tailgate window just stopped going up

[merrill77]

Since I bought the wagon, the tailgate window has been a bit slower going up than down. It goes does very fast with a nice new electric motor sound. Going up never rattled or made any bad noises...was just slow. Much slower at the end (sometime needed a little help to finish).

I've usually stopped it (going down) with just a little glass sticking out. But yesterday, after doing a bunch of other work, I went to put it up and went down by mistake. It went down all the way into the tailgate and now will not go back up. It makes no noise at all and there is no voltage drop indicated on my voltmeter when trying to go up (from either dash switch or key switch). Voltage drops from 12v to 11v when I try to go down, from either the dash switch or the tailgate key switch.

1) Voltage drop when trying to go down tells me it is not a fuse
2) Doesn't work from either switch - tells me it is not the switches.

I looked at the wiring diagram, but don't see any reference to the tailgate motor on the wiring diagrams on oljeep.com. But I did find this in the tailgate section:

The tailgate safety switch is in series with the brown wire which feeds the up circuit of the tailgate motor. It prevents up operation when the tailgate is open.

I removed the safety switch and checked it with an ohm meter and it seems fine. Also tried jumping the connector with a paperclip (no change).

I also found this in the tailgate section:

The electric tailgate regulator motor and wiring harness are protected by two 30-ampere circuit breakers located in the fuse block.

Does this mean one fuse for up and one for down?

[mx71]

Check the ground.

[merrill77]

I found the wiring diagram for the tailgate in the Accessory Wiring Diagram section.

From that I learned:
1. The safety switch is inline with one of the two motor wires...so it has to restrict both up and down directions. Can't be the problem.
2. The diagram indicates that one fuse is for the interior switch while the other is for the tailgate switch. Can't be the problem.

[merrill77]

Check the ground.

Do you know where there is a ground connection in the tailgate wiring? I can't find it on the diagram

[ShagWagon]

Comes off the motor and is usually attached to the frame through the bottom of tailgate.

[ShagWagon]

Seems like you dropped it too far and it's stuck. There's a stopper supposed to be in there to stop from going down too far. I would check the track rubbers as well. It was slow. Probably stuck. Use a nylon pry are and pry glass both ways while you gently operate the key switch.

[fulsizjeep]

I have found that ground wire is attached to the rear cross member and is quite often detached after 30 something years.

[ShagWagon]

And silicone lube your tracks

[merrill77]

I checked the ground wire - firmly attached to frame.

Also verified power (at the connector) to all 3 wires coming into the tailgate.

No power at the safety switch when dash switch used to go up (on either wire). A connection failure at the tailgate switch would cause this. As would a failure in the switch, depending on the design.

Also found the wire from the safety switch to the motor is disconnected.



This will definitely prevent power to motor, but I *might* have done this when pulling on the safety switch wires. And it doesn't explain lack of power at the switch. Now the window *must* come out Has anyone managed to get those clips off the pins without putting a hole in the gate? Mine is covered with a panel, but still... what a PITA.

[letank]

you can fetch that wire with a 10 gauge electrical solid wire with a hook at the end, you may need 2 hooks and bypass the safety switch

[merrill77]

The plug you see is where it connects to the motor

[dodgerammit]

You can remove those clips with a couple of long needle nosed pliers from auto zone. Get the straight and 45* versions. Works like a charm. https://www.autozone.com/wrenches-plier ... 914139_0_0

[merrill77]

That is encouraging...I hate drilling holes in solid vintage steel. Do you remove them by prying them off? Or just twisting them until they break?

Just to be sure - did you have this kind of clip?

[will e]

You most likely will damage the clips when you try to remove them. Heck, go ahead and mangle them. Use regular C clips to replace, I think I put a shallow washer between the clip and the glass. No need to drill holes. It would make it a bit easier but it is not necessary.

[dodgerammit]

You most likely will damage the clips when you try to remove them. Heck, go ahead and mangle them. Use regular C clips to replace, I think I put a shallow washer between the clip and the glass. No need to drill holes. It would make it a bit easier but it is not necessary.

This. I can't remember if I used the pliers to pry from underneath or grabbed them and twisted. Probably both.

If you want to use new oem style clips BJ's has them. They are a PITA to reinstall. A block of wood inside the gate and outside along with a hammer are required for it.

I agree with Will e. Hit the local hardware store and find some appropriate c clips or e clips. Use the pliers to snap them on.

[ShagWagon]

Use a stubby straight screwdriver and reach up in there and pry them off. Pry gently from one side to the next. Takes some discipline.

You got this...

[1979bettywhite]

Based on all your comments I would not think this would work, but worth a try anyway.

Sometimes mine will get stuck all the way down. If I crank her up and give it a little throttle, my voltage will go up from the alternator charging and that boost is what is needed to perk the switch and window to life. Comes up nice and easy then.

At least worth a shot before you dive into removing the glass.

Another idea is to drop the tailgate and have a buddy there to support the glass if it does come out. Have them depress the safety switch with one hand while awaiting the glass coming out with the other. You can then try and use the inside switch to see if it will go up. If it does, just lower it back down to where it will clear to shut the tailgate. Close it and then try it again. I have used this method before with a large step stool as my helper and the safety switch taped down so it is engaged. Thought process is that it doesn't have to fight gravity when the tailgate is down.

Good luck.

[merrill77]

I got those clips off with the long-reach curved pliers that were mentioned above - they came off pretty easily with a twist of the wrist. And didn't damage them. Since the glass was down, I could not get my hand anywhere close to use a stubby screwdriver. I can see how that would work with the glass partially up, though.

After removing the glass, I removed the motor, lift mechanism and door switch. I am unable to find the cause of the failure, but it is all working now. Might have been that disconnected wire, but I feel it is more likely that came off when I was messing with the safety switch. I taped the connectors and added a ziptie for good measure, to hopefully prevent a re-occurrence if that was indeed the problem.

The lower stop had some electrical tape wrapped around it that was coming off, I replaced that with a 1/2" thick rubber washer...which should also raise the stop a good deal.

The side seals inside the door (and in the window area on the body) have a velvety surface where it contacts the window, so I opted against the silicone lube. I'm guessing that is more applicable to the rubber-surface seals.

I replaced the factory clips with a washer and E-clip, which I was able to get on with the same curved-nose pliers. Also bought a set of window-glass suction handles, which were very helpful for removing the glass. Note for future reference.

When re-installing the window, I damaged the outside window wipe a little. Nothing too serious, but scraped off some of that velvety coating. I was unsure if I should try removing the wipes before re-installing the window and then re-install them. Is that how it should be done? Or does the glass have to be out to install the wipes?

Thanks for all the advice!
Chris

[merrill77]

Well, crap.

After getting everything working, watching it go up and down many times with a smug grin of satisfaction, I buttoned it all up yesterday morning, cleaned, re-installed the panels and my son and I took it out for a drive.

Now the tailgate window won't go down. Voltmeter doesn't budge...so no power to the motor, I'm guessing.

Fortunately, with the window up this time, I have access to the wiring via the panel without pulling the window.

I'm starting to suspect the safety switch, despite testing it many times. I think I reversed the wires on the motor and now it doesn't go down...but that could just be a coincidence.

[merrill77]

Took to it again this morning to diagnose why it will, now, not go down. I suspected the safety switch because:
1) I had reversed the motor hookup (which I noticed because the up/down at the dash switch was reversed)
2) Before reversing the switch, it would not go up. Now it will not go down.

Note that I had tested the safety switch several times, but I now suspected that it has an intermittent failure that caused it to stop working again somewhere between my garage and the gas station.

Fortunately, with it stuck in the up position, it was easy to pull the panels, yank the switch connector and bypass the switch. BINGO!

I am leaving it bypassed for now...just to verify that it still works after a few days of driving. After that, I guess I'm going to need to replace the switch. I couldn't find one on BJs - any suggestions?

TIA!
Chris