Window switch keeps shorting out?

CHRIS001

MEMBER
2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA
1.4L
V8
2WD
AUTOMATIC
23,600 MILES

I have a 2003 Grand Marquis and the driver side window and the right back passenger window will not roll down. I replaced the switch. It worked a few times then sparked and shorted out again and it caused the same windows not to work. Something electrical shorted it out like burned it up. It keeps doing that every time I replace the switch. What could cause this?

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

The best place to look is at the wires where they run between the driver's door hinges. Pull the boot back and check for broken or frayed wires. If you find that, I'll describe how I handle it. If the wires are okay there, check at the other doors too.

A short should cause the circuit breaker to trip. If the excessive arcing is taking out a switch, it is likely someone replaced that circuit breaker with something else, or the contacts have welded themselves together. That's an auto-resetting thermal circuit breaker. Once tripped, it will cool down and reset usually within a half minute or so.

If you don't find a problem with the wires, I'll put together a set of instruction I use for diagnosing shorts so you don't have to waste a lot of fuses. Let me know what you come up with.