Thanks enfd240 for that write up. Not sure if I have the skills to go so far as to open up the sill. My windows are about 20 yrs old and some are pretty rough. But I wanted to comment also that it appears the windows should be / need to be re-caulked periodically where the horizontal vinyl jamb meets the sill. I’m in the process of cleaning, inspecting and re-caulking using DAP Ultra Clear. It’s pretty sticky, dries fast and as the name implies it’s crystal clear. Hope this advice (from those folks above) and my actions buy my another 15 years on these windows.
Also wanted to mention that I’m using the Bondo products - wood hardener and exterior wood filler to repair my windows. So far so good.
Thanks again everyone.