Tailgate harness

[harleydeen98258]

Well I went to install a replacement tailgate harness today and I can't seem to get anything to work. So after a few hours of trying to troubleshoot the problem I gave up and installed the orginal harness. Only problem now is that the one I had on orginally won't work either. I can't seem to locate the source of the problem. I have checked and double check all my connections and still nothing. Is there any chance that the replacement harness screwed something up? I mean is this something that has happen before with someone else?

 

[Seabronc]

Do you have a volt meter? It is time to do some real trouble shooting. It is very possible that there was nothing wrong with the harness. It may be in one of the connectors between the front and rear of the truck.

Diagrams attached, one for an 83 and one for a 92. Note that there are two fuses involved, one for the tail gate switch and one for the dash switch.

 

[wtfdissux]

here's what I did with mine when the wires went "green" then found out the switch was bad but ran the wires inside the truck so they don't get exposed and go green again as easy

gate_wiring.bmp

 

[harleydeen98258]

The harness I had on orginally was doctored up abit. I had a bad key switch so I cut a few wires around the switch and just operated the back window using the master switch in the dash. I'm hoping that the replacement harness will allow me to use the tailgate switch as well. I put a continuity tester along the whole stretch of wire and I have power all they thru to the window motor, but yet nothing wants to work. I don't have a multimeter so I can't test anything that way, the only thing I have going on now that's odd is both wires on the window motor side of the pigtail connection only have power in the glass up position using the master switch. I haven't even begun to try using the tailgate switch yet. Does anyone know what might cause that?

Like I said before everything was operating when I took my harness off, now neither one will work when I put them back on...Well I just went and directly connected the window motor to the battery and it's a no-go. It doesn't matter what side I put my jumper wires into the pigtail connector it doesn't move, and all I did was just pull off a harness to put another one on...go figure.

So now I got to figure out a way to put the window down so I can close the tailgate...

 

[Justshootme84]

Sometimes the safety feature on the driver's-side tailgate latch/key switch will prevent the window motor from getting power or going up/down. Try 'fooling" it by closing the latches with the tailgate down and the window out/up. JSM84

 

[harleydeen98258]

Sometimes the safety feature on the driver's-side tailgate latch/key switch will prevent the window motor from getting power or going up/down. Try 'fooling" it by closing the latches with the tailgate down and the window out/up. JSM84

Thanks, yeah I've tried that also...I'm about at wits end especially since I have to do this an apartment complex with no garage or major tooling.

 

[wtfdissux]

...Well I just went and directly connected the window motor to the battery and it's a no-go. It doesn't matter what side I put my jumper wires into the pigtail connector it doesn't move, and all I did was just pull off a harness to put another one on...go figure.

So now I got to figure out a way to put the window down so I can close the tailgate...

when you did this did you take a ground to the motor housing and hot lead to the up or down wire

just finished swapping tailgates to find that they were wired differently the 88 had a plug that contained the up down and ground and the gate had only up and down with ground coming from the metal on metal contact at the hinge was about to smash the window then hooked a separate ground from the plug to the gate body and now all is golden

 

[harleydeen98258]

when you did this did you take a ground to the motor housing and hot lead to the up or down wire

just finished swapping tailgates to find that they were wired differently the 88 had a plug that contained the up down and ground and the gate had only up and down with ground coming from the metal on metal contact at the hinge was about to smash the window then hooked a separate ground from the plug to the gate body and now all is golden

No actually I didn't do that. I jumped it before, but that was 2 years ago when I was troubleshooting this thing the first time and ended up finding out that the tailgate switch was bad. So this time my memory wasn't up to speed on exactly how I jumped it the first time.

Good news is that I got the old harness back on (operated by master switch only) and I got the window back to working like it did before.

Question though, can I "bench-test" the replacement harness without it being installed anywhere on the truck?

 

[wtfdissux]

should be able to with an ohm meter just check continuity or with a battery hooked up to the correct leads check for power and a jumper to simulate the switch should have power all the way thru talked to a buddy of mine that works for a locksmith company and found that they wire the gates including key switch (from the dash all the way back inside the interior panels instead of underneath for better protection)

and they include a override switch on the inside of the gate for $200

almost tempting but kinda high in my opinion except that they warranty the switch for lifetime of gate might be worth it on a fiberglass gate

 

[Seabronc]

If it works from the driver switch, then there is very little to prevent it from working from the tail gate switch. Like I mentioned before, there are two fuses that operate the window, one for the master switch and one for the tail gate key switch. Check fuse 12, it provides power for the tail gate key switch. If you have a tester probe the Black with White stripe wire, it should have 12V at all times. Also make sure the driver switch is in the center position or the tail gate key switch will not work. You can also save yourself a lot of headaches by permanently jumpering out the latch switch that Justshootme84 mentioned.

Good luck,

>-

 

[wtfdissux]

almost fell over when I had a customer ask to have that jumper removed and repaired "properly"

I figure that if I'm not smart enough to open the glass with door closed and close the glass with the door closed then maybe I should not be allowed to sit in the front seat yet

 

[Seabronc]

almost fell over when I had a customer ask to have that jumper removed and repaired "properly"

I figure that if I'm not smart enough to open the glass with door closed and close the glass with the door closed then maybe I should not be allowed to sit in the front seat yet

) ) )