2019 Window malfunction Fixed

[pyrophilus]

I have posted 20 days ago, but I had picked up a 2019 GT on Dec. 8th of this year (2020).
The dealer I picked up the car from had washed the vehicle and detailed it. Everything was fine until a few days later. The temperature had gone below 36ºC. The symptom:

I press down on driver's side window, and window goes down fine.
pressing up will not make the window do anything, except when I release the switch, the window will actually drop a 1/4" inch. If I keep trying the up on the switch and let go, it will drop the window another 1/4" every time I try to use the switch.

When the weather is above freezing, no problems.
I took it to my Ford dealer, and the tech saw no codes, but what he did was he held the switch up for more than 10-30 seconds, and then the window decides to go up.

After this, the window works fine, until I turn the car off for long time in the cold, and then when I enter, the same thing. Holding switch up for 20-30 seconds doesn't always make it work, but if I try holding up for 20 sec, nothing happens, so I let go, and then try holding it up for 20-30 seconds, and eventually, the window will start to behave again.

Dealer ordered a new switch assembly, but they were booked for almost a month, so I have an appointment for January 6th to get the switch replaced.

Of course the window started to behave fine but we also had no rain. I had car cover on during snow storm, so no problems with the switch. I pressure washed my car last week, and the next day it was sub-freezing. temps The window crapped out again.

So... I decided to explore the suggestions that were offered from here.

I am sorry that I do not do videos, but because a lot of the parts, I had to guess, I am going to document my process of disassembly and re-assembly so that anyone else could benefit from it.

I tried in vain to remove the door panels. My 2015 panels came off without any tools, just release two 10mm bolts, the two 7mm screws and then pull and it would pop out. This was not to be for the 2019.
I ended up going to Harbor freight and getting these.

The dielectric grease was not from HF, I borrowed it from my 13 year old who got it for his keyboard construction project. I think I initially got it for him from Autozone).

1. Using plastic pry tools, pry up on where the yellow arrows are, to pop out the switch trim.
2. Open the door handle, and while holding it open, use a pick to pull out the back plate (there is a hole on the top corner).

What the plate looks like on the back.

3. Use the long pry tool to reach behind the panel and pop the three white pegs on back and two on front, then swing the panel out from the bottom, while pulling the entire panel up to disengage the "hooks" on the top.
4. disconnect the lock/unlock/memory harness and the door knob light harness (green arrows below).
If you can dislodge the door handle cable, you may do so, but I didn't want to break the plastic clip holding the cable, so I just let the door panel hang.
5. pull back on the top vapor barrier and remove it completely and set aside. Peel the lower vapor barrier away near the speaker (right side in the pic below) to get access.

6. To get best access to the harness, it's best to remove the door speaker. Remove the three screws (green arrows) and unplug the speaker harness (green arrow below ).

7. Window motor harness is behind the upper vapor barrier (green arrow below).

8. I took this photo at the end because I wanted to show how to remove the plug so please excuse the finished dielectric grease. to remove the harness plug, press in on the lower tab, and pull the harnedd straight down.

9. This is the motor end of the plug. Notice it is dripping wet with water.

10. the harness end of the plug with water after the harness was pulled through the speaker opening.
when I tilted the plug after removing it, a lot of water just poured right out.

11. I decided to add some drain holes on the harness plug. Drilling with 1/16th bit.

the back side of the harness

I decided to enlarge the hole with 1/8 in bit

12. packing dielectric grease in the harness plug. I packed it like I was packing wheel bearings.

13. the reconnected harness with dilectric grease oozing out.

It was low 30's while I was doing this, so I haven't tested it.
It will be in low 40';s tomorrow, so I will test this out by using my harbor freight electric pressure washer to wash my car tomorrow.

Hope this helps anyone else that runs into this problem in the future.

Sponsored

 

[cmxPPL219]

I read your original post when you had first brought this up - glad to see you were able to get this working.

So when the dealer washed your car, they somehow got water all over the place and into the harness?

 

[pyrophilus]

I read your original post when you had first brought this up - glad to see you were able to get this working.

So when the dealer washed your car, they somehow got water all over the place and into the harness?

I think the door normally leaks water inside. Upon looking above the connector, I can see dried up mineral deposits. I think this was a regular thing, just exacerbated by using pressure washers.
I pressure washed my '15 and '17 and I have had no problems before. I washed my '19 and I got this problem almost immediately again.

My guess is that some yahoo building these cars is not setting some seal perfectly and the seals may have but a small tolerance for match up or they can spring a small leak? I say that because not all mustangs display this (certainly not my '15 EB and '17 EB).

I would like to do this as a prophylactic measure to the passenger side door, but it was dang cold when I was doing this and I cut my hand up a few times. Maybe another day.

 

[cmxPPL219]

I think the door just leaks water inside. Upon looking above the connector, I can see dried up mineral deposits. I think this was a regular thing, just exacerbated by using pressure washers.
I pressure washed my '15 and '17 and I have had no problems before. I washed my '19 and I got this problem almost immediately again.

My guess is that some yahoo building these cars is not setting some seal perfectly and the seals may have but a small tolerance for match up or they can spring a small leak? I say that because not all mustangs display this (certainly not my '15 EB and '17 EB).

I would like to do this as a prophylactic measure to the passenger side door, but it was dang cold when I was doing this and I cut my hand up a few times. Maybe another day.

Gotcha. You may be right about some seal not setting or aligning properly, because this isn't a common thing that I've seen, and like you said, you went through 2 of these cars of this platform before seeing this issue on your third. This sounds like an assembly workmanship issue here for sure.

Anyway, glad to see you tackling this head on

I followed your posts about taking delivery, and nothing is worse than coming across a problem on a brand new car you just took delivery of.

 

[Elp_jc]

Let us know if it worked. I bet it will . No need to change any switches is my guess. Hope my car doesn't develop that, but at least now we know what it is if we get the same symptoms. And thank you for the detailed instructions.

 

[kodioneill]

That's one nice write up. You should make manuals for cars.

 

[pyrophilus]

That's one nice write up. You should make manuals for cars.

Haha, thank you. I am not one of the folks who will soup up my car (I wasn't even looking for a PP1 car, just a GT Premium, so no need to increase the performance).

But I will probably do my best to try to keep the car looking factory new, and small repairs. I am hoping to contribute to this forum in that way.

My one "mod" will be to add seat heaters to back seats. I will do a similar write up on that. Already playing with design for the switch housing in Inventor (3D CAD).

Saw the "slim remote" thread and nothing materialized. I have some extra 15-17 remote (manual) around. I may try to make slim remotes for folks here as I teach 3D CAD on the side.

 

[dfanucci]

Outstanding write-up!

Thanks for that.

 

[kodioneill]

Not to mention excellent photographs/images. I'm a photographer and I'm impressed.

 

[pyrophilus]

Not to mention excellent photographs/images. I'm a photographer and I'm impressed.

Thank you. I actually used my old Samsung phone. I had a half mind to take out my dslr, but that door panel just refused to come off so I didn't want to wrestle with it while trying to take photos with a dslr.

I was saving for a Nikon Z7 Mk II to replace my d800, and then I came across my car, and I ended up dumping it into the downpayment. I am like, "yeah... I can live with my D800 for another year".
if i get sad about not getting a new camera body, I'll just go drive around in my car with windows open (with exhaust set to track mode).

 

[jcttraveler]

Thank you for the detailed instructions on how to open a door panel. Aside from water, did you find other debris which should be removed?

I have a 2019 Convertible. I live in Virginia where a LOT of stuff drops from trees on my car (I don't have a garage or carport). When the weather warms, I intend on probing the nooks an cranies for debris which has found hiding places in the voids created by our mass-produced fun cars.

This winter (January 2022), my windows are frozen in place for the first time. (I can see an initial attemp when I push the window switch, but nothing more) I might open up the doors to check the lubrication, maybe there's lubricant which is less sensitive to cold weather which I can use.

 

[thunderstrike]

OP, great write up.

After I had driver's door replaced from hit-and-run accident, the door has terrible rattle that will stop when window is roll down very slightly, 1/16th inch. Looks like I'll have to remove the panel to adjust wiring harness lose from whatever is rattling against.

Sponsored