Cadillac Repair: power windows, dc voltmeter, butt connector

Question
having problem with 96 cadillac power windows. recently lost power to all power windows  checked for blown fuse. did not find any blown fuses. do not have any power to drivers side master control is theire a relay somewhere that i am missing? and if so where is it located?

Answer
Hi Lawrence,

         This could turn out to be an easy repair. What happens alot is one or more wires inside the black rubber boot ...the one between the door hinges...flex in half. For awhile the rubber insulation holds the wire ends together and then in your case something just stops working.

         So this is what you need to do. Pull the boot out of the drivers door and then check the 8 or so heavy gauge wires to see which one(s) broke by tugging on them one at a time. Once you find a broken wire use a butt connector and some replacement wire of the same gauge or bigger and make sure it is stranded...don't use solid core house wire or it will flex in half in no time. Strip back the wire that goes to the door and with the special pliers crimp a butt connector to the wire. Then feed some replacement wire from inside the car through the boot and strip and crimp it to the butt connector. Pull the other broken piece into the car and cut and splice the two wires with another butt connector. Then try the switch. Hopefully just one wire is bad and everything will work.

      If it doesn't work correctly make sure that there aren't any other wires that broke. Then using a DC voltmeter or 12 volt test light make sure that you are getting power and ground through the switch. What sometimes happens is that the switch might need to be replaced because the contacts are weak or the express down module has failed and the drivers window won't work.

      Try those suggestions and hopefully you will have your windows working. Bill