a couple of months ago after working fine, the dash switch would no longer raise (open) the window. It closed fine, and the key out back worked fine up and down.

swapped the gate and window switch, and all was well for 4 days, then same problem.

I had a marine grade rocker put in Friday, and it's fine again.

Yesterday I was sitting at a red light and hit the switch to open the window and the car died.

Turns out the neg batt cable was loose.

Would that have burned out the switch?

 

I wouldn't think a loose negative battery cable would cause a switch to go bad. After tightening the negative battery cable if the tailgate still gives you trouble I would check the switch or the wiring for an intermittent open. Good luck!

 

Those switches weren't the best design in the first place, and a loose cable could have possibly created an excessive current draw across it trying to trigger the relay for the window. Enough to burn the contacts in the switch.

All those switches are is a rocker and a pair of contacts. Take it apart, burnish the contacts and I'd bet it'll work again for a while. I used to have to regularly do that on the top and master PW switches on my 73 88 ragtop. Finally got tired of taking the top switch apart and got what was supposedly the last one in dealer stock in the country, and within 3 years was having to take that one apart to clean it about once a year. That's when I realised the switches were junk.

 

Glenn any idea why the car stalled? My mechanic said that it should stay running even if the battery is removed! And I can not figure out how the switch comes apart!