Electric Window

[andyn666]

Hi, 

 

My drivers side window is being intermittent, I have tested the motor and its fine, as is the loom in the door and to the door connector. I have figured out that the loom is not providing enough amps for the motor to turn the mechanism. The problem is before the connections at the pillar as when I hot wire the main positive connection at the connector the window works perfectly. So does any one know why this might have happened, as i would rather sort the problem than just hotwire it full time.

 

Thanks

Andy 

[seatkid]

Possibly a poor connection at the door A pillar - remove connector/clean/refit (see faqs for how to)

 

Also check fuse/fuse carrier and possibly the spade connectors to the rear of the fuse carrier.

 

Using a multimeter should be able to determine where the volt drop (bad connection) is.

[andyn666]

I have checked the pillar connector and thats fine, the fuse is good to. The odd thing is there is no drop on voltage, even at the window motor. The drop is in the amount of amps it can draw i.e the motor can't draw enough amps to turn, even with out the window mechanism, how ever the motor is not asking for more amps than the fuse, Its acting like someone has put a resistor in between the fuse and pillar connection!?

 

I have solved the problem buy soldering a new wire from the fuse to the pillar connector and its all working fine, but I was wondering what could have caused it?

 

Thanks

Andy

[SilverBeast]

You won't get much of a voltage drop till you try and draw current.  If the wire is corroded or has a few of the internal strands broken it will have a higher resistance which will mean it needs more current to get through the wire and the voltage would then be dropped partially across the wire and not across the motor as normal. Did you measure the resistance between the fuse and the pillar connector on the existing wire.  I would expect it to be less than 0.5Ohm.

[seatkid]

As silverbeast says, you wont get a voltage drop until you draw current.

 

Also dicky connectors (A pillar and the fuse carrier spade connectors) wont probably show up with resistance readings as poor connections and/or corrosion behave like non-linear semiconductors when passing current.

 

THe way to find the problem was to measure the voltage with the switch pressed/ignition on/motor stalled. Negative to chassis and positive to the circuit, working out from the fuse (try both sides) and then the A pillar connector (again both sides), when you see a sharp drop indicates the faulty point or section.

 

As you've put in a new wire to solve the issue, its highly likely its a loose spade connector on the fuse carrier (known issue)

[andyn666]

Well it looks like i will have to have a closer look at the fuse box then, all's working fine with the new wire, so it might take me a while to get round to looking at it. 

 

Thanks very much for the posts guys, its a real help

 

Andy