Driver's power window - is yours the same?

[m@x]

Hi all,

My driver side window closes differently than other 3 passenger windows.

When I close passenger windows:
At the very top when the window is fully closed I hear a click and the motor stops pushing the window up. If I hold the power window switch upwards, nothing happens - the motor doesn't push the window. If I release the switch and pull it up again, I hear the click again and the motor is not pushing the window up. Looks like there is a limiting mechanism that knows that the windows are at the top dead position and the motor shuts down.

When I close the driver's window:
At the very top when the window is fully closed I DO NOT hear any clicks.
The motor keeps trying to push the window up until I release the switch. There are no "relay" clicks. While I hold the switch up the motor does it's best to push the closed window up. As a result, the window is forced to move outwards by 5mm at the bottom. The sound is like the motor is dying (as if the battery was dying). When I release the switch, the window comes back into it's resting position, inward by 5mm.
If I pull the window switch again, the motor starts to push the window again.

If I lift the window in Auto mode, the window is closed, then the motor keeps pushing it (making it move outward) for another second, and then gives up. The window comes back into its resting position.

My question is: Is this normal? Are you driver's windows working similarly? Is there any limiter switch that needs to be adjusted? I don't think that the door has ever been taken apart and the regulators replaced or played with.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Greydog]

Sounds like your window needs to be re-initialized or whatever it's called.

Try disconnecting and reconnecting your battery to drain the memory and then run the window all the way down and back up. This should tell the motor the limits of travel.

If that does not help, it may be the window mechanism or micro switch that is not working properly.

 

[riceandpho]

With ignition on, open all windows and hold it open for atleast 5 seconds, then close all the windows and hold it for another 5 seconds, do itto the tailgate and moonroof also, no need to disconnect battery, if that dont help, u might need a new battery too.

 

[m@x]

With ignition on, open all windows and hold it open for atleast 5 seconds, then close all the windows and hold it for another 5 seconds, do itto the tailgate and moonroof also, no need to disconnect battery, if that dont help, u might need a new battery too.

By "hold it open" and "hold it closed" - do you mean opening the windows
and releasing the switches or holding them pushed down for five seconds (and vice-verso when closing the windows)?

Do I need to perform this operation on all 4 windows simultaneously or each window separately?

My battery is good. I just made a comparison that at the top when the windows is fully closed, the motor still pushes up and obviously dies, making a sound as if it stopped when the battery was dying.

Can you please confirm that when you lift your driver's window, at the very top you hear the relay click and the motor stops working even if you continue to hold the window switch in the "close" position?

Thanks!!!

 

[m@x]

Sounds like your window needs to be re-initialized or whatever it's called.

Try disconnecting and reconnecting your battery to drain the memory and then run the window all the way down and back up. This should tell the motor the limits of travel.

If that does not help, it may be the window mechanism or micro switch that is not working properly.

Thanks Greydog,

Is there a micro switch present in 4 gens? I've been trying to find any references to it... Found just the 3rd gens...

 

[riceandpho]

just open the window, push the switch down and hold it till the window is fully open, and hold for 5 secs, then do the same when closing, must do it to all windows to reinitialize everything.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Try initializing first and see if that helps. Otherwise the motor may be failed/failing internally (possible micro switch depending on how Jam Protection is used on this vehicle), some systems use the motor's natural tendency to ramp up current when it reaches resistance as a way to determine if it is in fact jamming against something; some use a micro switch. Couldn't honestly tell you which is which as I don't cut open the motors, let alone replace them often.

 

[m@x]

just open the window, push the switch down and hold it till the window is fully open, and hold for 5 secs, then do the same when closing, must do it to all windows to reinitialize everything.

Thanks for the info. I tried that on the driver's side window only. It didn't work. Unless I am doing something wrong.
The key is in the position when all the dash lights and the radio turn on.
The door is closed. I am in the car.
Then I open the window by pushing the switch. The window is completely down and I keep holding the switch down for 5-6 seconds.
Then I pull the switch up to close the window. The window is closed now and I keep holding the switch for 5-6 seconds.
Then I release the switch.

Am I missing something? Does the door need to be open? Do I need to remove the key after the initialization?

Thanks again!

 

[m@x]

Try initializing first and see if that helps. Otherwise the motor may be failed/failing internally (possible micro switch depending on how Jam Protection is used on this vehicle), some systems use the motor's natural tendency to ramp up current when it reaches resistance as a way to determine if it is in fact jamming against something; some use a micro switch. Couldn't honestly tell you which is which as I don't cut open the motors, let alone replace them often.

Hi BlackWorksInc,

Glad to see you in my little thread! I tried the steps that riceandpho had suggested, but they didn't work for me unfortunately. Unless I did something wrong (check my post from above)..
Is there any documentation that describes the operation of the window regulators on 4gen t4r's?
Should I try to put a paper towel roll between the window and the frame and test the "auto up" to see if jam protection works? Would these results yield any conclusions regarding my limiting switch?

Thanks!

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Hi BlackWorksInc,

Glad to see you in my little thread! I tried the steps that riceandpho had suggested, but they didn't work for me unfortunately. Unless I did something wrong (check my post from above)..
Is there any documentation that describes the operation of the window regulators on 4gen t4r's?
Should I try to put a paper towel roll between the window and the frame and test the "auto up" to see if jam protection works? Would these results yield any conclusions regarding my limiting switch?

Thanks!

If I have some free time at work tomorrow, I will see if I can get you some more information to work with.

 

[riceandpho]

On the driver side switch, theres a momentary and a auto, have you comfirm u pushed it all the way down and pull all the way up, some just think they had it all the way down but it wasnt yet. Lightly tap it and you see what i mean, first tap is momentary and the second push is the auto part. Must hold the auto all the way to reinitialize the window jam protection.

 

[riceandpho]

 

[m@x]

Thank you very much for all your effort riceandpho.

I did exactly what you said but no luck. However, when I was making a video of what the problem was and how I tried to initialize the window, weird things started happening:

The window started moving very lowly as if the battery was dying, although it wasn't - the same behavior with the car running. Then the window would slowly stop in the middle, hen it would go up with normal speed and down slowly, then vice-verso. I freaked out that I broke something. Shut the car down. Started it back again. Now the windows worked just fine as it was before. I can hear the relay switch when the window is fully down, but still no upper limit "click"...

Max

 

[riceandpho]

Either theres a damage inside the door thats obstructing the window, or something is misalligned, u can try cleaning out the channel first and lube it up with silicone, sounds like it could be dry too and dirty.

 

[m@x]

Either theres a damage inside the door thats obstructing the window, or something is misalligned, u can try cleaning out the channel first and lube it up with silicone, sounds like it could be dry too and dirty.

Opened the door today and removed the regulator with the motor. All clean and lubed. detached the motor from the regulator, connected it to power and pulled the switch "up" to spin the motor for 4 seconds (or 6 full revolutions). This is the procedure to reinitialize the motor. Attached it back to the regulator, put everything back together. Lifted and lowered the window 3 times.
Auto-pinch sets up properly but my problem is not gone:

4Gen 4Runner window regulator operation. Normal or not? - YouTube

Also, when I follow your procedure by pushing and pulling the witch all the way (auto), then no changes are observed.
However, if I start doing the same thing (up/down, hold for 5 seconds) in manual mode, then the window starts acting crazy, as I described above - it stops half way up or down, as if there wasn't enough juice to operate it. I would have believed it, but it does the same thing when going down. Then I release the switch, push it again and the windows goes on full speed. Then is goes crazy again.. 0_0
But no misalignments or dirt. Could it be the motor going nuts?

Max