Driver's window stuck-where to begin? '83 240D - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

prityhandychick · #1 10-02-2010, 12:00 AM

Driver's window is stuck down. There wasn't anyone working on the car, it just happened during normal use. Checked fuse & it's good (RR window works fine). I wanted to check the switch, but couldn't for the life of me figure out how to remove the console to get to wiring. Considered checking wiring in door but it was getting dark & decided to figure out which would be best to start with. Thus, I am here... There is no noise when switch is in up or down position.

I read a post that said the switches sometimes get crud in them & electrical contact cleaner will help clean them up. Still, if that's the case I don't know how to get to them. So, where should I start?

69shovlhed · #2 10-02-2010, 12:22 AM

Yup. find that thread about cleaning the switches out. pop the shifter trim, disconnect the switches. carefully remove the switches from the trim. use a pocket screw driver or jewelers screw driver to pry the switch apart right next to the little tab that holds the switch into its body. do not turn the switch sideways or you may lose the little springs or balls inside. use tweezers to remove the little balls and levers and clean everything real good w/ tissue or soft cloth; the contact points may need to have corrosion scraped off. use that little screw driver to gently scrape the crud out of the switch body. after you get it squeaky clean, use the tweezers to put the little levers back in place , the springs back in the switch, and the balls on the levers and snap it back together. if your not a spazz, you will now have 4 properly working switches, and you'll have a strong desire to do the same to your rear door switches too. if you are a spazz, you'll need to order some more switches, cause you'll have f'ed yours up beyond use. just kidding, its an easy fix if you take your time and are careful.

prityhandychick · #3 10-02-2010, 12:41 AM

Yer so fuuuny! Seriously, with the tweezers, springs, etc...is it as straightforward as that? Should I take a pix of it or will I be able to figure out where all those things go back in?

What do you mean by POP the shifter trim? There is a lip at the bottom of the shifter boot. Is that what a pop up? Pry with a screwdriver or something flat? Or do you mean I should somehow pop the very brittle wooden panel that the switches sit in off? Thanks

69shovlhed · #4 10-02-2010, 01:38 AM

it is that straight forward. but my trim panel is missing the pin at the rear so it comes out really easy. 1st, pull the ashtray. then i think you need to remove the 2 screws that hold the ashtray compartment in, and then the trim panel will come out towards the rear. the switches have little metal clips on the ends that hold them in the very brittle wooden trim panel. if you push the little tangs on those little metal clips against the switch bodies, the switch will pop up enough to get a fingernail under the lip at the end of the switch. do it to both ends of the switch and it'll come out of the panel. inside each switch are 2 springs, 2 tiny balls, 2 little metal lever thingies. the springs are tucked into holes in the rocker part of the switch, the balls just sit in the center of the little metal lever thingies. do this over a shallow pan or something so that if you do drop something it won't get away from you. it is not complicated w/ a bunch of moving parts, just take your time. after you do one you'll be like "that was easy".

charmalu · #5 10-02-2010, 04:20 AM

Here is a handy DIY on the window switches.

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/SwitchRefurb

Charlie

fruitcakesa · #6 10-02-2010, 08:13 AM

You can remove the switches without removing the wood panel by using that tiny screwdriver to carefully pry up the ends of the switch body and the switch will come out.

69shovlhed · #7 10-02-2010, 08:51 AM

very good tutorial there, even w/ the blurry pix. thanks to the awesome chap that put that togther for us. you can pop the switches from the top, but then you may scratch that very brittle wooden panel, or even chip it, so thats why i recommend popping the panel out. and while your there, you can remove that stupid fader switch and run your speaker wires direct to the head unit, the way anyone that has never goose stepped would have done it in the first place.

prityhandychick · #8 10-02-2010, 09:48 AM

I'm on my way out to give this a shot. Thanks a bunch for the info. The wooden panel is already missing some pieces so I'm going to try to do it from the top side...it might be a little faster for me. Since I have to take a 2 hour trip later this AM I'm going with the quicker way for now. That said, I will not rush it b/c I know what it's like to lose little pieces like that.

I saw something about that famed fader switch but can deal wlith that now anyway. Now that I know how to get that whole piece off I'll be getting down in there soon to clean it out b/c the shifter boot is torn at the bottom & it's been getting crud in it. Gonna make a new boot for it so I don't keep losing things down it.

I'll report back in a bit with my findings. Thanks

Yak · #9 10-02-2010, 10:57 AM

The expedient back up option is to swap out the switch with a working switch, like if the passenger side is working.

Rather than rush the job, get the window closed and then work on the switch - if it turns out the switch is the problem.

prityhandychick · #10 10-02-2010, 11:06 AM

It didn't fix the problem. However, I had much more crud in it then the tutorial picture showed. Also, I found something that could be the culprit: There was a sticky substance-most likely that pop my son had in the car last week. BUT, there wasn't ANY of it on the front window part of the switch, just the back window switch, which works fine.

I tried using the passanger side switch to roll the window up but that didn't work for either f or b window-different part, I know.

So, for now I have 2 questions b/c I HAVE to leave soon(with or without this car). #1 would be the most important for now.

1. Is there a way to get the window up without taking a bunch of things apart (I remember reading something about jumping from the down wire to the up or something like that.) Can I do something anything?

2. How do I check the switch itself to see if it's bad? I have a multimeter. Please be specific on this-I can do most anything but I don't know most technical terms for things(I know OMS & know I need to probably ck continuity but don't really understand it & wouldn't have a clue how to do it on this.

Thanks!

toomany MBZ · #11 10-02-2010, 11:49 AM

If you have a 12v power supply, try raising the window by touching the leads to the wires in the console.

With your multimeter set on ohms, check all pins. Check again with the button depressed, one of the pins should read different when the switch is depressed. I can't seem to be able to do that properly with just one person, as the buttons are rocker switches.

charmalu · #12 10-02-2010, 12:23 PM

Another external power supply that can be used to jump the wires, is a battery from a portable drill, as long as it is 12 or 14 volts. hook a couple of jumper wires and good to go.

I have a Makita battery I use when I go to PNP, rolls the windows up and down real good.

Charlie

prityhandychick · #13 10-02-2010, 12:28 PM

IT'S UP! A friend stopped by and started changing switches & checking everything again. We ended up disconnecting all of the wires to get the panel all the way off and I think there might be a loose wire b/c the next time the switch was hooked up it worked. He did started messing around with trying to jump the up to down or something like that...didn't work the way he thought it should but when the switch was hooked back up it worked. So, UNLESS the connections inside are still not clean enough it's wiring. I didn't have any sort of cleaner so just scraped the stuff out with Qtips & toothpicks & metal fingernail file(has a nice point on it). I'll pick up some cleaner & redo it & the pass. side later on. Thanks!

69shovlhed · #14 10-02-2010, 07:58 PM

the little contacts in the switch body and on the ends of the little metal lever thingies can get a coating of tough corrosion on em. you got to get it all off or no contact. its good that your window motor isn't toast. sounds like your mastering it though.

prityhandychick · #15 10-02-2010, 10:53 PM

OK-back from my outing & wanted to make one last post for others doing this. Here are my recommendations to everything that has already been said:

Take switches out & away from the car before taking them apart. I put out a rag towel & dumped them out on it-no bouncing or rolling involved.

Tweezers were handy for getting parts out-b/c the sticky substance in them made all metal parts stay put. Handy for putting metal swivels(lever thingies) back into place.

Q-tips & HEADLAMP or really good direct light-very useful

Take the wooden trim off-ashtray snaps out easily & 2 screws were simple. Pulling the wooden trim off wasn't as easy, just because I didn't understand about the "pin". Toward the back of the wooden trim where it slopes down to meet the console "tray" there is a plastic pin(it's on the inside & can't be seen). You have to pull the whole wooden piece toward the back of the car at least an inch and then it will be out all the way. That whole part only took about 5 minutes.

Use electrical contact cleaner

Then you'll know when you are done that you are REALLY done(and hopefully won't need to move onto whatever the next step is).

THANKS A BUNCH TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED! YOUR VIRTUAL BAKED GOODS ARE ON THE WAY!