Electric window down, dead, now back to life

[Chris Lovell]

'88 Cab. Clifford Alarm.
The passenger side elec window was DOA after an evening event. Both the driver's and passenger side switches were dead. (I had a brief moment a few days ago when the same window failed before but it came back to life shortly after) I got home and immediately began debugging. I pulled the driver's and passenger switches, wiggled all connections. No dice. I tested continuity between driver's and passenger sides. All good. I finally pulled all the blade connectors off the passenger's side and reconnected. The window suddenly worked fine. I was pooped given it was now morning so I called it "fixed" and hit the hay.
But this miraculous fix seems odd to me. I would have thought the wiggling, resetting of the blade connectors while power was on and the switch pushed would have triggered the window motor a little. Nothing. When it decided to work, it worked perfectly. I continue to believe the Clifford Alarm is the root of all things bad electrically.
I find the alarm to be a mysterious thing which makes me uncomfortable in this car where I am beginning to gain confidence in self maintenace and repair.
Could someone please offer thoughts and advise on this window thing? I'd love to fix it for good.
Thanks.

[Paco Anton]

The same thing happened to me last week. The wndow switch had been working intermitently over the last few weeks. Finally last week it completely stopped working.

These switches are well known to fail. I just bought another one and the problem was solved.

Be careful when installing a new one not to plug the wires incorrectly (I blew a fuse). There is a post somewhere in Pelican showing the right connections.

[Chris Lovell]

If it is a switch and not some electric demon in the car (and in this alarm from hell), that is a beautiful thing. Maybe I'll get a couple in order to have a spare.
Are all three window switches identical?

[Paco Anton]

Yes, the part number is 911-613-621-03.

However my new switch has a slightly different appearance than the old ones (not noticeable from 1 foot away). Do a search and you'll find that these switches are very prone to failure.

[98GTW]

The other possible cause of this is a sticky switch.. If the switch gets stuck in the ON position, going up or down, the motor overheats and a thermal cutout on the motor opens and prevents it from burning up. Re-centering the switch and letting the window motor cool cure the problem.

[Chris Lovell]

That's very good to know. Still sounds like the switch should be replaced.
Thanks.

[Martin3.2]

Also check for ground connections.

[Chris Lovell]

Martin or anyone,
Where, in the wiring for the electric windows, would the ground connection for the windows/control switches be made? I don't even know where to start looking.
Thanks.

[steve911]

Chris-
another potential culprit could be the fuse. both of my windows stopped working one day, so I checked the fuse, which looked fine and cleaned the contacts at the fuse box. still no windows. installed a new fuse - windows work. go figure.

[Early_S_Man]

The power windows are another case of electrical system 'malpractice' by the Porsche factory engineers!!! Every other mfr uses relays to control motor power, yet Porsche used the door switches! It isn't any wonder that they fail regularly!

Anyone out there interested in a relay upgrade kit?

[Chris Lovell]

Warren,
So to be increasingly stupid on this topic... What is the relay upgrade kit and is this something I need?

[Chris Lovell]

I have a feeling there is the relay kit is another haloturbotronic molycasovic converter like solution. I fall for this all the time.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Chris Lovell
I have a feeling there is the relay kit is another haloturbotronic molycasovic converter like solution. .

I don't think so

[Chris Lovell]

Maybe there is such a relay upgrade kit... but I've order some new switches for now.
Thanks.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Early_S_Man

Anyone out there interested in a relay upgrade kit?

I was always interested in doing a current draw and volt drop test on that circuit, but never did it. So I guess in may need a relay install. I'd hate to have to snake a couple of 10ga wires into each door. that would be a pia imo.

[Chris Lovell]

Update:
After replacing the driver's door switch, the periodic power failure to the passenger window continued. Replaced the passenger door switch and, so far, all is well.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Chris Lovell

so far, all is well.

ok.. thanks for the happy ending.

[jtratza]

No I'm not playing with the steering wheel (930 type that's been on the car for 7 years). I'm getting some play in the steering. Its about a quarter inch or so from side to side while stopped. I can't feel it while driving but just barely noticible while sitting still and moving the wheel from right to left and back. Any ideas would be appreciated before I take my car into the shop. I keep getting this image of the wheel coming off in my hands while driving down I-10 and handing it to my wife telling her, "here you drive if you don't like the way I do it.".

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by jtratza

I'm getting some play in the steering. Its about a quarter inch or so from side to side while stopped. I can't feel it while driving but just barely noticible while sitting still and moving the wheel from right to left and back.

you should have started a new "subject".

Pelican has the metal replacement bushing.. then yank the wheel and insert. The old bushing can be removed if possible, otherwise just push it down using the new metal bushing. Use axle grease.