Help with electric windows - PLEASE

[Ted_sd]

The electric windows on my 88 Camry have been acting up for some time - sort of querky.

Passenger rear door can be opened by driver (and passenger) but can only be closed by the rear passenger.

Driver side rear window can only be controlled by passenger.

Driver window can only be operated when door is closed.

Any ideas?

Thanks Ted

88 LE
Orignal owner
235K

[mk2-1jz]

take apart your main switch pack on your drivers door. Carefully pry it apart and clean the copper contacts with electric contact cleaner and steel wool. This might solve half of your problems.... let me know how it goes.

I had similar problems with my car, but i took apart every switch and cleaned the contacts, now they work like new, a little slow though... compared to newer cars... i never thought to ask anyone else if that was normal, so here goes. are your power windows a bit sluggish?

[Ted_sd]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Yes they are sluggish.

How difficult is it to remove (and replace) the control switches? Do you just pry them out? Anything tricky to it?
How did you clean the contacts?

[mk2-1jz]

you dont have to replace anything unless its broken... the actual control switch on the drivers door is a bit of a pain to get apart, get a tiny flat head screw driver and pry the clips away from the plastic body, careful with the plastic it cracks easily... once you get in and pull the switches off (carefully) youll see the contacts im talking about. each switch has 2 contacts, 1 for up and 1 for down, its a thin bent copper contact, take some steel wool and scrub the crap off of them. if you have contact cleaner or break cleaner spray them too. Try this first before prying apart all the switches in the doors. if you've got more questions I'll try to help you out,

later, Jamie

[toyomoho]

Take a look at the wiring between the drivers door and frame. This wiring can become damaged with frequent door usage.

[Doctor J]

Let me re-post my reply:Based on your description, I would suggest to check the ground wire in the driver's door becacuse it affects the operation of the master window switch.
For a quick check:
Pull the master switch out, leave the wires connected
Obtain 12v test light and jumper wire with alligator clips on both ends.
Clip the test light to the good ground
Turn ignition ON, do not start the engine
Now probe the BLUE wire (thick one) on the master switch connector
If the light is on, the power is supplied to the switch (the fuse is ok)
Next attach one end of jumper to the white wire with black strip (located next to the blue wire) and other end to the good ground. Try the windows --if they are working, repair the ground (white /blk wire)or connector.

[mk2-1jz]

Do you also think that this could be the reason why the windows are so slow? All mine work fine now, it just takes forever for them to roll up

[car_boy_16]

How would you test to see what the cause is when all of your windows and lock switches work except for the front passenger window (including the main switch and the switch on the front passenger door--they won't activate the window at all)? I took my master switch off the driver's door and took off the black plastic cover on the back to reveal the copper contacts and misc guts, I didn't clean it, but it all looked pretty dry and clean.

I tried to test each set of contacts to see the continuity, but in the downloaded factory manual for the Camry that we have, the pin-out arrangement for the master switch is different than my '88. I think the manual is for the 1990 Camry (?) or some other year that doesn't match mine. My pin-out, I believe, looks like this:

- -1__.- -
11..__ - -
- - ...1- -


How would I test to see if the switches are working, cuz when I tried it I didn't get any cool numbers jumping, I just got like a "-1." on my multimeter, and that was using the 200 ohm and 2k ohm ranges to make sure I was in range--I don't know lol.

WHERE do you learn how to use a multimeter?! I can't find anything on the internet, no classes that I know of teach it except maybe auto tech and engineering...but seriously where would a normal joe go to learn how to use a multimeter?

[Doctor J]

When no window control is pushed, all smal pins (except two for the power lock) are connected to the ground.I suggest that first the switch has to be tested as I described.
Slow operation could be due to low battery /bad ground post/ high resistance in supply circuit.

[mk2-1jz]

I know for sure its not my battery, and when you say ground post, you mean the main engine ground that grounds the motor and the battery? Also how would I diagnose a high resistance level in that circuit?

[Ted_sd]

Do you have a link or web address for a downloadable factory manual for a 88 LE?

[atobe]

look in the sticky !

[car_boy_16]

Originally Posted by atobe

look in the sticky !

Aparently the 1990 Camry manual has different pinouts than the 1988 Camry does. Maybe it was OBD1 to the 88's OBD0?

[Doctor J]

to 88camrycrazy:The ground post is the bolt under left kick panel.
the voltage drop test will reveal the points of high resistance, refer to www.autoshop101.com for electrical terminology.

[Ted_sd]

OK - where's the sticky?