Power but no power

**bigmetalglenn** · 08-14-2009, 06:46 PM

Hi i have a 1972 buick sport wagon and i can not raise or lower the electric rear tail gate window. All the fuses work and have power from the orange and black wire but the light blue and light brown nothing. Help glenn

**charles reedy** · 08-15-2009, 08:18 PM

Glen, there is a few things I will need to know. Is the window up or down. Does the key work in the tailgate switch. Is the tailgate slightly ajar. did you check voltage right at the switch or fuse box. windows use circiut breakers, not fuses, did you ohms test the circiut breaker. re-post answers, and I'll walk you through it. Charles.

**bigmetalglenn** · 08-15-2009, 10:59 PM

Hi no power to rear window harness last owner use to use a jumper wire but now nothing. Lock assy. Was broken but i fixed it. No power to front window sw. On dash all fuses have power. Thought it was relay so replaced it nothing changed. Orange wire with black stripe has power all the way from fuse box. Got in there yesterday and was checking some more lt blue wire and tan wire have no power are they supposed to? Window is up the guy gave me both factory books and have been going over ski-matics but i am stumped. Thanks glenn

**charles reedy** · 08-16-2009, 02:03 PM

Glenn, first, check at relay to see if pink wire is powering up. this wire leads to front switch. then check if you have power on red wire at switch.If not, you are losing power from switch to fuse block. If you do have power on red wire at switch, rock the switch while back-probing tan and blue wires. they should power up while you move switch. find out which wire powers up while holding switch in close position. ground this wire and move switch to OPEN POSITION ONLY!! If window still doesn't move, go to tailgate latch. You will find inside tailgate a switch that stops you from opening window with 'gate open. not sure which side it's on, but it will have 2 wires running to it. have someone hold switch in open position, while probing both sides of switch.you should get power going in AND out of switch at the same time. if not, by-pass switch with a piece of wire and check window switch again. If you still have no movement, probe motor in 'gate. if you have power while someone holds switch in down position, you have a burned motor. let me know if you have any luck. Charles

**charles reedy** · 08-16-2009, 02:10 PM

Glenn, I hope you understood about the tailgate SAFETY switch. I meant to say, Have someone hold window switch in open position while you probe SAFETY switch in tailgate for power. Sometimes, I think faster than I can type. Charles

**bigmetalglenn** · 08-16-2009, 05:45 PM

So the tan and blue wires energize when the switch is rocked back and forth. The old owner use to jump the tail gate connector to raise and lower the window. I probe the wires in the gate and have no power,

there is no power going to the harness to the dash switch the pink and the orange wires have power and all the fuses and cir. breaker. thanks for the help. now if there is no power to the gate switch connector then the motor could be burned out right? cant get into the gate with the gate closed and window up. Glenn

**charles reedy** · 08-16-2009, 09:14 PM

Glenn, the power runs from the front switch to the safety switch first. If you probe the switch, with someone holding the window switch in the down position, then you should have power to the safety switch.The safety switch is inside the tailgate, so you have to get the panel off. I'ts not easy,you'll have to crawl into the rear of the wagon,remove retaining screws, and probably the inside handle. then start working the panel from the bottom, lifting up, and you'll get it. Then probe the safety switch while someone moves the window switch. If you still don't have power,follow the wires to where they enter the 'gate, and see if they are broken from years of movement. from here on out, you will need to get a DVM meter and check continuity of the wires leading back to the front of the car. Did you say the tan and blue wires powered up when you rocked the window switch?

**bigmetalglenn** · 08-16-2009, 09:19 PM

Hi have not checked the wires with the switch rocked will check tomarrow.

**charles reedy** · 08-16-2009, 09:29 PM

remember, if you rock the switch, and the tan wire and blue wire light up,remember which wire lights up when you move window switch to CLOSED POSITION. once you do that, ground that wire with a jumper wire to any good ground and move window switch to OPEN POSITION ONLY! if you move the window switch to closed position with jumper wire installed, you will cause a short, so be careful.

**bigmetalglenn** · 08-17-2009, 07:55 PM

The problem is that everything on the car works except the gate. The dash sw works the 3 wire harness that goes to it has no power there is no power coming from the connector that the harness plugs into. The orange and black wire has power from the fuse panel all the way the red wire with a white stripe that goes to the switch harness has no power. So there is no power going to the switch and no power going to the gate. That is what is weird is that everything on the car works all the lights all the fuses key buzzer turn signal everything but no power to the sw. Or gate. Maybe you could call me or i could call you my # is 818-631-4682 and it is verizon. Thanks for the help wireing is not my thing. Glenn