What can cause power windows in a 1994 ford explorer to not go up or down?

Answer 1

Open Circuits

From what I understand of your problem, IF the fuse for that circuit IS good, then the problem is probably that the wiring of that circuit is suffering from an "open" condition, is disconnected somewhere.

For an electrical circuit to function, the circuit must be complete which means that a conductor [wire] must be attached from the Positive terminal of the battery and run [through various harnesses, connectors, and plugs, etc.] to the fuse, then to a control switch, then to the electrical device (in this case your window motors), and then another wire [called a ground] back to the Negative terminal of the battery. Usually the ground wire does not go all the way back to the battery Negative terminal, but instead connects to the body sheet metal near the device, and the body sheet metal is all grounded to the Negative terminal of the battery.

This continuous line of conduction is what is called a "circuit." IF any part of that circuit is disconnected at a connector, or a screw terminal, or at a sheet metal ground screw, the circuit is "open," incomplete, and cannot conduct the electricity.

The "fix" for your problem is for someone who understands and is experienced in automotive electrical systems to fully "troubleshoot" that electrical circuit to find and identify the defect [s] and then to properly correct it.

Although there could be only one of many possible defects, you need to find it, and fix it in order to cause the circuit to work as it should. The first thing that should be checked is the fuse [s] for the nonfunctional circuit.

Another thing that comes to mind is that often fuses can "look OK," yet be incapable of conducting electricity. You need to test fuses that look OK with a VOM [Volt-Ohm meter] to confirm that there is conductivity.