Rear Window Cheap Tricks

Rear Window Tips:

Here's a couple of tips I have used to improve the operation of the rear window wiper on my 1st generation 4Runner.

Tired of having to dig out your keys just to open the @*$%-ing rear window?

You either need to use the rear key switch or worse, turn on the ignition to use the front switch. Well after studying the wiring schematics, the key to this seems to be the rear window relay module, which is located inside the body panel right above the driver's side seatbelt retractor. You'll need to remove the interior panel to access the module. So, with module and schematic in hand, you'll notice that there is an up/down input from the key switch (that operates with the ignition off) and an up/down input from the front switch that operates with the ignition on. Simple fix is to just jumper the two sets of inputs together. As luck would have it, the two up inputs (pins 5 and 12) are just across the connector from each other, as are the two downs (pins 4 and 11). Two 1/4" pieces of wire soldered between the respective solder pads will do the job nicely.

One tip when re-installing the relay, be sure to use some adhesive/sealant on the mounting tabs. When I took mine out, I noticed it was loose and probably is the source of the rattle I was hearing in back.

Rear Window Relay

Function	Wire	Pin #
Window Motor - 2	L/B	1
Window Limit Switch	R/W	2
Window Motor - 1	L/Y	3
Blank pin	n/c	n/c
Dash/Window Down	G/Y	4
Dash/Window Up	R/Y	5
Battery/+12VDC	L	6
To - Washer Switch	L	7
Engine/+12VDC	R	8
To - Wiper Relay	L/R	9
Ground	W/B	10
Back/Window Down	L/W	11
Back/Window Up	L/B	12
Wiper Retracted	G/Y	13

How do the rear wiper and window operate?

• The rear wiper, window and shell are all interlocked to prevent damage.
  • The wiper has a limit switch that closes when the wiper is lifted free from the window glass.
    • This allows the window to be operated.
  • The window has a limit switch that closes when the glass is fully up.
    • This allows the wiper to operate.
    • If the wiper does not fully retract, no window operation is allowed and if the window is not fully closed, no wiper operation is allowed.
  • The rear shell has a bolt in the left rear corner that closes a switch, that allows the window to operate.
    • When out, this prevents the window from operating if the shell is removed.

So how can they be made to work better?

• My wiper didn't fully lift off the glass (or park) when it was turned off. That meant any time I used the wiper (on purpose or by accident), I had to walk around back and manually lift it before lowering the rear window (can you say PITA?). There is an angled piece of plastic screwed to the rear of the shell that catches a plastic piece on the wiper arm that is supposed to lift the wiper off the glass. I found that it didn't lift the blade high enough to clear the lip of the fiberglass shell. So, I took a thin nut and beveled it on a grinder and placed it between the angled plastic and the shell. This gives perhaps 3mm extra lift and, more importantly, steepens the angle of the ramped piece. I put a little silicone grease on the plastic pieces and now the wiper reliably lifts off the glass. This is really nice feature to have working in snow country as it keeps the wiper from freezing to the glass.
• My second wiper tip involves the plastic box that covers the wiper mechanism inside the shell. It appears that those cheesy little push-in plastic pins were used to originally hold the cover in place. Mine had one or two of these (worn out) and a few pieces of wire wrapped trough the other holes to keep the cover in place (cheap fix by the previous owner). I found that some #10-24 aluminum threaded inserts would fit nicely in the sheet metal holes. Now I can screw the cover in place and it has not fallen off since.
• Another major PITA is that I'm always accidentally hitting the &$@*% rear wiper switch on the center console. Now that the wiper parks itself properly, this is not as bad a problem as before.
  • To remedy this, I extended the wires from the console so that the switch can be installed above the radio in the spare switch opening on the dash. It is now safely out of the way and looks like a factory installation.
• Finally, if your rear window doesn't want to go up and down using the rear key switch, chances are the connector inside the door was pulled apart. There is a plastic tab that holds it in place, but the connector is very close to the window. In mine, the window caught the connector and pulled it loose, separating it. I ended up gluing and tie-wrapping it to the door frame giving it extra clearance.
  • One major clue that this is the problem is that your rear license plate light no longer does (light that is).

Cost:

  1  Thin brass nut               $0
  4 #10-25 threaded inserts        2
  4 #10 machine screws+washers     1
  ----------------------------------
  Total                           $3

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Last updated: 07.JUL.1999