quick help with by-passing rear window safety switch

[muddybuddy]

ive got the access panel off, and wana get rid of the safety switch on the rear window of my k5. i just want to confirm the wires i need to connect together. at the same time, this would probably help alot of ppl who are lookin to do the same thing. here is a pic inside the rear tailgate on the driverside. are the 2 blue wires the ones i need to connect to each other? should i just disconnect the clip and then cut the wires and crimp them together? thanks for the help

 

[84zz4ss]

Those are the ones. Cut them solder together.

Don't forget pics.

 

[blazerboss 85]

its too tight in there to solder them just use a butt connector thats all i did

 

[blazin' j]

jus curious y u would wanna by-pass the switch...u can still roll the window up or down with the tailgate open...

 

[lectric80]

jus curious y u would wanna by-pass the switch...u can still roll the window up or down with the tailgate open...

That switch is one of the most common failure points of the power gate system. When it fails, you cannot roll the window up, you can roll it down, so most people bypass it so they don't have that issue. Then they just have to make sure the gate is closed when they roll it up.

 

[blazin' j]

gotcha...mine hasnt failed, YET, so i was jus curious...now that i know its failure prone, guess i need to do that b4 it fails...thanks

 

[azanmi]

Hey everyone I’m new here. Recently acquired an 83 K5 and I am having lots of issues with the tailgate window. I noticed that the safety switch was coming into play since when the window switch was on it would go up on its own if I rattled the tailgate. So I used my drill to get the window back up, bypassed the safety switch as described by the OP, the switch is now moving the cable in both directions but the window is stuck in the up position. Is it possible I over raised it with the drill and it’s stuck in the seal for the cap? How do I manually retract it if the switch and drill aren’t moving it? Thanks for your help, this is a great forum.

 

[rampage]

Don’t see how it would get stuck in the cap but since you already have the access panel off you could bend a piece of metal stock into a J shape to fit into the window channel. Attach a piece of rope to the other end of the J with a loop in it to pull down on while operating the cable with the drill. If that doesn’t work then something else is going on and it’s not stuck in the cap.

 

[muddybuddy]

Have you taken the top off recently? The window maybe binding if the top isnt tightened down completely.

 

[BTMAN123]

That switch is one of the most common failure points of the power gate system. When it fails, you cannot roll the window up, you can roll it down, so most people bypass it so they don't have that issue. Then they just have to make sure the gate is closed when they roll it up.

If you bypass the switch will it cause damage to roll up with the tailgate down. This would make it much easier to clean the glass on the inside?

 

[Bent77]

If you bypass the switch will it cause damage to roll up with the tailgate down. This would make it much easier to clean the glass on the inside?

No it won't damage it as long as the mechanisms are good. I'd be real careful though because the pressure of pushing on the glass to clean it isn't good. Support it from the back or do it from the inside (pay the neigbor kid to clean the back windows lol)

 

[BTMAN123]

No it won't damage it as long as the mechanisms are good. I'd be real careful though because the pressure of pushing on the glass to clean it isn't good. Support it from the back or do it from the inside (pay the neigbor kid to clean the back windows lol)

Thanks, I just need to clean the top of the glass on the inside.

 

[Blue85]

There's no need to reach in there. The connector is easy to get off when you pull the latch out of the tailgate. You could temporarily bypass it with a couple of crimp spades and a little wire. Also, with the switch out, it can be disassembled and the contacts polished to make it work again.