Noela

Hello,

I was attempting to remove and replace my door panel this evening. In the process, I accidentally ripped the wires from the power window switch on the passenger side. And now, none of the buttons / levers on the passenger door are working. But the driver's sides are fine.

Is it possible to put those wires back into the switch ?

If no where can I get a new switch to splice into the old harness.

And any programming needed to get the switch working - I have an aftermarket alarm system.

Thanks - Noela

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Are you aware that the wire ends are in a plastic piece that plugs into the switch and is removable? When you intend to remove the door trim panel, you should first remove the window switch and unplug the wires from it. To remove the window switch from the door panel, pry up on the end towards the front of the car.

I am not sure exactly what you are dealing with. Do you have loose wires with metal on them? They will probably slide back into the connector, but there is no guarantee on that. Worst case is that you need a harness end, an item best gotten from a junk yard.

But before you go sliding the wires into the connector, you have to make sure you are putting them into the correct hole. Can you post a photo of what you have?

Noela

Thanks very much. I was actually trying to get the plastic piece off, and was having difficulty - I thought I had pressed the little tab that disengages it. In the process, I yanked the wires out of the plastic piece and yes, shamefully starring at the wires with metal on them. I rushed for my electrician tape when I saw a brief spark - from two of them touching each other. so i taped each of them to prevent any short in the system.

So, I can slide them back but I am not sure of the correct holes.

I will post a picture, and check with some local junkyards too...

thansk - Noela

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

I was looking at the parts numbers and if you have a late production 2002, you might have the 2003 window system, which is different from the 2002 window system.

Cars made 04/2002 and later have the 2003 window system. I can probably tell that from the photo, though.

Noela

thanks - how can I figure out whether mine is late model or not. I know the VIN number?

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Open the driver's door and there is a white tag that is either on the door pillar between the front and rear door or on the driver's door itself. I keep getting mixed up between the 4th and 5th gens.

bennuss

How about posting a clear picture of the wires and the harness

Noela

Thanks very much for all your comments.

Attached, please find a picture of the wires (4 of them: green; red/white; black; blue) as well as the plastic harness into which the wires were originally plugged.

My car was manufactured in 11/01 (November 2001), so that means it is definitely one the late 2002 models or early ones?

Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you.

cheers, Noela

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Your car is roughly middle production, so it does not have the 2003 window parts. Nissan starts building the next year's model in May or June (not always the same from year to year). So by June of 2001, they were building the 2002 year model and stopped in May of 2002. If you are a finance guy, it is like the fiscal year.

Back to the wiring. Before you start doing any of the stuff below, I want you to verify that I have this correct.

I looked at the photos and I believe that I am looking at the backside of the window switch for the passenger side FRONT door. The switch has 2 wire harness connectors on it and you need to put the wires back into the SMALLER of the 2 connectors. If this is correct, proceed. If I am wrong, stop and let me know that I am wrong.

To start with, examine the metal end on the wire. It may have a tiny metal tab that has been bent over when the wire was pulled out. This tab will be folded over and pointing towards the connector that it has to go in. If it does, gently and slowly bend it back over so that it is pointing towards the wire. Do not fold it flat, leave it sticking up a bit. This is a locking tab to keep the wire in the connector. It may not have a tab. It may rely on a tight press fit to stay in, I don't know.

If it does have a tab, the wire has to go into the plastic connector one specific way. Look at the wires in the other connector. Look at the way the metal connector is attached to the wire and match that orientation.

It will be easier if you take the plastic wire harness connector out of the switch when you plug the wires in.

The diagram below is oriented to match you photo.

When you saw the wires spark, I don't think this caused any problems. The white/red stripe wire has 12 volts on it and it probably touched the black wire, which is ground. The other 2 wires go to the motor and I don't think they would cause a spark if 12 volts touched them.

Noela

Thanks very much for your quick response. I examined the metal connectors carefully and I'm not sure if they were bent or not, so I went ahead and pushed them into the harness straight, and they seem to fit snugly. However, both the passenger side power window and door locks are still not operating - I cannot even control them from the driver's side. However, all the other buttons (rear and driver's side are) windows are working. So I don't know if they are bent or not. I am attaching the picture of just the metal part of the connectors.

Please, let me know if I should go ahead and try bending them over a bit. I agree that the sparks should not cause any shot in the system. So, kindly let me know what to do next.

cheers and thanks - Noela

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Looking at the photo you just posted, I kind of think there is a locking tab on the metal connector. Looking at the white/red stripe wire (the black one, too), on the left side of the metal contact about in the center right above the crimp, I can see a little opening. This is where the locking tab would be. If the connector uses a tab, it is most likely bent out of position. But I just don't know it there is a tab used on these connections. Once you have figured out this locking tab thing, go ahead and put the wires back in the connector.

Since I first read this thread, I have been focusing on the fact that the wires are out of the connector. You say that the window and door lock does not work in the passenger front door. Was this the reason why you were taking the door panel off in the first place?

Right now with the wires detached, the window won't work. But the door lock should. The window switch in the door has nothing to do with the lock. However, the master switch panel in the driver's door does control both window and door lock.

Let's take this step by step and get the wires back in the connector and see what you have then.

Noela

Dennis,

Thanks very much. I have also been taking a close look at the metal part and did see the slightly raised tab, but I don't see an opening to use in bending in back. So I will continue looking.

I agree the power door lock has nothing to do with the power windows, so I'm also curious why it is also not working. I remember asking my son to help remove it, and I'm not sure if he tugged on the wires too much. At any rate, I had to remove the wires because I was installing speakers in the door.

Here is what I will do while trying to figure out the tab thing. I will head out to the salvage / junk yard today to see if I can get a used harness. If I do, I will buy one with the wires already attached and then splice it into the existing wire (using connectors). Will keep you updated when I return.

cheers, Noela

Noela

Ok Dennis:

I got the complete door harness/wires from the junk yard - we removed from a 2002 with Bose. So decision time: Should I just cut the plastic harness and the wires, and then splice it into the existing one on the car or go about replacing the entire harness on the door?

I wanted to just cut and splice into the existing. please let me know your thoughts...

cheers, Noela

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Since I've never seen the harness out of the car, I don't know how complex the entire wire harness would be to replace it. By complex I mean how many connectors are on it. Connectors can be a real challenge to get to. After looking at the drawing in the service manual, I would swap out the entire harness IF I could make sure I could get the opening into the door that the harness goes through apart/open without destroying it

Drawing - http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Maxima/2002/EL.pdf -page 473

I don't have objections to cutting and splicing - as long as it is done correctly. You want to do a Western Union splice, then solder the wires and cover the solder joints with shrink tubing. Do not use crimp connectors or twist connectors as they allow corrosion/oxidation to develop between the strands of wire as time passes. Corrosion/oxidation means no more connection.

Since there are only 4 wires, soldering would take much less time than replacing the harness. If you can solder, this may be the way to go.

Noela

Thanks Dennis. Your observations and caveats about replacing the entire harness are spot on. The real pain is getting one end of the harness through the door jam - it was difficult to take it out in the first place, and I'm sure would be quite involved to get back in.

So, I prefer the splice approach, using crimp connectors. But the problem is I have never soldered. I read a bit on splicing method you suggested, and would love to do it. I have an electric soldering iron, solder pen and some solder. Can I learn it quick enough to perform this job well?

thanks again and I appreciate all your assistance.

/Noela

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Soldering is not that difficult, it is pretty easy with the correct tools and knowledge of the procedure. But it is also an art form, you need practice/experience to do a good job.

Solder is a funny thing. It needs to be heated up in order to melt, pretty basic stuff. So what is so hard (or funny) about it?

It isn't, if you are aware of the "rules".

You need the appropriate soldering iron. Appropriate means heat. The thicker the metal, the more heat is needed. Soldering irons are rated in watts. The higher the watts, the more heat it will generate.

Wires that are in the range of 18 to 16 gauge are best soldered with a 12 - 15 watt soldering iron. This is applies to the power window switch wires. The thinner the wire (the gauge number is numerically higher) the lower the wattage soldering iron.

If you are using too hot of a soldering iron, you will melt the insulation off of the wire. And if the soldering iron is way too hot, you will crystalize the metal which reduces the conductivity and makes it brittle, allowing it to break. Too cool of a soldering iron and you create what is called a cold solder connection that doesn't conduct electricity that well.

The metal you are soldering, the wire, needs to be free from corrosion and dirt. You also need to chemically clean the wire by using a flux. Solder sold for electrical work has the flux built into it. It is called rosin core solder. The solder is made like a pipe and is filled with the rosin flux material. There a different thicknesses (diameter) of solder. How big the metal area you are soldering determins this. If you use a thick solder on a small connection, you end up with a big blob for a connection. Electrically it isn't bad, It just looks bad and makes it more difficult to insulate, especially when you have multiple wires. And you are wasting solder. Solder for general electronics work is .031 inch in diameter, thin stuff.

After you have soldered the wire, you need to insulate it so your connection will not touch something and short out. Electrical tape and shrink tubing are the 2 most commonly used things. Shrink tubing has several advantages over electrical tape. It makes for a thinner finished connection that won't unravel. When doing several wires, thinner is a real plus. And it is easier to do than trying to wrap tape around a wire that is in amongst other wires.

Shrink tubing is a little tricker to use, though. As the name implies, the tubing shrinks in diameter when heat is applied to it. You have to slip the shrink tubing onto the wire before you solder it. Heat from the soldering process spreads down the wire and if the shrink tubing is too close to the connection, it shrinks and you can't move it to cover your connection. Another reason not to use a hotter soldering iron then you need. Avoid using excess lengths of shrink tubing as it is less flexible than electrical tape.

Shrink tubing comes in many different sizes. It contracts to less than half of its original diameter. Look at the diameter of your wire, double that diameter and get shrink tubing that will fit. The reason I say double the diameter of the wire is because the soldered connection will most likely be thicker than the original wire size. Tubing sized 3/16 inch is probably what you want. You want to cut the piece of shrink tubing so that it will over lap the insulation on both ends by maybe 1/8 inch or a little more.

Then there is the question "How do you get the tubing to shrink?" There is the formal, so-called official way and then there is the real-world way. The formal way is to use a heat gun with a curved end that you cradle the wire in and blows hot air around it. Heat guns are big and bulky and require lots of room. For the person that solders a wire once or twice a year, it borders on overkill. Real world techniques find people using matches/cigarette lighters. It works, but an open flame can melt other wires and may start something on fire. Another way is to use a tool that you would have handy - the soldering iron. Rub the soldering iron tip over the shrink tubing, trying to get it to shrink evenly. If you touch another wire, you will melt the insulation just like a open flame will, but you have more control with the soldering iron.

The last piece, but probably the most important, is the connection of the two wires before you solder them together. You want the wires to have a solid, mechanical connection that conducts electricity before you solder it. This is what a crimp and twist connector works on. The best way to connect the wires is with the "Western Union" splice. The western Union splice is named after the telegraph company of that same name. Way back in the late 1800's they devised a splicing technique to repair broken wires. It was strong so it would not pull apart and made excellent electrical connection.



you want to keep the over-all length of the splice as short as possible. For 16 - 18 gauge wire, you should be able to keep it to no more than 3/16 of an inch. Longer would not make for a bad connection, it would be a bigger, stiff section of the finished connection. Wrapping the end of the wire 3 - 4 times is sufficient. When you strip the end off of the wire, try a half inch. You can always cut off the end if you bared too much wire.

When you are actually soldering the wires together, there is a proper procedure. Of course you have given the soldering iron time to get good and hot. Melt some solder onto the tip of the iron, then press the tip of the iron to the center of the splice. This bit of solder will aid the heat to transfer into the wire. Then touch the solder to the wire on the other side from the soldering iron. When the wire heats up enough, the solder will melt and flow into the wire. The solrser will be a shining silver color so you can watch it. You want the solder to flow into all the windings of the splice. If you keep adding solder to the point where you can no longer see the individual strands of the wire, you have used more than is necessary and may very possibly have a drip when you remove the heat. As soon as you see the solder flow into the ends of the splice, remove the soldering iron. There is no need to "cook" the connection.

A good solder connection will be shiny. If it is a dull gray, you have a cold solder connection. You can fix a cold solder connection by putting a little bit of solder on the tip of the iron (the heat transfer thing) and re-heat the connection, maybe applying a little more solder.

Step by step synopsis:

1) Heat up soldering iron.
2) Cut wires and strip ends.
3) Cut heat shrink tubing to size and slip onto the wire.
4) Splice wires together.
5) Solder wires.
6) Move shrink tubing over the connection and shrink it.

My personal technique for doing multiple wires is to solder one wire to create the finished length. Then I splice the rest of the wires together as one process and then solder them as another process.

As I stated at the beginning, this requires some practice. Definitely do some practice connections. As many as you need to feel comfortable. Doing practice soldering on a work bench (or my favorite place, the kitchen table) will be easier than when you are soldering in the car because of the angles involved, the position of the wires, etc.

Also - when you are soldering, do not have your face over the connection. The flux from the solder turns into smoke and gets in your eyes. You probably won't like that.

Have fun.

DjHackStyle

Yea just replace the harness. Ive done it before, the rear is much more involved. The fronts are cake.