Rear window, defroster, wiper wont' work? Look here!

[p911]

For the past two weeks, my rear window wouldn't go down, the rear defroster wouldn't go on, and the rear wiper and fluid wouldn't work. I check all of the fuses but everything looked ok. I took it to the dealership today, and they told me to try two things:

1. Make sure your rear wiper is in the proper neutral position.

2. Try putting your window up.

The dealer told me that if the window is almost up, but not quite all of the way that it won't go down. If it's not all the way up, the defroster won't work and the wiper won't work because the truck thinks that the window is down.

I went and played with the positioning of the wiper, and then used the button to make sure the window was all the way up (which it seemed to be), and now they all work!

Just wanted to let y'all know how to fix this if you ever have this problem.

Bingo!! I just went through same. Sprayed electronic cleaner into switch, checked fuse and relay, all ok. Hmm, I says, better check the forum. Turns out the window was down just slightly. I put it down and up, ran the rear wiper and turned it off mid-cycle to make sure it parked neutral and bingo, the defroster works fine! It was the first morning I needed it and had to hunt down a scraper. Thanks for the tip!

 

[smurph]

Worked great. As others stated - rolled it down a wee bit, then back up again. Everything works again. This, after fixing the door latch as it wouldn’t stay engaged in the locked position after the motor activated. Lived the slider pin inside and all good. Love the forums.

 

[FFpeepers]

Your in lockdown mode..Complete LOCKDOWN
Just had the same thing happen to my 03' 4runner SR5. Two days of completely freaking out til ...I read so much that i started reading between the lines of the repair manuel.

What you need is 2 keys
1 key goes in the ignition and turn it to "ON"
2nd key goes in the rear hatch door using it to work all the functions of the rear door. Do the typical turn and hold down turn hold up etc etc.

Why 2 keys? cause its a safety mechanism as if a child was stuck in the door it will noit come out of that mode until two keys are used assuming two people are verifying everything is ok..and walah

Just took mine to a local shop to have them look after not figuring it out. I will have to pick it up and try both keys.

 

[tan5635]

Thanks. It's worked like champ.

 

[Snakeyes]

Thank you!

Bought a 2020 Venture edition. The rear defrost stopped working (which also meant the side view mirrors wouldn't defrost), causing a safety issue. Thank you for suggesting to roll the rear window down and up, which then caused the rear defrost to work again.

It is appreciated those who provide helpful information on this forum - all I can say is, thank you.

 

[Badbert]

Thank you for the tip

 

[Mdervisholli1108]

I have read through here and i am having the same problem nothing on the back window works ( defrost, wiper or window rolling down)! I have moved the wiper around to different positions and I believe it is in the right position. When I hit the button inside to roll the window down I can hear a click and that is it! please help lol

I have the same situation. I changed all the fuses, disconnected battery, tried resetting everything but still the same issue.

 

[Mdervisholli1108]

I know this is an old thread.....I am new so I have to have a few replies before I can post a new thread. At any rate.

I cannot get my rear window up or down the rear wiper will not go on....I do hear a click when I try to lower the window.......but to no avail. Any suggestions?

Not sure if the rear defrost is working.....the light comes on the front dash when I push it. Also the rear door light is not coming on when switched to the "on" position........not sure if this pertains to the same circuit or not.

I’m having the same issue with my 2004, I replaced all the fuses but that did not work, I made sure that the window lock button was depressed and that the rear windshield wiper blade was off and in its resting position. I unhooked the battery and tried resetting the ECU but that didn’t work either. My next option is going to be to check the wires in the hatch, I took a quick glance at them and saw no cuts or cracks but I will be digging deeper by getting inside. I’m also going to check the motor as well as the wiper blade motor to see if they have any power. I hope you figure it out. Good luck!!

 

[Cdemoure]

Rear window won't roll down

I purchased my 05 4runner sr5 in 2020. When I got it the rear window wouldn't roll down, wiper didn't work, along with the defrost. After 2 years of searching I finally got the wiper and defrost to work by resetting the relay.. I took off the panel on the tailgate to see what the issue with the window was. I attached pictures of what I found. Basically from what I'm guessing is previous owner had issue with the window mounts if that's the right term. They screwed in 2 blocks of wood to hold window in place. My question is what do I need to replace to have the window functioning?

 

[smithj33]

Your in lockdown mode..Complete LOCKDOWN
Just had the same thing happen to my 03' 4runner SR5. Two days of completely freaking out til ...I read so much that i started reading between the lines of the repair manuel.

What you need is 2 keys
1 key goes in the ignition and turn it to "ON"
2nd key goes in the rear hatch door using it to work all the functions of the rear door. Do the typical turn and hold down turn hold up etc etc.

Why 2 keys? cause its a safety mechanism as if a child was stuck in the door it will n oit come out of that mode until two keys are used assuming two people are verifying everything is ok..and walah

You just saved me a trip to the dealer. 3 years ago I installed a radio in the wife's 08 and the window, defrost and wiper stopped working. I have looked through so many posts on and off for the past 3 years and you are the first I see with the 2 key method. Wiper and defrost now work, window now works from the hatch key hole and only down works from the remote. Dash button doesn't work either, but the wife is super happy. Thanks! I'll figure out the other things later.

 

[arby19]

Well, all of this is quite amusing but I have the same problems. I just had a new battery installed and everything on the back hatch doesn't work including my side-view mirrors defrosters. My rear wiper, license plate lights, and rear window defroster. But unlike you guys, my model is not a Limited with a roll-down rear window. Mine is a SR Sport and the rear window is fixed. Anyone have a solution?

 

[T4panther]

Rear defroster and wiper wasn't working

I read that to make sure the window is all the way up. I opened it a bit and closed it, now the defroster and wiper work. I'm so happy that's all it was. I've spent $4500 on my 4Runner this year. Can't afford anything else happening lol.

 

[AuSeeker]

Well, all of this is quite amusing but I have the same problems. I just had a new battery installed and everything on the back hatch doesn't work including my side-view mirrors defrosters. My rear wiper, license plate lights, and rear window defroster. But unlike you guys, my model is not a Limited with a roll-down rear window. Mine is a SR Sport and the rear window is fixed. Anyone have a solution?

All T4Rs have a roll down back window, so you must have a different model Toyota and not T4R!

 

[Wijan]

Same thing here

I’m having the exact same issue with my 2000 Limited 4x4, and it’s been frustrating trying to track down the cause. Like you, I’ve replaced the air filter, changed the spark plugs, and even cleaned the MAF sensor, but the problem persists. From what I’ve read and experienced, it could be a failing fuel pump, clogged fuel filter, or a throttle position sensor (TPS) issue. A weak fuel pump might not be delivering enough pressure under load, causing the engine to bog down when you give it more throttle. I’m planning to check my fuel pressure next to see if that’s the issue. Have you looked into that yet? Let me know if you’ve found a fix—I’d love to get this sorted out!

 

[punk3rz]

Still helping people 10 years later. Thanks.