# Van mystery



## Rusty (Jun 15, 2016)

Over the past several years, I have changed the window motors in my '85 E 150 van several times. Sometimes they would last months, sometimes only weeks. No one can find a short. We even tried running a separate ground to the lift motors. There is always power coming out of the switch. The motor might work fine one day, not work at all the next and then back to working the next. After I take a bad motor out and let it sit for a few days, sometimes it will test out fine again. I put one of those back in the driver's side and it has worked for a year. Now it is intermittent again. They are a hard job to change. They must be drilled out and riveted back in. Ford did not leave enough room to use bolts instead. I even thought about just changing to doors with crank windows, but it has a custom paint job. Only has 124,000 miles. Runs like new. Uses no oil. Great to use on the rare occasion I need it. Insurance is only $25 a month. Just can't justify replacing it. Just thought a fresh perspective might have a new idea, something that me and two other mechanics missed.


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## Chris (Jun 15, 2016)

Check the ground wire where the driver door hinges are (In the rubber hose). My old ford truck the wire snapped from opening and closing so much and the ground would sometimes connect and sometimes not. annoyed me for years until I finally pulled the boot out and saw a broken wire.


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## Rusty (Jun 16, 2016)

Would that allow the harness to be hot coming out of the switch? I can plug another motor into the harness and it will run off the switch.


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## Chris (Jun 16, 2016)

It is possible, it may be holding on by a few strands which will let the new motor work fine but stresses an older motor? It will take you about ten minutes to pull that rubber boot from the door side and slide it up to see, worth a look. Mine did all sorts of funny things that threw me off for a few years. Once you move the rubber boot bend the wire and feel it as the insulation might still be in good shape but you should be able to feel any broken wire on the inside. My ground wire was the largest wire in the bundle and easy to diagnose.


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## Rusty (Jun 16, 2016)

I will try that if it ever gets under 100 degrees here. Thanks.


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## Chris (Jun 16, 2016)

Just keep the AC charged. Thats what drew the line on my pickup, they all stopped working for about a year then my AC stopped. I quickly figured out the windows.


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## Rusty (Nov 24, 2016)

I hadn't touched the window again until a few days back. Could not find anything with the ground. Even tried running a direct ground and the motor won't run. Plugged an old motor in and it runs but it has a broken gear. Driver's side is still working fine. If I can get time, I will pull the passenger side motor again and replace it. Motor has a lifetime warranty, just a PITA to replace.


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## Chris (Nov 28, 2016)

Another reason hand crank windows are good.


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## Rusty (Nov 28, 2016)

Chris said:


> Another reason hand crank windows are good.



I looked for doors with hand crank and can't find any.


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## Rusty (Dec 28, 2016)

The driver's side had quit working. Motor was froze up. Changed it this morning, took about 2 1/2 hours. I first tried running a direct hot wire and a direct ground, it still would not work. Took it off and hooked it to the battery, the motor was bad. Only one company makes motors for them, Ford no longer makes them. At least, they have a lifetime warranty.


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## Rusty (Dec 31, 2016)

Changed the passenger side and then fixed the exhaust on my minivan.


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## WyrTwister (Jul 20, 2017)

If I messed with the ground at the hindge , I would just run a new ground wire & be done with it .

      At least it sounds like they are honoring the warranty .

God bless
Wyr


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## Chris (Jul 22, 2017)

WyrTwister said:


> If I messed with the ground at the hindge , I would just run a new ground wire & be done with it .
> 
> At least it sounds like they are honoring the warranty .
> 
> ...



When my ground wire broke in my superduty I ran a new ground but it didn't fix the problem. I fixed the broken ground and everything worked fine. If I remember correctly the new ground got one window working but the others did not. It had an odd wording setup.


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## Rusty (Jul 22, 2017)

Rusty said:


> Changed the passenger side and then fixed the exhaust on my minivan.



Both windows are still working.


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