Electronics Need help wiring something up? Thinking of adding an electrical component to your car? Need help troubleshooting that wiring glitch?

Power Window Wiring

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Old Mar 4, 2010 | 07:43 PM
  #1  
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From: Central California
Car: 88 Trans Am 5.0L TPI
Engine: 305 TPI (LB9)
Transmission: 5 speed manual
Power Window Wiring

Hey guys! Thanks in advance..this site has helped me through many trials and tribulations with my car. This car however just keeps throwing new ones at me! Yesterday it was working fine and it runs great by the way but i got in the car today and the windows would not roll up or down. not a huge problem normaly but my door handle on the inside is broken so i need to roll down the window to get out of my car. Anybody have any advise on what to check? I checked the fuses and i think the window fuse is bad but i changed it and the new one blew. I also noticed that my heat/ac unit-controller is not working either. must be on the same circuit? If anyone has a wiring diagram that may be helpful.

thanks
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Old Mar 5, 2010 | 01:12 PM
  #2  
NINÅ's Avatar
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From: Mooresville NC
Car: LOWERED ♦ CRIMSON METALFLAKE
Engine: ► 400 KUBES ◄
Transmission: 765R4
Axle/Gears: EATON POSI 4.56
Window Of Opportunity

Does each window blow a fuse, or just a certain window blow it?

I also noticed that my heat/ac unit-controller is not working either. must be on the same circuit?
No, they’re on different circuits.


Happy Racing!


If People Drove Any Slower They’d Be Going Backwards
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Old Mar 5, 2010 | 01:13 PM
  #3  
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From: DE
Car: 1990 Firebird Formula
Engine: LB9 - 5.0 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.73, LSD
Re: Power Window Wiring

A wiring diagram would be awesome. My power mirror controls work in all directions but one.
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Old Mar 7, 2010 | 03:04 AM
  #4  
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From: Central California
Car: 88 Trans Am 5.0L TPI
Engine: 305 TPI (LB9)
Transmission: 5 speed manual
Re: Power Window Wiring

sorry it took me a while to get back..been real busy. Im not sure if its one window or both that blow it. it's not even really a fuse its one of those circuit breaker looking fuses...kind of a big silver box with two metal tabs that plug into the wdo spot on the fuse panel. I tried jumping the tab a jumper wire (of course carefull to watch/listen/smell for any burning wire etc but that still didn't make the windows work. They were fine when i parked the car the night before and bad in the morning. Very odd. and like i said my box where i select heat/ac and fan speed is not lit up or operating either?
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Old Mar 7, 2010 | 03:20 AM
  #5  
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From: Central California
Car: 88 Trans Am 5.0L TPI
Engine: 305 TPI (LB9)
Transmission: 5 speed manual
Re: Power Window Wiring

What im looking for is something between the fuse and the switch like a relay or something that could go bad or blow. it does not look any wires and grounding out but the fact that a fuse blew tells me something aint gravy
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Old Mar 7, 2010 | 07:45 AM
  #6  
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Re: Power Window Wiring

does the breaker only open when you try to operate windows or is there a dead short and breaker is alwaya open?
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Old Mar 8, 2010 | 08:42 AM
  #7  
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From: Mooresville NC
Car: LOWERED ♦ CRIMSON METALFLAKE
Engine: ► 400 KUBES ◄
Transmission: 765R4
Axle/Gears: EATON POSI 4.56
Window Of Opportunity

kind of a big silver box with two metal tabs that plug into the wdo spot on the fuse panel
Yes, that’s a 35 amp breaker.

Im not sure if its one window or both that blow it
To localize the problem, throw a couple of 20 amp fuses in line as follows:

Install one each in series with the
pink wire going to the left and right window switch.

it does not look any wires and grounding out but the fact that a fuse blew tells me something aint gravy
What is the name of the fuse that blows?



Happy Racing!



If People Drove Any Slower They’d Be Going Backwards

When you see fog or “running” lights on in good weather beware. WLow performance driver ahead.

How bout those nitwits too scared to drive without headlights in the daytime and the nitwits that need headlights for a little rain

.
.
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Old Mar 20, 2010 | 10:04 PM
  #8  
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From: Central California
Car: 88 Trans Am 5.0L TPI
Engine: 305 TPI (LB9)
Transmission: 5 speed manual
Re: Power Window Wiring

ok thanks for your help everyone. I finally had some time to do some testing. I tried putting fuses inline on the pink wire and neither blew. I also noticed that today when I was testing this that all the lights to my dash instrument cluster and ac/heater controller unit are out. no power. All of my fuses are good. ground to window switches is good ground. I measured power at the switch with a multimeter 0 volts. I measured the voltage at the heater unit 0 volts. I measured the voltage at the fuse box where the circuit breaker goes 0 volts. I measured the voltage at the other breaker right next to the window breaker and got 12.850 it's just the window breaker no voltage. Does anyone know where the power comes from that goes to the breaker for the window? The problem has to be between the battery and the breaker. I just don't know what is between there.

Thanks again in advance.
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 06:27 AM
  #9  
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Re: Power Window Wiring

i believe that breaker only gets voltage w/key on.if you still have no voltage w/key on it would appear you have an open between ign switch and fuse block.if you do have power in and out of breaker and still none at switches look for wires broken inside of rubber conduit in door jamb.
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Old Mar 21, 2010 | 11:49 PM
  #10  
palomo88ta's Avatar
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From: Central California
Car: 88 Trans Am 5.0L TPI
Engine: 305 TPI (LB9)
Transmission: 5 speed manual
Re: Power Window Wiring

have no power at breaker with ignition on. ill check conduit wires in the morning
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Old Mar 29, 2010 | 05:07 PM
  #11  
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From: Central California
Car: 88 Trans Am 5.0L TPI
Engine: 305 TPI (LB9)
Transmission: 5 speed manual
Re: Power Window Wiring

Ok. Still no power at breaker. No broken wires in conduits. Must be wre coming from ignition. Does anyone know a logical way to go about testing this theory? Any help would be much appreciated.
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Old Mar 30, 2010 | 10:16 AM
  #12  
NINÅ's Avatar
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From: Mooresville NC
Car: LOWERED ♦ CRIMSON METALFLAKE
Engine: ► 400 KUBES ◄
Transmission: 765R4
Axle/Gears: EATON POSI 4.56
Mission Control, We Have Ignition

If you have no power either side of the breaker when the key is in the RUN position, one wafer of the ignition switch went bad, or the connection to it.


Happy Racing!

“He Must Be Cheating - Because I Was And He Almost Beat Me.”
.
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Old Mar 30, 2010 | 06:15 PM
  #13  
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Re: Power Window Wiring

time for a wiring diagram.wish i had one for you.i definetely agree w/ ign. switch being a prime suspect.
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Old Mar 30, 2010 | 06:38 PM
  #14  
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Car: 86 Trans AM
Engine: LS1 (not stock...)
Transmission: Built T56
Axle/Gears: Strange 12-bolt w/ 3.73
Re: Power Window Wiring

You gotta just start tracing things...like youre doing.

Here are the body wiring diagrams for your 88 TA.

Justin

P.S....Guys... The stores suck pretty bad, but Autozone's website is REALLY useful. They have pretty much any wiring diagrams and component locations and all sorts of good stuff. Its pulled from AllData.



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Old Mar 30, 2010 | 06:45 PM
  #15  
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Car: 86 Trans AM
Engine: LS1 (not stock...)
Transmission: Built T56
Axle/Gears: Strange 12-bolt w/ 3.73
Re: Power Window Wiring

Since you have large chunks of your power circuits that are without power, I would guess one of the orange power wires coming off the starter got burnt or broken. Or chewed on by a varment, or caught on something laying on the road... etc etc.

Pretty sure there are a couple feeds off your starter solenoid, that feed the interior of the car. They are essentially connected directly to the battery...since the battery connects to the starter at the same point. They feed the things in your car that get 12v all the time, and the circuits that are only power with the IGN on. Im pretty sure there are fusable links in there too... Checking the continuity of these wires might not be a bad idea.

Just another idea...the diagrams dont show the power distribution which is what would be really helpful I guess.. Ill see if I can track one down.

J.
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Old Mar 30, 2010 | 07:48 PM
  #16  
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Re: Power Window Wiring

nice work ghetto cruiser!if you do find power dist. diag. i think he'll be set!
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Old Mar 31, 2010 | 07:05 AM
  #17  
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Car: 86 Trans AM
Engine: LS1 (not stock...)
Transmission: Built T56
Axle/Gears: Strange 12-bolt w/ 3.73
Re: Power Window Wiring

Its been a LONG time since I played with a complete factory thirdgen wiring harness haha. Mine is long gone. But I THINK...in that diagram, anywhere it says "Fusible Link" is referring to the heavy red/orange wires that attach to the starter. The fusible links are in little plastic housings near the terminal. I cant remember there being any other fusible links in that harness.

Im almost positive that if you remove those wires from the starter, nothing inside will work. Including the cranking circuit.

Ive never had a fusible link blow on my "newer" cars. But on my 67 Bonneville, I had a drawer full of those links and kept some in the car too. They used to fry all the time for some reason.

Just an brainstorming..

J.
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Old Mar 31, 2010 | 09:44 AM
  #18  
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Car: 91 Trans Am
Re: Power Window Wiring

A blown fusible link will kill the entire IGN, front light, fan(s), HVAC, or fuel pump/ECM circuit

Your HVAC problems are likely due to a dead link, but power windows are not short of the rest of the interior going dead. Constantly blowing fuses sounds like a bad ground or a short
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