Tailgate window help

[dturner0528]

Hey guys, I’m new here. This is only my 3rd post on this site.

I have a 1982 Limited Waggy. As has happened to many others, the tailgate window is not working. I can buy a new motor for it, but before I did that, I was wondering if there were any other alternatives (besides changing it to manual). From what I've heard, the waggy's motor tends to go out a lot.

Not even alternative means, so much as alternative motor setups. I know that a number of other vehicle companies have used power windows in the back; Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, etc. Are there any other company’s window setups that are more reliable? Or any that will even fit the waggy’s tailgate (with necessary modification, of course)? If possible, I’m leaning most to Toyota. They seem to have been doing this the longest out of the other makes, and they still are to this date, so clearly their method is at least a bit reliable. I’m planning on getting the parts from a junk yard, if possible.

Any insight would be great, along with donor car’s model and year.

[jaber]

The motors in the gate rarely die, in most cases it turns out to be a wiring issue. Before you go throwing money at it, take a little time and trace the wires. Where they pass through the body into the tailgate is a good place to start.

There is a member that sells an upgraded wire harness that runs off of relays that would be faster and cheaper then trying to reinvent the window...

[Strode182]

Yea. Like Jaber says, this is a most common theme. And it's not the motor that gives out, it's the wiring.

If you want to mess with it once, and be done with it, look at Serehill's relay harnesses. Installs relays in the tailgate, keep both switches or eliminate one, he even has a remote if you want. Plug & play, done. You might still have a bad switch, or just an bad safety switch, or multiple problems. He can tell you how to check your switches. Mine was all hacked up by the PO trying to find the problem.

Or you can troubleshoot it. Lots of threads on that too. Others have successfully fixed theirs in the stock arrangement.

In no particular order, here are some of my bookmarks on the subject. There are lots more.......(apologies to Stuka for some of these bookmarks being from the other site, it's just what I have bookmarked when I was researching the problem)

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=162386

http://www.ipendia.com/ArticleRead.aspx?id=2138

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=112471

http://fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 177#p21177

[serehill]

I can tell you from tons of experience the design of the tailgate system & the series is ground switching which the tsm does not clearly explain is not good. The switches are not motor rated & the power wires in the factory design are anemic. I've messed with them for years & wanted a permanent solution that was simply user serviceable. There's tons of band aids on a bullet wound for this one. Not fixing the problems mean simply it will reoccur. There seems to be lots of solutions that don't recognize the design is the root cause. Especially with 30 year old switches. Which my mod can fix also . It replaces the switches. As you can see in any new automobile in the last 20 years no one uses the switches for this for a reason. I've been building these for over 4 years without issue but if there was its a switch or an easy to find relay & your done.

I agree with everyone else the motors are not the problem bad switches circuitry grounds the tailgate safety switch are far more likely to be the problem.
The key to understanding this system is the series grounding system runs through the front switch to the rear switch & does function in the center position. Even with the system in perfect condition it does good to deliver 5 volts to the motor.

[haminawag]

Hey DTurner, what you need to do is test the motor first with a small gel-cell battery or even a battery charger. Access the motor, disconnect the wiring AFTER writing down and labeling the stock wiring so it can be hooked back up later if ya want. Ya just need to apply 9-12 Volts to the motor terminals to confirm whether it runs or not. Just touch the power supply wires to the motor terminals VERY briefly until you confirm which ones are the right ones.

If you have a decent knowledge of basic electricity it's a snap to rewire these things and make it a failure-proof system. Good luck.

[serehill]

Hey DTurner, what you need to do is test the motor first with a small gel-cell battery or even a battery charger. Access the motor, disconnect the wiring AFTER writing down and labeling the stock wiring so it can be hooked back up later if ya want. Ya just need to apply 9-12 Volts to the motor terminals to confirm whether it runs or not. Just touch the power supply wires to the motor terminals VERY briefly until you confirm which ones are the right ones.

If you have a decent knowledge of basic electricity it's a snap to rewire these things and make it a failure-proof system. Good luck.

LMAO
It better be a large battery charger or it won't work. There's only 2 wires on this model one way makes it go up & the other way makes it go down if it runs one way it will run the other. There's a plug on the wires no need to figure out which is which.