VX Power windows not working at all - relays/fuses OK

[WakoMako]

Hey guys, trying to figure out what on earth is going on with the power windows on a VX SS.

None of them work, either from the master switch or the individual ones at the rear.

Bought a new master switch to no avail. Used a multimeter to see if any power running to the cable and socket going into the master switch and no voltage at all.

Tested all the fuses and relays, they all good. Swapped fuses and relays around just to troubleshoot and no dice. Such as the 3 x 20 amp circuit breaker fuses in the cabin for the power windows, power seat and sunroof. Each fuse worked for the power seat controls and sunroof but not the power windows.

I do find that the 20 amp fuse that sits in the power window socket does get hot when the car is on. I am just thinking its gotta be something behind there I can't see for no windows to be working, something is tripping it out.

 

[krusing]

Fuse gets hot,
That indicates there is a switch or relay permanently active,
(Sounds like a Relay that is active) and drawing a bit of current)

If something is tripped out, the fuse would be cold.

 

[RiffRaffMama]

None of them work, either from the master switch or the individual ones at the rear.

Have you only recently bought this car, or have you owned it a while and this has all of a sudden happened?
If you bought it this way, ask the previous owner what the go is. If the relay its on operates other things (I'm too lazy to find a relay map) and the windows had become a problem, it's possible that the windows were disconnected inside the doors (behind the cards, down the bottom of the doors) so the relay could continue operating the other things without the windows being a pain in the a*se.

Bought a new master switch to no avail. Used a multimeter to see if any power running to the cable and socket going into the master switch and no voltage at all.

Broken wire?

I do find that the 20 amp fuse that sits in the power window socket does get hot when the car is on. I am just thinking its gotta be something behind there I can't see for no windows to be working, something is tripping it out.

I recently had to troubleshoot a door on a Corolla that was not unlocking. Needless to say, seeing inside the door was almost impossible with a torch.
What I did was get a short strip of LED lights, like this:

and lowered it into the inside of the door through the slot at the top of the door where the window comes out. Instant illumination of the inner workings of the door and I could move it around easily. They cost stuff-all and are available everywhere from Coles to KMart and could be easily slipped down into any awkward place in the engine bay or whatever to see what's going on. Might help you get a better view of places to check.

(Oh and yes, I fixed the Corolla door, thanks for asking. One part of the mechanism that lifts the latch was seized. Bit of Lot of WD40 later and it was working again.)

 

[WakoMako]

Have you only recently bought this car, or have you owned it a while and this has all of a sudden happened?
If you bought it this way, ask the previous owner what the go is. If the relay its on operates other things (I'm too lazy to find a relay map) and the windows had become a problem, it's possible that the windows were disconnected inside the doors (behind the cards, down the bottom of the doors) so the relay could continue operating the other things without the windows being a pain in the a*se.

Broken wire?

I recently had to troubleshoot a door on a Corolla that was not unlocking. Needless to say, seeing inside the door was almost impossible with a torch.
What I did was get a short strip of LED lights, like this: View attachment 253313
and lowered it into the inside of the door through the slot at the top of the door where the window comes out. Instant illumination of the inner workings of the door and I could move it around easily. They cost stuff-all and are available everywhere from Coles to KMart and could be easily slipped down into any awkward place in the engine bay or whatever to see what's going on. Might help you get a better view of places to check.

(Oh and yes, I fixed the Corolla door, thanks for asking. One part of the mechanism that lifts the latch was seized. Bit of Lot of WD40 later and it was working again.)

Thank you for the help...

Ive had the car since new, its only become a problem in the last few years, but its hardly driven anymore.

Someone in the family took it to an auto electrician to sort out a front thermo fan issue, other than that, not sure.

There is like a tick noise coming from the fuse box in the cabin, it does indeed sound like its always running or looking for something...

 

[RiffRaffMama]

its hardly driven anymore.

I'm going to say that's likely the problem. I bought my car at auction and it had been sitting around in a used car lot for months. The back windows didn't open and the drivers one was really touchy. All I did was give them a bit of physical therapy. The back windows got freed up and started working when I pushed on them a bit while holding the open button down, they just needed a bit of help freeing up the mechanism. The driver's one is still touchy. I know it's probably just a dirty contact, but I'm too lazy to remove all the screws to hit it with some contact cleaner. That said, I recently had to replace my ignition and I have the matching driver's door barrel, I just haven't installed it yet (you know, screws...), so when I get around to that, I'll probably do it then and be super happy I don't have to put up with the switch any more. In order to get that window up or down I can't just press the button, I have to sort of hover it at the point of operation, like half way between down and normal resting position. So try giving them a push and trying out different clicky actions with the buttons.

 

[RiffRaffMama]

Ok, so I've just looked and the windows are on the same fuse as the door locks and the antenna (what a weird combination), so how are your door locks and antenna?
Also, there's only meant to be a 15A fuse in that position, not a 20A. So who changed it and why? Usually suggests it kept throwing fuses if someone upgraded it.