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Swapping In Power Windows


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I've always liked my crank windows but sometimes the passenger side can be a little troublesome to get to from the driver side. Power windows are a nice convenience but from my Googling I'm getting the idea that it's not exactly an easy swap. What exactly does swapping power windows into an MJ entail? Swapping doors is obviously not an option - that seems to be the most common advice given.

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Nothing to add, just adding in my curiosity as well. My 90 has manual windows and if I could swap the power from my parts cherokee it would make putting the passenger window down for the dog a hell of a lot easier.

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There isn't a lot of voodoo to swapping in power windows on any vehicle.  People suggest the door swap because you get a door with everything you need already there.  Switches, motor, regulator, rail and the wiring.  Beyond that it's just a matter of running the circuit for power, either to an existing fuse or an empty fuse slot, and the grounds to the switches.  Generally windows are run on an ignition switched circuit so that they only operate in the on position as well.  If you have a donor vehicle to get all the wiring from then it would make it a snap to setup.

I ran across this thread that has a pretty well drawn diagram of how to run the wires. http://comancheclub.com/topic/15868-power-window-wiring/

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That's a nice diagram in the previous post, but it has some problems such as there are no unused switch terminals & the Pass side switch is flat wrong - should be same as the others - - - - - The power window swap has been beaten to death here, on NAXJA & other sites - -Search turns up lotsa good info - Also lotsa BS - - - Anyway the addition of the regulators & switches is pretty straightforward & not hard - - I've done it twice on MJs & 10-12 times on Toyotas & a handful of others - - The wire harness config for a 2 door vehicle is simple - - I used a factory harness on my 87 & then made one for my 89 - home made was easier - I used copper 12 ga stranded speaker wire & a 30amp fuse - wired straight to battery cause that's what  i wanted - - relay necessary if switched pwr would be desired - easy enuff to do either way - - - - - - - - Here's a couple drawings - - shows pin outs of switches used in 86-92 MJ/XJ - They're alla same & same switches are also used for the pwr locks - If you use the factory pigtail the #1 & 6 terminals will be jumpered - - center terms 3 & 4 are always the outputs - - Figures 3 to 9 show side view of switch lever/toggle position - Switches can not be put in backwards - they are the same up or down - - - - 

 

Fig 1 = Switch pin out - continuity between 2-4 & 3-5

Fig 2 = Terms 1 & 6 jumpered if using factory pigtail

Fig s 3 & 4 shows switch at rest - switch lever centered - both motor terms/center terms to ground - I used a chasis ground on the door - 

Fig 5 = Switch lever up shows + to one motor connection - neg to other - - - motor turns in one direction

Fig 6 = Lever down - Redundant - shows motor direction reversed

 

 

Figs 7, 8 & 9 - Upper six terms are the drivers side switch for control of the pass window - Lower set of six are the pass

door window switch - - - The 2 wires a-b & c-d run from DS switch to PS switch from the doors to under the dash, carpet

or whatever 

 

Fig 7 shows Drivers side pass window switch config at rest - Output terms A & C flow neg/grnd to terms b & d of the pass door switch

No additional ground necessary

 

Fig 8 = pass window operation from driver side switch - - A makes with + & power flows across cab to B & mtr runs in one direction - 

Lever down & C makes with D & of course the mtr direction is reversed

 

Fig 9 = pass window operation from pass side switch, lever up - - left center term makes with + & mtr runs one way

lever down - right center term makes with + & the green grass grows all around - pretty simple

 

:wrench:

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  • 9 months later...

That's a nice diagram in the previous post, but it has some problems such as there are no unused switch terminals & the Pass side switch is flat wrong - should be same as the others - - - - -

Nope, you're flat wrong dude. I used a single switch panel for the passenger door, like the rear doors have. No power locks. The rear door switch and connector is configured differently than the six-terminal drivers door switches. And there is one unused dummy pin on all the 6-pin drivers side switches. Ever looked at one? Each window switch requires five terminals to be wired, as shown in the schematic.

 

 

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When I did mine I didn't want to mess with the factory wiring so I just pulled the motors and regulators from an xj ar the JY and swapped them in.

The hardest part is the newer xjs have a really stubborn way of attaching the glass to the regulator so i ended up busting the glass at the JY.

 

To get them power I originally had a set of polarity reversing switches in the dash but running all that wiring to the dash was a mess.

 

When I wanted to make the locks work off a remote I changed over to a bank of relays set to reverse the polarity with a ground signal for either direction.

 

This takes 2 relays for each motor, except I used the same 2 relays for the locks so I have 6 total.

 

If you are just wanting power windows you get away with only 4 relays, I have a wire diagram for the circuit somewhere.

 

To clean up the install I put the switches in a switch panel that goes where the clock is supposed to go, if you are adding a center console there are also several after market center console switch panels to choose from that look very sleek.

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