1986 Wagon Tailgate Window Electrical

[JD's Toy]

Morning everybody!

So I spent a good deal of time this weekend troubleshooting why the window in my tailgate refuses to go up / down. When I bought the car it didn't work, I replaced the motor in the tailgate and then it would work with the key no problem.

Now I'm back to it never working. If I have somebody push either the dash switch or turn the key and i'm put my finger on the motor, I can feel it hum, like its' getting power but not enough volts to turn. The connector on the switch within the tailgate that operates the window is busted, and I've confirmed with a voltmeter that it gets sporadic voltage through it from the dash switch. Using the key though it had always been good.

Guess my question is, what's the failure rate of those motors in the rear window? Seems surprising that this motor would have crapped the bed already. Is the rotted out weatherstripping allowing water to get into it and ruin the motor prematurely? Anybody got a fix for that if it's the case?

And... Does anybody have a wiring harness for the tailgate of one of these wagons laying around? Just had the second kid so runs to the scrap yard won't be happening for a good long time and might as well fix the busted connector to see if I can get the dash switch going again.

Other tips / tricks to getting this window moving and keeping it moving are welcome!

[Tiggie]

Make sure it's all lubed up in there. Mine worked on and off, usually more when you helped it. I lubed the tracks and all the pivot points and it's been working fine ever since. BTW my car is still on it's original window motor. They are sealed with gaskets so unless they screwed up making yours, water shouldn't be getting into it.

[JD's Toy]

wow, so little lubrication helped that much eh? 10-4 i'll hit that up this weekend.

[gadget73]

There is a thing that looks like a window switch inside the tailgate, screwed to a bracket that hangs off the latch. Its what actually does the up/down with the key. If that is bad, the window won't work on either the key or the switch up front. Might want to check that if lubing it doesn't help. Look straight down with the window wound down, you'll probably see it in there.

[rellik god]

it looks like this

[JD's Toy]

ya gentleman, i think that little switch may be the root of all my problems. (Although not ruling out a bad switch in combo with a bad motor.) I pulled it out this weekend and the rear window wouldn't work when i manually triggered it. not a good sign. noticed while i had it out that the connector that plugs into the switch was busted.

common for those to go bad? I have good solid voltage to that switch, and sporadic voltage coming out the other side when I try the dash button. Dunno if it's the switch or the busted up connector.

Originally thought that the little prongs that are supposed to activate the switch were spread to far apart to properly actuate the toggle. fashioned a metal spacer to fill the gap and the rear window still didn't work with the key. It was at tha time I unbolted the switch and manually triggered it and found out that didn't work either...

[gadget73]

Not sure how common it is, but they have a rubber boot on them and if torn, water can get inside the switch and ruin it. Another thing to check, there is a white button inside there a bit further up. Press that a couple times to make sure it isn't sticking. Not sure how that interacts with the system, but it seems to be a switch to prevent the window from being run up with the gate down in "party mode". If its acting up, it will also kill power to the window circuit.