Windows Not Workin

[redmaestro]

Hi All

Gremlins have been attacking my car again :banghead: - this time its the electric windows. The previous owner installed them and have been working nicely ...... until this evening! As I got in my car after work this afternoon - i wanted to have the windows down cos it was hot inside. Neither the drivers side nor the passengers side work (although I can hear a faint clicking noise behinds the p/side door when I operate the button. I have checked the electrics with a meter on both sides - and everything seems ok, yet neither window will work!

Any thoughts?

[tony]

strange that both have packed up,have u got 12v there at the window motors? if you have get help and get them to grab the glass and push it down while your using the sw.it may be sticking,:)

[redmaestro]

I checked the multipug for both motors and I got a healthy 12v on the meter when the button was pressed

[e692wtt]

Water ingress? It's been raining extremely heavily for several hours and the Window Seals on our cars aren't the best... if so, the problem should resolve itself as it dries out.

The one thing my car wasn't this afternoon was warm!

The other other Rich.:)

[redmaestro]

I have just gone out to make sure I had locked the car. I couldnt help but try the drivers side window again. To my delight, it moved about 8" down but then stopped. Now I cant get the :censored:ing thing back up again!!!

Why me???

[tony]

doh

[redmaestro]

Just to let you all know - I left my car in Dads garage over night. With my window slightly open, I was worried about rain getting inside my car. I have just tried it again this morning and sure enough I closed the drivers side window first time!

Relieved and foolishly thinking my problem was solved - I then opened the pass' side window. It went all the way down and then back up again without any probs. Then nothing!! I tried both windows and nothing happened! It seems like I have to leave the car for ages before the windows will work - and then I have about 20 seconds to use the window.

Could it be a duff battery? The one in my 1.3L is only a few months but I dont know if its the same type. Would swapping them over be a good idea, or should I get a brand new one to be on the safe side? [My new car is an E reg 2Ltr EFI]

Perhaps I should take a hammer to it instead!

[SimonR]

I'm afraid that I'm in the same boat - this is the same problem as my father and I were trying to fix on A251 HPR over the weekend - it's v. strange because while the motor decides to work there's absolutely nothing wrong or out of place - no grinding, no smoke, no slowing down or anything.

Problem is that (in our case) the window gets to the limit of its travel and then refuses to move, even though the motor clicks.

Dean suggested that the mechanism might be bent as this caused the same problem with his car, but as far as I can see everything's okay in that respect, but you may want to check it. Very odd that both your windows broke at the same time. Suggests an electrical fault but if you're getting current at the motor when you operate the switch then it must be okay.

The theory that I'm working on is that whatever method the motor uses to decide that the window's either fuly up or down is broken and therefore it gets confused and switches itself off.

I've decided to buy a new part and solve the problem that way - Hopefully I'll be lucky and find one at the MGM day this weekend.

Btw, once you've taken it out you'll wish you hadn't - it's a huge fiddle putting it back. I can't workout if it's possible to anchor the motor in place using the three bolts and then fit the window afterwards or whether you have to fit the motor to the window runners, then to the channel in the door and then align the three bolts. Also, the Haynes manual bangs on about removing an 'auxillery channel' I couldn't find this on the 83 VP - the only channel I could find was the one that the plastic wheel, mounted on the other end of the arm which attached to one of the window runners, goes up and down in, and this was spot welded to the door!

The window is currently gaffer-taped to the door until I can get another motor.

[redmaestro]

Interesting theory, but this morning I could operate the windows for about 20 seconds or so and then nothing. Luckily both windows were closed before it gave up.

A friend suggested that it could have a bad earth.

[redmaestro]

:D

Just to let you know I went to an auto-electrician on Friday, and had my electric windows fixed and it only cost £20!!!

The problem was.... a bad earth.

So, if F153JUE is reading this; this might be the problem your car has. Its worth checking out.

redm

[topgear]

The problem was.... a bad earth.

Ive got bad earth too... its called "Clay"!!!! ;)

[tony]

here we go again, mine is concrete