I have a problem with the R-rear window on my 2008 Ram. Just started the other day, is there any quick fix anyone might have run across. It worked one day and not the next??? It won't work from the drivers panel or R-rear door switch. Before I take the door panel off I thought I would try all our experts here on the forum. Thanks

 

Gonna have to take that door panel off and the drivers door panel off too... then check everything with a multimeter. Have fun.

 

Yeah the door panel will have to come off you can tap on the window motor and see if it starts working if it does its the motor. If its not the motor make sure you check the power and ground to the motor with a head light bulb to make sure you are gitting volts and amps.

 

or just use a Multimeter.... a bulb will just tell you there is voltage.. won't tell you how much.

I am betting that one of the switches went bad.

 

Yes he should use a multimeter to see how many volts but he should also put a load on the circuit witch is why he should also use a headlight bulb. You can have 12 volts at the motor but when a load is applied a bad connection can break down.

 

Well I will take the door panels off tomorrow. It was working and just stopped, so I hope it has a bad contact of some kind. I will post my findings..

 

Before you pull the door panel, wiggle the boot that goes from the cab into the door as you try to move the window...you very well could have a broken wire there.

 

Yes, but putting a 35W or 55W headlight bulb will cause any window circuit to look like it has failed... as nearly all window motors are between 10 and 20 watts, so you will only get the bulb to light up dim, if at all. He's better off using a smaller bulb for a reverse light or a turn signal light, not a headlight bulb. The problem with this method is that the motor will already be "loading" the circuit if it has failed, so you are just effectively testing that there is enough current to turn the bulb on, not enough current to run a motor.

If you want to "load" a circuit like this you will need a load tester, but you have to be VERY careful on HOW you load it, as you can definitely burn out the switches and/or other components if you do not do it correctly.

This is why you should not "load" a window motor circuit without knowing what you are doing.

If you have an ammeter (to measure current) that would be a way better alternative.

You will need to measure the current over the motor leads while you press the window switch up/down, that will tell you if it is a motor problem.

Now back to basic electronics here, if a motor is bad, the most common failure is generally that it will draw excessive amperage and cause a fuse to blow. Since that has not happened we only have a few options left, the next most common is that the motor will turn on and off every 2-30 seconds (depends on motor) and you will see the amperage go up and down accordingly.

Or the motor could be "open" which means no current will flow through it.

Window motors don't fail all that frequently, so that is why I am more inclined to believe it is one of the switches or possibly a wire that is loose or damaged somewhere.

Check the switches first... and if you have access to another Dodge Ram with a known good switch you can always try to switch the known good one in.

 

I am going to disagree with you on using a head light it will work just fine if the circuit is good. I have used a head light to check alot of window motor circuits and it has saved my butt more then once. A head light will load the circuit enough to make sure the switches are good and that there are no bad connections. I have found that the most common problem is a open\bad motor but switches are the 2nd most common.

 

idk in the years that I've been doing all kinds of mobile electronics installs, and my MECP certification have taught me, first failure point is the switch as it sees the most wear and tear, next is the motor.

My professional engineering experience also leads me to believe a switch before the motor, but hey it's not my truck and I can't reach through the screen to check it out, so it could be anything.