SilverRam01

Hey board,

As stated earlier, this is my first Ram CTD. Love the truck so far, but still having to get used to a few things. One thing that is bothering me is that my power windows will only work when my ignition is in the "on" position, thus activating my lift pump everytime I want to put a window up or down while the truck is shut down.

Is this the norm for DC, or do I have a malfunction someplace? Thanks for any input. I'd also appreciate any ideas as to how to get my windows to work in the ACC position.

Thanks.

RustyJC

It's normal and a designed-in safety feature to keep kids from getting injured or killed playing with the power windows of an unattended truck.

Rusty

SilverRam01

Thats craziness in my opinion. No wonder Dodge is having trouble keeping lift pumps in these trucks. I've had this truck for a week now, and my lift pump has probably run for a total of 3 minutes,......for no reason other than for me to raise/lower my window while the truck was not running.

I fail to see the "safety" issue of opperating windows in the ACC position.

RustyJC

I suppose one of my many failings is that I'm too old and have seen too much. When power windows first started becoming relatively common in the '50s, many of them were hot all the time. The logic was that, if it started raining, the keys weren't needed to raise the windows. Many children who would go out into the driveway or garage to sit in Dad's new car would find the power window switches, and too many of these children were strangled, killed as their necks were broken or left as quadriplegics in these vehicles.

The next step was to have the power windows hot with the key in either the "on" or "accessory" positions. This meant that, without the keys, the windows wouldn't work. As you can imagine, there was a hue and cry over this change, although it reduced the incidence of injuries and fatalities. Nevertheless, kids would still go out in the car wanting to listen to the radio and turn the key to the accessory position. With the windows now hot, some kids were still being injured or killed.

The next step was to make the power windows hot only in the run position. The logic was that, if the engine was running, an adult should be in the vehicle. Everyone thought that's about as foolproof as one can make it.

If you want to modify your windows, that's your choice, but having lived through this progression and known kids that were injured or killed, I respectfully disagree with your statement that these attempts to keep kids safe are "craziness".

Rusty

SilverRam01

Rusty;

I understand your logic, and dont dispute that measures should be taken to keep kids safe.

However,

As you stated;

"Nevertheless, kids would still go out in the car wanting to listen to the radio and turn the key to the accessory position."

Whats to keep them from turning the key to the "on" position? There is absolutely no differnce in the scenario, other than the child turning the key in the opposite direction.

RustyJC

Nothing is keeping a child from turning the key to the "on" position. If a parent leaves a vehicle unlocked with the keys in it, then there's still a chance that the kids can turn the ignition to "on" and injure or kill themselves in a power window. Did eliminating hot windows in the accessory position cure the problem? Nope - I never said it did. In fact, what I said was
As I said, whether or not you modify your power windows is your business. You asked if the current configuration was normal for DC and I answered your question with an explanation of the rationale behind this configuration.

Rusty

SilverRam01

LOL. I appreciate your responce, and didnt intend a dispute. I will agree, to disagree.

RustyJC

Fair enough.

Rusty

displacedtexan

There was a pretty lengthy thread about this a few months ago.

I took the circut breaker out of my power window circut, put it in for the power seat (which I don't have, but is hot all the time.) And then I put a little jumper over to the bottom side of the power window socket.

Took less than five minutes and I love the always hot windows...

infidel

On the fuse block, left side of the dash there are two circuit breakers. One for the windows, one for the power seats. The seats are always on, the windows ignition controlled. Put a jumper from the power wire of the seat breaker to the window breaker "upstream" location with the breaker removed. Five minute job and a couple inches of wire, windows are always on.
I did this to both my trucks the first week off the dealer's lot.
My kids are grown up.

zack_76401

Infidel where is the upstream location? It should be hot with a test light, Right?

phox_mulder

Personally, I wouldn't want them always on.

Makes it really easy for a thief to gain easy quiet access.
Coat hanger threaded through, easily push down on the switch.

Accessory on the other hand would be great.


phox

Geico266

Here is a picture of the jumper in place.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...cat/500/page/1

You can use a single wire, I just had some old speaker wire and used it.

infidel

Upsteam was for my lack of a better word and I should have said downstream.
It will be the side that isn't hot with the window breaker removed and the key in the run position.
Connect this to the not hot with seat breaker removed so that the windows are breaker protected. Reinstall the seat breaker.
If you try to do this with the window breaker in place power will feed backwards though the breaker causing your rig to be in the run position all the time.

My feeling on security is that if a thief knows that your truck has been rewired for aways on windows he probably knows where your keys are also. Doubt if many thieves would even try the windows since the door lock is easier to get at with a clothes hanger.

Since I highly doubt if thieves visit this site and if they do probably already know this trick for when you're locked out that's easier than getting at the window switch, here goes;

Take a very stiff piece of wire. Bend a 4-5" 'L' on the bottom, then make a 14" mark on the long side of the 'L'

Slide the wire down the door about 1" from the rear window edge to the 14" mark, turn 'L' inward and lift. You will feel the wire catch, it's the locking mechanism, door will unlock . If it springs and doesn't want to catch, then bend the 'L' a little tighter.

displacedtexan

Hey Infidel, thanks for explaing it better. What makes sense to me dosen't always make a whole lot to others...