So in the process of replacing the rear window weatherstrip (bottom part), I lowered the rear window on my 2005 SR5 all the way with my key fob.

I removed the old broken up weatherstrip, placed the new one on, and finished by pushing it in until it clipped. I then wanted to test the keyhole method of bringing the window up but it didn't work. What I found interesting is that the key moved to the left or right did not lock the car either (Isn't that supposed to lock the doors?).

I went to the ignition, turned car on and tried to use the panel switch. Nothing. Removed the new weatherstrip thinking it was maybe blocking it from coming back up but that didn't fix anything. Was fiddling around and making sure things that would usually prevent it from going back up (window lock) weren't in play.

Interestingly, after about 30 minutes of going back and forth to see if the window was stuck or something, I tried to use the rear windshield wiper/rear defroster. They didn't work (neither did the defroster as the light wouldn't even turn on). I looked at the fuses but had no idea what to even look for.

Another couple minutes, open and closed the rear hatch, held the buttons for 15 seconds each... nothing. But this time the rear wiper and defroster started working with the window still down. Don't know why it started working all of a sudden.

Sadly the window still won't go up and I had to cover it up with some plastic as its going to rain tomorrow.

Anyone have any ideas as to what to do? At the very least, I can live with bringing the window back up and locking it to protect myself/my baby from the elements.

Is it possible to manually roll it up? Please help! My 2005 SR5 son is getting cold!

Thanks!

When try to roll it up with the key can you hear the motor working?

You can try disconnecting the battery for a minute and reconnecting (you'll need to re-initialize the tailgate after reconnecting)


Worse case here is the tailgate window regulator mounts have broken off due to rust and age , you'll need to get a new regulator and possibly a new glass if the mounting tabs on the glass aren't salvageable.
If this is the case then you can pull off the inner tailgate panel and peel back the inner cover and very carefully slide the glass back into place, and use heavy duty tape around the glass to secure it until it gets fixed.

If the mounts haven't broken off i'm not sure if there's a way to manually roll it back up.

The window has an anti-jam feature that won't let it roll up if there's something caught inside or along the glass as it rolls up.Have a poke around inside while the panel is off and see if there's anything out of the ordinary. Maybe take the weather strip back off and see if it works

Had a similar issue, turned out due to my weatherstrip having a gap, moisture got in and rusted the shit out of my regulator and clips that attached the window to the regulator. Ended up manually lifting window up from the inside (removed interior panel) and jammed some wood under the window temporarily to keep it closed. Eventually bought new clips and regulator and installed, fairly straight forward. Removing old clips was a bit of a b***h, needed to heat them up and scrape them off then glued the new clips with window adhesive. Good luck, I remember it being winter for me and freaking a bit about it, the wood trick worked great!

i havent looked at my 4runner to see if its the same but i worked on a friends sequoia that had the same problem. there was a small switch clipped onto the lock mechanism to tell the window to roll up or down when you turn the lock with your key and the plastic clip on his had broken. the switch was stuck in the roll down position and it cancelled out all the other buttons to control the window. its hard to get to with the window down, also. we ended up unplugging his switch so the key on the hatch no longer controls the window or door locks but the key fob/dash buttons still function normally.

I'm going to have to look at this first to see if its the same problem. Is it noticeable if the clip is broken?

His was. The switch fell off the lock cylinder and was hanging by the wires

This might be tough to recall, but do you remember what the switch looks like? And is it as simple as disconnecting it?

So it is between the window and the external panel? I see where it all is but don't know what to exactly disconnect.

I have a feeling it might be this solution/issue because I tried rolling the window up with the key but thats when it stopped working. It also is tough to even insert the key without reinserting a couple times (Seems like it gets jammed in there a bit).

If i remember correctly it was yellow plastic with a small harness (two or 3 wires) and there was a connector pretty close to it that can be unplugged from the rest of the wiring harness in the hatch. It was an 05 sequoia so its probably similar but may not be. Once we unplugged it, all the buttons worked normally again.

So I found the key hatch inside. But like you said, having a lot of trouble of reaching it due to the window being down. How did you end up reaching it?

Also what do i unplug? I am sadly not experienced in wiring harnesses and need a little bit of help knowing what Im looking at.

Picture:

That connector (the white one) in your picture is the one to unplug i believe. Hopefully thats your problem.
I want to say we used a long screwdriver to get that plug unclipped.

I really appreciate your help!

Do i unplug the wires on the left or right of the white connector? They just slide out with enough force?

There should be a little tab to push in on the left of that connector and the left side should come off

Yes!!’ I ised a wrench and it worked! Thank you so much!!!!! I owe you a beer

You are a lifesaver man! You brought the car back to life!!! I owe you one! The clip is the problem, sending the signal that it wants to keep the window down.


I am really excited how great and knowledgeable this community is because I was ready to bring it into the dealer tomorrow!!!

Awesome. Glad that fixed it. Worked out good that my friend had this same issue and i helped him with it. It was literally just a month or two ago that we worked on his.

Rear window was halfway down and would not go up I rolled it all the way down and now it won't go up. I had to plastic wrap it for now. When I push the dash switch it bumps a inch up and an inch down but that's it. PLEASE HELP