Windows not working

Tiny
FLY4LIV
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 JEEP CHEROKEE
I have a problem with my vehicle it has a six cylinder, all wheel drive automatic, 52,000 miles. None of the windows function, the drivers door lock, or either mirror. The car is behaving as if the door is open when it is shut. The interior lights remain on, but the computer does not say the door is open. I detailed the interior of the car and the following day this problem began. I thought I got Armor-all in the switch, so I bought electrical contact cleaner and tried to clean the switch. I was wondering if anyone can give me some ideas? Also, if anyone knows if I must remove the door panel to access the switch or if I can just remove the plastic trim? I plan on checking for loose wires next.

Thanks
Friday, February 29th, 2008 AT 9:16 AM

50 Replies

Tiny
RTDIXON
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
My vehicle developed the exact problem. I fixed a broken wiring in the door near the door jam where it goes through to the body and into the car. It will flex there until the wire breaks. Its an easy fix just remove the door panel and check it out. Here is a guide to get the door panel off:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/door-panel-removal

Here is a window wiring diagram so you can tell which wire does what.

Please let us know what happens.

Cheers
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Saturday, March 8th, 2008 AT 6:33 PM
Tiny
FLY4LIV
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I have not had a chance to pull my door panel off yet, hopefully next week. Someone else I spoke with said he had the same problem. After replacing the window switch and latch system all he did was lose his money. He told me he brought it to the dealer to look at it. He said they had to repair the wire harness going into the drivers door. They told him it was a loose wire. No major parts were used, but it still cost him over $400.00. I intend to pull the panel off and use a multi-meter to check the power supply and continuity off the wires. I will let you know what I find when I get a chance to do this.
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Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 AT 5:13 PM
Tiny
MSBCOMPUTER
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I just fixed this kind of problem. Check the black wire between the door and the body inside the rubber boot. The boot comes off the door rather easy, but putting it back into place is hard. I soldered the wires and was back in business in under thirty minutes and another thirty minutes to figure out how to get the boot back on. It will go back on using a screw driver (to hold the plastic door piece away from the door) and a tiny pair of needle-nose pliers. Good luck!
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+55
Sunday, April 27th, 2008 AT 4:46 PM
Tiny
FLY4LIV
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I finally fixed it today. It was the orange and white power feed located in the rubber boot between the door and body. After removing the boot to check the wires I noticed the wire was cut clean through. It was not rubbing on anything or kinking so I am not sure why it broke, but it did. I slid some heat shrink over it soldered it together then covered it with the heat shrink. Problem solved, all is working fine. It took about forty minutes total.

Hope this helps someone else.
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+45
Thursday, May 29th, 2008 AT 11:48 AM
Tiny
THREID
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
My son purchased his 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee from a dealer and immediately the power windows/doors stopped working. The dealer would not help him. I decided to Google the problem and found this page. Sure enough the black wire inside the door harness was broken. I simply spliced it back together, soldered the connection, taped over, and reinstalled the boot. It solved the problem along with a few other gremlins. Total cost was $10.00 for a cheap solder iron. I love this website and those who maintain it.
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Saturday, December 20th, 2008 AT 1:26 PM
Tiny
ANIMALFARM
  • MEMBER
  • 58 POSTS
Love the website, too! Keep passing on those solutions, we need all the help we can get to save our hard-earned cash!
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Saturday, December 20th, 2008 AT 1:40 PM
Tiny
HELLOCHICAGO
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
You guys and this site are amazing. Same problem here. I checked fuses, and was about to order a new switch hen I found this site. I opened the door, pulled back the rubber wiring boot, and there was the problem. Both the black and the orange/white wires were both completely severed half way into the boot. It was a little awkward to work with, but I made due with needle nosed pliers, electrical tape, and a knife to clean the plastic casings off the wires to splice them together. Works like a champ again. Side note: these wires mysteriously broke over the last couple of weeks during some of Chicago's coldest winter days (multiple zero degree days). Being that these were the two thickest wires in the cluster of about seven or so, sounds to me that they just got a little brittle and broke with the cold winter temperatures. Cheers.
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Sunday, February 8th, 2009 AT 1:22 PM
Tiny
KLLAVAS
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I had the same problem with the black wire being completely cut. Spliced together and almost everything is fine. My initial problem is that the rear passenger window did not work. I took it to the dealership and they replaced the driver's power switch module and then said oops, it was the front passenger switch module that need to be replaced. Will I have to remove the entire door panel to do this myself?
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Thursday, October 15th, 2009 AT 9:10 AM
Tiny
SPM04
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Thank you so much for posting this solution. My local garage wanted to charge me $175.00 per hour just to join that black wire. As soon as I opened the boot the problem was staring me in the face. It took me twenty minutes to fix it. As for returning the boot the white plastic fitting can easily be removed from the door by pinching the top and bottom together. Takes only a minute to return the boot to its white frame and it then simply pushes back into the hole in the door. Thanks for saving me a fortune.
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+17
Monday, July 19th, 2010 AT 6:02 AM
Tiny
DIDITMYSELF
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Okay, I took our 2004 Jeep to the dealership today to get the wiring harness fixed and was I received a quote of $210.00 plus labor. Stop I can repair it myself. I went to an auto part store and purchased some twelve gauge wire and butt connectors for the twelve gauge wire (we cut the rubber boot) and jump the black wire (which is the one that breaks most commonly) or all of them, making sure to connect them each to their own color. The repair cost us twelve dollars for the parts to fix an error on Jeep's part!

The end!
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+11
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011 AT 10:01 PM
Tiny
MISTERG
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Same thing with my 2004 Grand Cherokee. I had wires break in both front doors. There should be a recall on the wiring harnesses, this has happened to a lot of Jeep owners. There is a flaw in the design of these harnesses. Today my right rear window went down and now I cant get it to go up. I am going to try to replace the switch. I will post about it after replace it to let you know if it works.
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Thursday, June 28th, 2012 AT 2:54 AM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
See if this post helps.

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/2000-jeep-grand-cherokee-has-lost-its-mind

Especially the last responses towards the end.

THE MEDIC
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Thursday, June 28th, 2012 AT 1:11 PM
Tiny
COREYJG
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I had that issue with my 2004 Grand Cherokee, just as one post here mentioned, it was the thicker orange with white wire within the rubber boot at the driver door hinge. It looked like it was cut clean through and a had a four inch gap between the two ends, almost looked like they were never connected. I ran jumper wire to the two ends and it worked right away!
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+7
Sunday, July 15th, 2012 AT 6:06 PM
Tiny
FUTURELEADER1
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Thank you for providing this information. I had already begun researching pricing and installation of door actuators. That would have been a horrible investment since it would not eliminate my issue. I took the boot off the passenger side door and found one of the wires cut. I stripped both ends and used a boot connector to reconnect them and what do you know my locks are working like a charm. Thank you!
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Friday, January 3rd, 2014 AT 9:31 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
It is so cool how you can submit a question (free or donation).

Or do a little research and you find someone that has had your exact same issue.

Glad to hear you have yours figured out.

Just out of curiosity, how did you go about your quest for an answer? Did it take you long?

And after you found an answer how long did it you to locate and repair the problem?

THE MEDIC
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Saturday, January 4th, 2014 AT 6:07 AM
Tiny
LUCKEE
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
It worked for me. I had to cut the boot. I found the disconnected wire (red and black) I spliced it back together. All works fine now. About seven minutes in the car and about ten minutes on the internet searching a few forums. These forums have save me several thousands of dollars by now on the Jeep, Ford F250, Ford F350 and some others. This alone saved me the brain damage I get just taking something to an auto repair shop. Priceless.
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+5
Monday, July 21st, 2014 AT 10:46 AM
Tiny
KALI9695
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Wow it really worked! My mechanic was going to send me to a electrical mechanic, but I read your answers and sure enough it was actually the orange wire in my case I even showed the mechanic he was very surprised. Thanks guys, you saved me a lot of money. :)
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Monday, July 6th, 2015 AT 3:17 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
You are very welcome!

I found this post a long while back, used the information to aid several others who had submitted a question about the same kind of problem.

Not only do I answer questions I do a lot of reading of answers that might aid my family and friends and educate myself in the process.

Come back to see us.

THE MEDIC
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Monday, July 6th, 2015 AT 3:59 PM
Tiny
JOOMUK
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Similar problem with a 2004 Grand Cherokee. The right side door locks and power windows, key fob lock/unlock no function. Dome light stays on as if the was door open. Troubleshoot by watching overhead console while opening each door. Front passenger door not detected. Inspected wires in door-body boot and found broken black (presumably ground). Insulation also open on power wire. Large stiff wires. I expect them to break again.
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+8
Wednesday, September 9th, 2015 AT 8:12 PM
Tiny
RENEE HAYDEN WHITE
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I am so frustrated I just bought this Jeep Cherokee and I am having the exact same issue. I am disabled with almost no income. I called Jeep and told them about this and said there are thousands of people having this exact same problem why has this not been recalled? I live alone and I am not able to do this repair Jeep said, "well sorry nothing we can do to help you". So here I am praying for a miracle to get this fixed since I have very little money to pay for the repair and I am disgusted with the lack of help from Jeep who claim they know nothing about this problem. I said, "well all I have to do is Google famous Jeep Cherokee electrical issues".
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Friday, June 10th, 2016 AT 12:13 PM

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