Tailgate window drama

Jeff
I just went down that road myself.
The dash switch would work fine but not at the gate.
I started cleaning any ground I could find and it only started to work
when I cleaned the ground strap from the motor to the body I got to work.
Hope this helps.
Best of luck,Rick

 

wow I just wonder if that's why my door locks are sporadic and I have a whine in my stereo with satellite on... hmmm how and where do I check that? I guess follow the negative battery cable to the block? I had that once on an old bird, smoked the starter solenoid just kept trying what a mess thanks Rick

 

I would look around the firewall near the bell housing,
That's where mine is. It should be around there some where.
It can cause all kinds of problem with head lights dash lights
anything that's needs a good ground.
Let me try and make what i'm trying to say a little clear
It connects the motor to the fire wall.

 

ok I just looked at the battery cable to the engine, looks fine, can't really see the block end but I could feel it's tight and nice plyable. Will check firewall next. I thought my 66 T bird went to the frame, but I guess it was just low on the block, this one is high, right behind the alternator just ahead of #1 plug (well front left anyway)

 

If you find it take it off and clean the hell out of it.
Both ends.
I hope that dose the trick.
Rick

 

this was a fun a.m. I decided the engine was badly in need of a cleaning, then a drive to dry it off.



Sitting in traffic at a red light, I decided it was a good time to try the rear window. The car died. Just stopped. No dash lights, flashers, nothing. Turned out the neg batt cable was loose. I tightened it, started it and drove home (not exactly that quickly) it first involved my hammer, always on the front seat when I tapped the battery I heard a click, went back in and all dash lights were on. I tried to start it, dead again. Totally. I went back and felt the cables, neg was loose (I know it was the neg because I just got home and tightened them both and got BIG sparks when the wrench on the POS touched the body LOL but all seems ok, maybe that was burning out the switches???

 

any thoughts?

 

My guess is that you've got a burned big ground cable touching a power wire or vice-versa. If its not blowing fuses, then there's a live contact going on where it can rattle around or vibrate or just air movement wobbling it around.

 

Mornin' Jeff!
I bet it is pretty much what Ford Nut Rick said...the cables and the grounding strap need checking out.
On my Buick, the engine grounding cable is at the back corner of the RH engine head...I will go out in a few minutes and check my Olds to see if it is the same.

David

 

I was referring to the loose battery connection - would that burn out switches? I checked the wire from the batt to the motor and it was loose at the batt!

 

YES. you're breaking the entire ground circuit, so all the noise suppressor capacitors are overloading and no place to discharge. The radio, dash, and may computerized circuits could take a hit, and the mini-electronic controllers in the relays (transistors and ICs (Integrated Circuits) would also be stressed out if they can't discharge to Ground.

 

Jeff, there should be an additional grounding wire from the engine to the body. The neg battery cable goes to the engine block, like you said.

David

PS. You engine compartment looks beautiful!

 

thanks David thanks Norman

right now everything is back to normal - but tightening the loose neg batt cable made no change in the whining from the radio I have had for a year or the operation of the power door locks (works fine while driving but at idle, they are sluggish and usually 1 out of 3 doesn't move)

I am assuming the window is working right now with my ghetto switch but it was raining this a.m. and I did not try it. Also afraid to try it at a red light LOL

 

The whining on the radio is because the sound suppressors are toast. Cheap one-wire tin-can units. Usually one around the voltage regulator, the ignition coil. Fords have a couple more, around the Electronic Ignition module and the Cruise control blackbox.

They're usually about an inch long X 3/8" diam, with a ground mount on the body and a single wire to the device (regulator or coil).

 

Jeff, I forgot how completely different the Olds 455 set up is from the Buick's. Of course, the battery and cables are on the LH side on our Olds, while on my Buick, it is all on the RH side. Oh well. You get the gist.

David