Electrical Window Issue

[smos1]

Drivers door window, 96 B4V. Imagine that, it doesn't work! It slowly has stopped working over the last year, then would stop working either up or down until the next time I drove it when it would magically work again. Then it seemed like if I pushed the switch harder it would work sometimes. Finally it stopped altogether in the down position of course. I put another new switch in, and even found a couple used switches to try. No difference with any of them. The passenger door switch does work fine from the drivers side.
Few weeks ago I finally dug in to the door, took off the black vapor barrier, and disconnected that stupid connector to the window motor. By the way, all 3 other windows work fine, and the moonroof as well from their own switches. I have one of those testers you hook to a ground, and it lights up when touching something with power to it. I don't have a lot of experience with auto electrical obviously. There is power to the connector (the little light comes on in the tester), and the tester lights up when pushing the up button (while touching the little metal part with the tester), but the down button doesn't seem to be getting power.
I found a complete new/used motor and regulator I was going to switch out the old with. I plugged the connector in to the new motor before installing just to see if it works...and it didn't.
I've checked many times for cracked/broken/disconnected wires and haven't found any.
I've searched this forum, but seems like each time I've found what looks like a solution....the post ends and with no solution. Disappointing to say the least.
So, I'm hoping to find some assistance, or at least some direction. Would having a multimeter help anything? Not that I know much about them, but am willing to learn.
Currently have a piece of wood installed to hold the window in the up position...combined that with the leaky windshield (another post), peeling clear
coat, missing fog light/reflectors, the car is looking a little trashy to say the least.
Help would be greatly appreciated
thanks
Steve

 

[Abacus]

The wiring issue is in the door bellows, which is very common since it's a flex point. The bellows can be removed for getter access.

 

[goodmonkey]

Weird. I had an issue like that with my old sedan. It was very temperamental and eventually my wife put a sticker over the passenger switch that said Do Not Use. The problem there turned out to be the motor. I swapped in an used one and it worked great, never causing the same issue again.

I agree though with Abacus, I've found more than one problem with power windows having broken wires inside the bellows.

 

[smos1]

I've been through the wires in the bellows several times and haven't found a wire that even looks like it might be a problem. Is there one particular wire that might be the problem? I could try to run a separate wire as a test to get around that wire to see if that solves the issue.

I've tried 3 separate different switches, and they all have had the exact same results.

Keep offering suggestions and I'll keep on trying.

thanks for the help

 

[Ralphy]

You could check for corrosion in the A-Pillar connector.

 

[Abacus]

Or a bent tab on a connector. I've seen that too.

 

[smos1]

so yesterday I pulled the bellows (Is that the connection with the big nut that twists out of the pillar?) out to recheck for broken wires and there was some moisture inside the rubber tube of wires. Dried it out and actually found one very small crack in the insulation of one wire. It hasn't been installed very well lately and I think the water intrusion is new. I just wrapped the crack with some electrical tape.
I plugged in the old window motor to see if it worked and to my surprise it did. I picked up a new motor and regulator from a JY a couple weeks ago, and plugged that in...and again to my surprise it did NOT work.
Could water have caused the no working issue? When the window originally started failing it was in the summer, and here in the PNW we had one of the driest summers ever.
Is the A-pillar connector the bellows?
Is there a way to test the motors to see if they're functioning correctly?

 

[Abacus]

No, the crack would not cause the window to not work. Two wires connecting or a broken wire would.

The bellows is the rubber accordion portion connected to the door connector with the nut. It is in the bottom of the picture below.

Did the insulation break look like this:

But water in there is not good, I'd look for corrosion on the connectors like Ralphy mentioned.

 

[smos1]

no, the insulation barely cracked. You could see the copper wire inside. And there was no other wires with insulation cracks near it.