked when apart?? Also sounds like you did it right ??

Did you check fuse....maybe in the process of fixing you somehow blew the fuse?!?!

No, i was not at the NJ meet....long haul from Mass.

Mark

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1984 300TD Wagon, 407,800 mi (current daily driver)
1985 300DT Sedan, 330,000 mi (gone to that great autobahn in the sky)

Hi Mark-
The thing is, I've had that block apart many times in this process. I might have it screwed up. I made a diagram of the wiring scheme, put who knows? I can't think of what else it could be. If it were a fuse the other windows would not work.
Ed

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Ed
1985 300D w/ 196,000 miles

My 82 300SD 126.120 schematic has the following wiring for the LH Rear switch in the door.

pin 1 BK/WT black/white
2 GN/BU green/blue
3 BK/PK black/pink
4 BR brown
6 BU blue
7 GN/BK green/black

The schematic does not list the pin no's for the console switch.

However, the power wire to the switch is RD/WT red/white, the two wires to the window motor is GN/BK green/black and BK/PK black/pink. If you swap the last two wires, it will only cause the switch to work in reverse.

Fuse fa powers the LH rear and RH front windows.

Hope this is of some help

Sweenewl-
Thank you very much! I will try it today and let you know.
Ed

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Ed
1985 300D w/ 196,000 miles