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96 XJ power windows dead

Some considerable time ago I started to get an intermittent problem with the electric windows on my 1996 XJ. All four would simply cease to operate. I pulled the switch out and jiggled the door harness about and, hey presto! - all four worked again. I assumed I had an intermittent short somewhere on the harness. This situation went on for a couple of years but last week the jiggling cure failed and I now have four completely dead power windows. My mechanic has had a look at the problem and he reckons the motor in the driver's door has gone south. I freely admit that I'm pretty clueless in the area of auto-electrics but I can't see how the failure of one door motor can take all four out, and how replacing the driver's door motor will bring the other three back in. Am I missing something blindingly obvious?

Reply to
Mick Tilley
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Sounds to me like whatever wire was broken and making contact when you jiggled it has now separated far enough that jiggling doesn't restore contact.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Mick,

I'm not an expert in "auto-electrics" either, but tend to agree with your observation about the window motor. But, if the mechanic is competent and did basic diagnostics with a multi-meter they should have been able to tell if the wires, switches, fuses, relays, etc were good.

My son-in-law's 2001 Cherokee had a similar problem. I slid the rubber boot on the drivers door to the side and found a broken wire and several bare wires. This seems to be a common problem with the Jeep line. All the window and power lock wires go back to the driver's control module through that boot and it's a tough environment for electricity. It's easy to look at them, and not too difficult to correct if you can splice a line.

If you are handy with a multi-meter you can check the continuity of the system yourself. There are several service manuals for Jeeps on

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that can help you with the troubleshooting.

Check the boot yourself before you spring for a new motor. Although I can't imagine the mechanic didn't check that first. If he didn't, find a new one.

dss

Reply to
dss

Thanks for the input, gentlemen. My problem is now sorted.

The culprit was indeed a rotted out wire in the door harness which has now been fixed and my windows are buzzing up and down like a bride's nightie!

Reply to
Mick Tilley

"Mick Tilley" wrote my windows are buzzing up and down like a bride's nightie!

roflmao! That's funny!

K.

Reply to
Kate

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