Continued problems with intermittently working power windows on '89 Toyota Cressida

To recap for those in rec.autos.tech who I forgot to include in my previous post:

Got in my '89 Cressida and noticed the power windows weren't working. > All out at the same time. > > Checked various fuses, found none that looked burned out. Then I > noticed another issue - the power door locks worked to lock, but not > to unlock. The driver door and I assume the passenger door could be > manually unlocked of course but didn't trigger the others to unlock as > is normal operation. > > Then I noticed the clock was wrong, which only happens if the power if > interrupted. So, I checked the battery terminals and found apparently > I'd neglected to cinch one down and tighten it when last needing to > disconnect. It was on but with a loose fit. Re-seating and tightening > made all the above issues disappear. > > So what did I witness? If there was enough connection to run the car, > why would some of the accessories behave oddly or be non-functional as > described?

The problem has persisted with the windows, even though the battery connection is now tight and no further issues with the door locks or clock as previously noted. I've observed that turning off the car and restarting will bring the windows to life again.

What could be causing this? Wondering if the drivers door switch is a "master" for the others and could be getting hitchy and thereby affecting all the others, but why would a de-energize & re-energize make a difference? Or, is there something in-line between vehicle power and the doors that could be causing this intermittent behavior?

Thanks for all input.

Reply to
muzician21
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Usually when there is a problem with things that all originate in a door, the first place to look is for insulation breaks in the wires that run from the body to the door. The power windows & door locks all originate with a master controller in the driver's door, so start with that one.

Reply to
E. Meyer

Have you considered the possibility of cold solder joints on the power window controller?

I once had an Accord with windows that behaved similarly to yours. My car was a coupe, so I only had two that played these games, but the problem was the board in the control module was riddled with cold solder joints.

And, yes the drvier door switch is the master. You need to get inside of the drivers door to move forward with this repair.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

If you have the door panel off disconnect the plug going to the motor & test for voltage, OR put 12v directly on the motor and see if it works. One tab should make it go down and the other should make it go up.

Reply to
m6onz5a

Looks like they also list a door window relay too.. That could be the problem too.

Reply to
m6onz5a

The driver's master switch controls all of the power windows and locks. I'd start by checking the master switch, particularly if you often drive with the window down and moisture gets on the switch. The most common cause of problems with all of the doors and windows is the master switch so get a wiring diagram and check the terminals for continuity.

Reply to
Ray O

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