power window gremlins

This is kinda strange but .... do these power windows work on some sort of a circut? like if one motor is fried the others wont work? and keeps the relay keyed up when the relay is pluged in "causing dead battery syndrome" and a really really hot relay

I've also noticed on the console switch for the drivers side theres no power getting to the switch where do these wires go from the switch when they dissappear under the dash i've tried running them down but have no luck they just get sucked up into the mothership tube.... ugh
I love my car but i tell ya if it isnt one thing it's another

[psfred]

Check the wiring in the tubes going to the doors. The only other thing that will cause this is a stuck relay -- swith them around and see if the window problems follow the relay. The circuits are tied together left front-right rear and right front-left rear. And yes, a stuck relay will run the motor when you don't want it to, will get very hot, and will drain the battery.

Also, check for chafed insulation in the wiring harness with a voltmeter between the operating terminals on the relay and ground -- a short will do the same thing. You know where the relays are, so that is where the wires go.

You might also have a bad switch -- should snap back to "neutral" and click when operated. Replace if the feel mushy -- they are about $18.

Peter

yep I've tried all of that even replaced the relays and the switches still the same old song and dance.
The wires in the doors seem fine I hook power up directly to the wires and the window goes down reverse power to raise the window.
It appears that the power is not getting to the switch once the line leaves the fusebox. I can understand that but why would that effect the relay? Hmm
I've checked the wires with continuity and voltage meters for the door to the switch everything seems to behave as it should.

Possibly I do have a short somewhere but I cant for the life of me figure out where.

[190D22]

As far as the window circuits go, in my car (safe to assume they kept the same design w/ everyone else right?) the front driver's window and rear passenger's window are on the same fuse. Front pass window and rear driver's window are on the same fuse. I was afraid I fried my driver's window motor, then the rear pass. window wouldn't go up or down. So I went straight to the fuse box and sure enough I had blown a fuse.

When car wiring gets funky it's very hard to sort it out. Working out problems in a car's electrical system is a nightmare.

What I know about electrical you could very easily write on the back of your thumb. However a wise old tech once told me that if something strange is going on, always check the grounding first.

[psfred]

Take the fuse box off and check the connections underneath, they have been know to come loose and give intermittant contact, so no power to switches.

Peter

[peterhardie]

I had a problem (85 300TD) with my two rear windows, no workee with console or door switches, fronts worked fine. No hot relays or fuse problems, but the wires in the harness going thru the pillar into the door were fried. The only sure way to tell is to push back the bellows at the door hinge, split the sheathing, and give a good yank on each wire. One or two in each door had corroded. My tech says it is a common problem. The insulation either looks fine or can't be seen for a length.

Maybe yours are shorting somewhere behind the scenes.

Just a guess, worth a look.

Maybe that will be the ticket ,bad wires in the doors.
I've tried wiggling the wires but I left the thick sheath on perhaps thats not good enough.

Under the fuse box the only thing I came across was a cut wire a purple one appears to go to another relay that was locking up as well
The prev owner cut the line to keep the battery from dying
I've tried rehooking up the wire but found I would have to keep it unhooked or remove the relay like I am doing currently for the drivers window relay... everything else under there is tight and secure


Jeff

[190D22]

That was a bad move on the PO's part. Why wouldn't he just go buy a new relay?

Have the windows done this to you ever since you bought the car?

yes, the windows were doing this at the time I purchaced the car...
I've replaced the relays but that still didn't help I imagine the problem lies within the wiring somewhere. uggh

hate trying to do wires, gotta rewire the back interor light in the 220 that will be fun too

oh well the more I play the more I learn I guess so this is all a good teaching/ learning experiance {well I do have to look on the bright side of things lol }


Jeff

[psfred]

Jeff:

If a relay stays on all the time, look for a short or bad switch in the operating side rather than the power side. If it is actuated when it shouldn't be, something is getting current to the circuit besides what is supposed to be.

Do you, by chance, have an aftermarket radio installed on this car? If so, given the butcher jobs I've seen in the past, check for screws run into wire harnesses, crushed or cut harnesses, etc around the radio. Idiots have also been known to cut into the harness looking for a hot wire, too, doing all sorts of strange things to the circuits.

Peter

I do Have an aftermarket radio that I installed... the original bekker was froze... face plate illumination came on and that was about all could not turn off no volume or anything I wonder if that radio shorted out something. the relays were locked open with that radio installed as well...
it seems like all the wires running to and from the radio work perfectly fine.

when ever I unhook the relay I dont seem to be loosing anypower to anything else
oh I just thought of something... the power seats in this car only work if the drivers side door is open when I open the door another relay clicks on for the seat is that normal? I've never seen a car that seats wont adjust whenever until now.


Jeff

[psfred]

Jeff:

Double check your radio installation. Did you use an adapter harness to plug the new one into the factory harness? If not, either re-check or have someone with electrical knowledge do so, somthing is wrong.

If the seats ONLY work with the door open, the relay is bad -- or the ignition circuit/switch is toast. The seats work with the driver's door open (some cars have electric windows that do, too) so that the driver can re-set the seat before getting in (memory seats). Very nice, especially if the windows work so you dont' have to use the key.

I think you may have damaged the wiring when you installed the radio -- just exactly what did you do?

Peter

well all the damage was done even before installing the radio nothing worked, but with the Bekker I had there were only like 6 wire availible 2 for the speakers 1 power 2 ground 1 lights and memory 1 for power antenna .

pretty much I just wired them up like they should be ground to ground hot to hot and so fourth had to run extra speaker wire because the original wires are not compatible with anyother radio.

I really don't think the radio has anything to do with the current problem as it was acting the same with to factory radio installed.
thats not saying the old radio didnt do any damage by frying something.....

I have tried all new relays for the seats and the windows so there must be something seriously wrong with the circutry in the car

[psfred]

Jeff:

Sounds like you didn't mess anything up. Was this the factory radio or had someone else done an aftermarket installation? You should have two hot wires for the radio -- one from the ignition switch and one from the headlight switch. Wires will be red or black red. One ground, usually chassis (will be a brown wire if separate). Speaker wires are colored, you should have four speakers, but there is a balance control on the console, so the wires may to there in two sets, not four.

At any rate, you need to scare up a wiring diagram and start tracing wires. Somewhere there is either a short or an inapropriate ground fouling things up.

It is also possible that the ignition switch is bad, not turning on the power for some accessories, or that one of the buss wires under the battery cable at the starter is off, so you have no juice.

Peter