Window switches and relays

[bit]

Hi guys,
I have a question about power window switches on our cars. Can they really be that *****ty?!? I have had my car a couple of years now, and today was the 6th switch to break!! I'm not brutal with it at all!! Luckily I was thinking ahead during my last Pelican order and had a spare for it, but when I installed it, the windows still would not work!! I swapped the relay for the power windows with the horn relay and the windows started working fine again. So the damn stuck windows switch burnt out the relay. Replacement relay's are $21 and the switch's are $23. Crappy. So I figured the relay was dead anyway, so I cut it open and found a braided wire was burnt, it kinda looked like solder braid, so I just resoldered it, a voila, working relay!! Taped it back together and it works champ! I checked all my relays and found two others with the exact same problem (A/C and a spare one). Next I'll try to repair the window switch and post my results.
Cheers,
.Steven
1980 911SC

PS: I di not get much views and feedback on my last post about my car, so if you have a chance, please take a look, comments would be appreciated. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/217961-2005-winter-projects-done-suspension-brakes-w-results-long.html#post1879133


Broken:

Fixed:

Braided wire I used:

[jeffgrant]

Nice work!

[bit]

Hi Guys,
So further to my window switch(s) repair, I took the 5 defective switches I could find and decided to take them apart. Three of them had a peg broken off on one side of the rocker, and on two of them the hole that holds the spring and rocker stud was completely broken in multiple pieces.



So I used Krazy glue to set the broken side studs back on the three, and then used 5 minute epoxy to build up the stud. I finally took a dremel tool and ground the side stud down to shape.



The other two switches were a bit tougher. I carefully re-assembled the broken tubes with Krazy glue again, and once set, I rebuilt the tubes with expoxy and re drilled the tube holes so that the spring would fit correctly. I don't think that these tubes will ever break again (on these switches anyway). Dremeled to fit.



So I re-greased the switch internals, reassembled them, and Voila!! I know have 5 spare working windows switches. They seem durable but I'll let you know how they hold up.

Total time spent on repairing three relays and five window switches: 3 hours. Well worth it I think.

.Steven
1980 911SC

[ekessel]

Steven,
How did you get the "face" part off the switch? I just put a "nub" back on the side of one of my switches, and couldn't figure out how to get the face off...... it looks like it should come off.... but I couldn't figure it out..........
Thanks,
-Eric

[cactusdtd]

Buen trabajo amigo

[bit]

Hi Eric,
If you look at the underside of the plastic black square frame that surrounds the rocker switch, you'll notice two slots on each side where you can insert a small screw driver and pry the square frame off. Then everything comes apart.
Take care,
.Steven
1980 911SC

[k9handler]

ok bit you are my hero!

How do I get the relay open?

And if possible can you tell me where the wires connect on the passenger window switch? I removed mine quite some time ago and looking at what you have done I just may want to install it again.

Thanks.

[bit]

Hi k9handler.
To open the relay, simply take a hacksaw or dremel tool and cut it open around the perimeter near the bottom of the relay. Do not cut too deep. The pic of the relay above will give you and idea of about where to cut. To put it back together, I simply used electrical tape, seems to hold just fine.
I never really took notice of the wire colors on the switches as I always unplugged and replugged them exactly the same when I swapped them, but below is the pin configuration accoring to the Haynes manual.

Passenger side Window switch:
pin1=black
pin2=green
pin3=red/white
pin4=brown
pin5=red/black

Cheers!
.Steven
1980 911SC

[ausdilecce]

a 'nub' broke off of one of my switches and instead of gluing it back on, I drilled a hole through the switch housing and rocker and put in a little shaft (small bit of wire) for the rocker to pivot on.. Still working fine after 18 months.. Great work tho

[RoninLB]

elec window electrics suck imo.

Early_S_Man/ Warren posted an idea to wire in a relay directly to the pw motor inside the door.. Great idea except for the pia in stringing wires into the door.

[Sonic dB]

Brother...I hear you!

I went through about 8 crappy OEM Window switches and had to basically nag Wayne here to take them back under warranty. At first, he wouldnt believe me that these switches suck so bad...but I took them in and gave them to Eli and also PM'ed him some threads from this forum.

The good news... the newest switches that Wayne warrantied have worked fine for about 6 months... praise the lord they work (knock on wood)

Nice work on the repairs! I tried on one, but the damn thing was "frozen" shut and I couldnt open it.. oh well.

[k9handler]

Thanks Steven