Power window fuse

[masanders]

Alright...I'm new to this whole forum thing so any help/redirection would be appreciated!

Recently my driver's side power window regulator got stuck(?) while it was completely down. Checked the fuse (30a) and it was blown. I've had this issue before so I bought three fuses and blew two of them within 5 minutes. I should buy stock in fuses! Rather than waste the last fuse trying to get the window to come back up I took my truck to a Ford dealership to get it looked at (figured it was a short in the wiring).

I left my truck there yesterday with a blown 30a fuse and the window down. I picked up my truck today and there was a 60a fuse in it's place and the window up.

Now the question is this...Is this safe? If so, cool. If not...WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!? Oh...and the dealership had the nerve to say it would cost me $650 to fix everything. Not on my watch!

I pulled the fuse out just in case.

2006 Ford Ranger XLT
Regular cab
Long bed



Mark

 

[RonD]

Welcome to TRS

Wow, that's a dealership story.

The 60amp fuse is technically OK since it would blow with a direct short, a penny stuck in there would be a cause for concern, lol.

But seems like an odd fix.

So just to be clear, the window rolled down OK, didn't drop or act funny recently.
And when you tried to roll it up it wouldn't, and we assume that's when the fuse blew.

And when you put in another 30amp fuse it was OK until you tried to roll up the window?
or did it just blow when inserted

If it didn't just blow did you try rolling up and down the other window, before trying the stuck one?

Here is the wiring diagram for the 2006 Power Windows, PDF below.

I think the issue is probably in the Smart Junction Box(SJB) which is why the $650 price tag because the whole SJB needs to be swapped out.

If trying to use either power window caused 30 amp fuse to blow or if 30 amp fuse just blew as soon as it was inserted then SJB issue.

You may be able to find one at a wrecker, needs to be same year and options.
Here is why: http://www.fordrangerforum.com/interior-tech/87655-swapped-sjb-2007-ranger.html

60amp fuse "should be" fine to leave in, worse case is an insurance fire
Joking, fuse would blow before that.

 

[masanders]

Welcome to TRS

Wow, that's a dealership story.

The 60amp fuse is technically OK since it would blow with a direct short, a penny stuck in there would be a cause for concern, lol.

But seems like an odd fix.

So just to be clear, the window rolled down OK, didn't drop or act funny recently.
And when you tried to roll it up it wouldn't, and we assume that's when the fuse blew.

And when you put in another 30amp fuse it was OK until you tried to roll up the window?
or did it just blow when inserted

If it didn't just blow did you try rolling up and down the other window, before trying the stuck one?

Here is the wiring diagram for the 2006 Power Windows, PDF below.

I think the issue is probably in the Smart Junction Box(SJB) which is why the $650 price tag because the whole SJB needs to be swapped out.

If trying to use either power window caused 30 amp fuse to blow or if 30 amp fuse just blew as soon as it was inserted then SJB issue.

You may be able to find one at a wrecker, needs to be same year and options.
Here is why: http://www.fordrangerforum.com/interior-tech/87655-swapped-sjb-2007-ranger.html

60amp fuse "should be" fine to leave in, worse case is an insurance fire
Joking, fuse would blow before that.

Thanks for the response!

The play by play is this: I went out to put silicone spray lube in the window tracks and lithium spray grease in the track that holds the pivot arm (horrible description) on the regulator to reduce friction and load on the motor. I pressed the down window switch, put the window all the way down (30a fuse was still ok at this point). The passenger window still worked at this point...I know because I accidentally hit the switch for that side and partially rolled the window down, then back up (30a fuse still ok).

It was only when I tried pressing the drivers side switch up that the 30a fuse blew. Two blown fuses later and I'm at the dealership. The fuses only blew when I pressed the window switch for the drivers side...pressed the up side of the switch.

When I picked up my truck from the dealership, I absentmindedly put the windows down slightly before rolling them back up. When I got home I checked the fuse to find it was a 60a and it was completely intact, not blown.

SJB...never heard of it before now. Man I hope that's not it.

 

[Spott]

It's best to have a 30A fuse in there. The wiring is sized so that the correct factory-sized fuse is the weak link in the circuit, and if you put in a larger fuse then the wiring may not be able to carry that much current safely before the fuse blows.

If the circuit still blows 30A fuses then the dealership didn't fix the problem; they merely concealed it. The tech who installed a 60A fuse doesn't know what he's doing and is a severe liability to the brand.

 

[RonD]

Prior to the SJB Rangers had the GEM(generic electronic module), it was the master control "brain" for all cab electrics, including power windows.

These types of control systems are called "Body Computers" all manufacturers now use these.

Since the 60amp fuse allows the windows to work I doubt it is a wiring issue, i.e. a wire shorting out, or master switch with a short.

It might be drivers side window motor drawing too many amps, either from motor itself being bad or regulator being bad(binding).

Put window all the way up, turn key off
Remove the door panel and then unplug the motor wire.
Put in 30amp fuse instead of 60 amp
Put digital volt meter probes into power side of motors plug(side that goes to the switch)
Key on
Press the up and down buttons for that window, you should see +12volts then -12volts, depending on UP or DOWN
Hold button on UP for 30 seconds, same for DOWN, see if fuse blows(power will go off)
Also while doing the above, move the door farther open and closed to see if there might be a problem in the wires that go thru the rubber boot in the door jamb, that is a wear point for the wires rubbing against each other.

Switch volt meter to OHMs, 200 ohms if available, measure motors OHMs
Should be about 2 ohms, which would be a 6 amp draw
12volts/2ohms = 6 amps

If it is 1 ohm then 12/1 = 12amps

Hook motor wires back up and test if fuse blows while rolling window down only.
If not test if rolling window up causes fuse to blow, if so then replace regulator and motor, wrecking yard unit is fine.

 

[masanders]

Alright...turns out it was the wire set leading into the regulator motor. It had gotten chewed up by the regulator gear teeth on the arm.

Replaced the whole setup. Routed the wires FAR away from the teeth. Shouldn't have anymore problems.

Thanks guys!


Mark

2006 Ford Ranger XLT
2.3L
Long Bed
Flowmaster exhaust
K&N intake filter

She may not run 10's in the 1/4 mile...but she's my baby!

 

[RonD]

Good work

Thanks for posting the fix