ongoing window problems (not solved!!)

[steve_k]

for the past few years i've been chasing an intermittent problem with my drivers side window either not working or working when it felt like it.

well, today while doing a few bits in the passenger footwell i caught the door switch on the A pillar, i noticed a relay behind the glovebox clicked (comfort relay?) so i pressed it again a few more times, each time it clicked, so i went to the drivers side & did the same there,

when i first pressed it there was no click, pressed it again, nothing but on the 3rd time there were several clicks in rapis succession which leads me to believe the switch in the door is faulty.

could this be the case? if so would the "fix" be as simple as replacing the switch? if so how do go about it?

[steve_k]

right, i've been out & removed the drivers side door switch,

before i removed it the relay would click intermittently, yet when it was removed there's nothing from the relay when i press the pin in, does it ground via the A pillar/body?

i know there's power to the windows switches as they light up & are both brand new.

i'm stuck here so can any one help??

[steve_k]

Well looks like I might have sussed it,
Stripped the door out after checking the pin in the a pillar, cleaned up the connections on that pin & now that appears to be working properly.
But.
Once I had taken the door card off & pulled back the membrane I checked the 2 pin connector for the window motor, the two wires were so loose they simply fell out,
So I put both wires straight into the connector for the motor, turned on the ignition & pressed the switch, BOOM!!! The window dropped & went back up, tried a few more times & it worked each time,
Thankfully I've got a spare male connector so I'll get that fitted tomorrow & try again but it looks like that might've sorted it.

[steve_k]

well looks like i'm back to square one witht his window problem,

changed the little 2 pin plug (body side) in the door for a spare i had & lo & behold the window worked, tried it a couple of times then it stopped working again, checked the switch, which was lit up so i know that's getting power, pit 12v from the battery straight to the motor & that worked perfectly so i know the motor is good,

checked the fuse & both relays (K5 & K7) all good, so looks like i fault in the wiring from the switch to the motor,

are the bases (connectors for the switches the same? as i'm thinking of swapping them & seeing if that works.

anyone got any ideas? as i'm hitting a brick wall with this now.

[steve_k]

forgot to add, the blower motor is no longer working as well, i dont know if that related?

[steve_k]

anyone? surely someone must have an idea on what it could be?

[Tzantushka]

Don't rule out a buggered window regulator.
Mine had a similar issue intermittent working - sometimes yes, other times stubbornly no.

Checked the door connector - no corrosion.
Greased the tracks removed the regulator motor, cleaned the connectors & check on a battery - operates fine.
Reinstalled everything - worked and then didn't.
Ended up swapping over to a good used one from Schmeidmann (so LHD passenger side window motor not worked as hard) - no problems ever since.

If you have a facelift model - I'd start by removing the motor disassembling and checking it's starting to seize.

[steve_k]

Don't rule out a buggered window regulator.
Mine had a similar issue intermittent working - sometimes yes, other times stubbornly no.

Checked the door connector - no corrosion.
Greased the tracks removed the regulator motor, cleaned the connectors & check on a battery - operates fine.
Reinstalled everything - worked and then didn't.
Ended up swapping over to a good used one from Schmeidmann (so LHD passenger side window motor not worked as hard) - no problems ever since.

If you have a facelift model - I'd start by removing the motor disassembling and checking it's starting to seize.

well so far i've checked the window regulator (stripped it down, checked it over & regreased it), put 12V straight to the regulator & it moves up & down freely.

checked the relays & fuses, all good & working properly, bridged the pins in the fuse box & they are working properly.
swapped the body loom side 2 pin connector for a known good one.
the switches themselves are both brand new, the circuit breaker button is in good working order.

had a look at the base of the drivers side switch & one of the earth wires looks a little brittle, so much so the connector snapped off at the switch base, looks like that could've been a part of the problem as well,

got a new connector on the way but in the meantime i'll also check the wire on the starter motor & see what condition thats in.

still cant suss out why the heater fan has stopped working though, i know it's not the resistor as that was replaced when it packed in a while back or the fan itself as that was stripped & rebuilt the other year.

stumped to say the least.

[flybynite]

I would have hoped Brian might have chimed in but I think he is AWOL (or can't log in because of this 502 issue)

Sounds like an earth problem or a bad connection. Apart from the starter those window motors draw the most current, heater motor probably second.

Is the car running and charging? I remember the windows to be slower on just battery power.

One other thing, how free is the window in its channel? if it is gummed up and sticky the motors can overheat and stall. Wires get pretty hot too so I guess they could get brittle. I would clean the channels out and then a bit of silicone spray, give the motors an easier time.

[onthames]

I would have hoped Brian might have chimed in but I think he is AWOL (or can't log in because of this 502 issue)

Sounds like an earth problem or a bad connection. Apart from the starter those window motors draw the most current, heater motor probably second.

Is the car running and charging? I remember the windows to be slower on just battery power.

One other thing, how free is the window in its channel? if it is gummed up and sticky the motors can overheat and stall. Wires get pretty hot too so I guess they could get brittle. I would clean the channels out and then a bit of silicone spray, give the motors an easier time.

If you go to e30zone.net/forum instead of just e30zone.net it seems to fix it. Also I miss Brian already! Hope he's okay

[flybynite]

If you go to e30zone.net/forum instead of just e30zone.net it seems to fix it. Also I miss Brian already! Hope he's okay

Yes going to the forum works but only if you don't have a cookie on your system trying to log you in, you have to flush your history first sometimes.

Still a pain because you need to log out before going back to the home page, still if it is the price of no spam and bots then worth it

[onthames]

If you go to e30zone.net/forum instead of just e30zone.net it seems to fix it. Also I miss Brian already! Hope he's okay

Yes going to the forum works but only if you don't have a cookie on your system trying to log you in, you have to flush your history first sometimes.

Still a pain because you need to log out before going back to the home page, still if it is the price of no spam and bots then worth it

I can help fix it but have no idea who runs the forums. Used to run a web hosting business

[flybynite]

I can help fix it but have no idea who runs the forums. Used to run a web hosting business

PM "Steve" if you have any ideas, I know he was looking at the issue but it takes him a while to reply as it is not his main priority at the moment.

[steve_k]

I would have hoped Brian might have chimed in but I think he is AWOL (or can't log in because of this 502 issue)

Sounds like an earth problem or a bad connection. Apart from the starter those window motors draw the most current, heater motor probably second.

Is the car running and charging? I remember the windows to be slower on just battery power.

One other thing, how free is the window in its channel? if it is gummed up and sticky the motors can overheat and stall. Wires get pretty hot too so I guess they could get brittle. I would clean the channels out and then a bit of silicone spray, give the motors an easier time.

yeah the car is running & charging, the windows are/were slow on just battery power but moved as normal with the engine running.
as for a bad earth/wire problem? well when i opened the base of the switch the one of the brown/earth wires snapped right at the base of the switch so i think that could be part of the problem.

the window channel is all clean & free of any debris,

i'll have a look at the connection at the starter tomorrow if it's dry.

as for the blower? seems a bit strange how that gives up at the same as the drivers side window.

[steve_k]

well looks like i might have sussed out the problem,

opened the base/socket of the window switch only to find that two of the wires had snapped on the double leaf spring connectors,

anyone got a spare kicking about? otherwise i'll have to cut the passenger side on off & use it on the drivers side.

[martauto]

One of my switches was a bit dodgy so I dripped it in WD40 and it is fine now but it prompted me to look around for new ones.
Are these any good Steve ?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333974767552

Mart.

[steve_k]

One of my switches was a bit dodgy so I dripped it in WD40 and it is fine now but it prompted me to look around for new ones.
Are these any good Steve ?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333974767552

Mart.

cheers mart, i've got a pair of those on order just in case,

if it's dry tomorrow i'll see about using some spade connectors to connect the wires to the switch & fingers crossed.

[steve_k]

well glad to say that this issue is now sorted.

when i opened the base of the window switch nearly all five of the double leaf spring connectors were on their way out,
and one of the wires going to the window motor had started to break down.

so, feeling brave (never a good thing) i nipped then connectors off & used some female spade connectors to connect the switch to the loom,

i also laid out 2 new wires to the window motor & loosely fitted to more connectors to the plug for the motor, tested the switch with the doors open & closed several times, each time the window went up & down as it should do,

so, new wires routed, all trim back in place & i now have a fully working drivers side window again.

[HenryM3]

[steve_k]

thanks. it's only taken me 2yr's (on & off) to get it sorted.

[martauto]

thanks. it's only taken me 2yr's (on & off) to get it sorted.

Well it`s done now

Mart.

[steve_k]

thanks. it's only taken me 2yr's (on & off) to get it sorted.

Well it`s done now

Mart.

very true, i know what to do if the passenger side goes now.