Windows when car is off

[adamred]

Forgive me if this is a terrible neubie question and one I should know by now after 1.5 years but here goes. And I searched but couldn't quite get the string of words together for a narrow enough result...

Why do my electric windows work even when the car is off and the key is out of the ignition? Is this a factory thing or do I have some sort of electrical gremlin?

Sorry if this has been covered before...

Adam

[GrindingGears]

The windows should have power when the key is out. Sunroof should not.

[adamred]

Thanks,what is the reason for this feature?

[Rot 911]

Actually the windows should only work until you open the car door. Then the relay should go off. It is for people like me who turn the car off, but forgot to close the windows.

[Wil Ferch]

Kurt is correct...and this mimics the correct wiring for a 3.2 car also.

This can be a problem. You want the circuit to be dead after the open/close the door routine. If you find that the circuit is still alive after you do that...it can inadvertantly drain yoir battery...because the circuit is still alive. The problem is almost always with a defective door button-switch for the dome light ( same circuit). Replace that and you're usually OK.

---Wil Ferch

[Yaron]

On my '87 Carrera, the feature of still operating the power windows after turning the engine off before opening the door doesn't work anymore. I noticed this after a new alarm system was installed. I talked to the installer and he didn't rewire or do anything near the doors. He couldn't see a reason. Could this be wiring, grounding, relay, door switch, fuse? Hasn't been a big deal to me because the windows work fine when key is turned on.

[FrayAdjacent911]

I doubt that there will be a battery drain if the circuit is still hot... unless something is holding the switch closed, thus causing the motor to continue to run.

Without actually actuating the switch, there is no circuit, thus there is no drain.


Edited... yeah, if the relay is energized... there will be a small drain...

[masraum]

Originally posted by Yaron
On my '87 Carrera, the feature of still operating the power windows after turning the engine off before opening the door doesn't work anymore. I noticed this after a new alarm system was installed. I talked to the installer and he didn't rewire or do anything near the doors. He couldn't see a reason. Could this be wiring, grounding, relay, door switch, fuse? Hasn't been a big deal to me because the windows work fine when key is turned on.

If he wired the alarm to sound if the dome light comes on which is normal then that's probably why it's not working now. The dome light switch which can turn the alarm on is the same switch that turns that feature off when the door gets opened. So either he didn't really understand the question or he's a numbnuts.

[Yaron]

Steve, I think you got it. The dome lights are connected as part of the alarm feature. I happen to like that feature because when I press the button on the remote to disarm, the lights come on and then timeout after about a minute. The lights also come on after I turn off the engine and also timeout unless I open the door. Well duh! So if this means trading the original factory feature for this alarm feature, I'm happy with what I've got and will just leave it be. Thanks a bunch.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

This is odd, I have an 83SC, no alarm, and it has never done this. Ignition needs to be on to open/close the windows

[Yaron]

Can't speak for the SC's. I do know that there are quite a few subtle differences between the SC's and the Carrera's of the 80's. Maybe this power window feature is one of them. I do remember reading about it in my owner's manual but that was a long time ago. I'll take a look again for curiosity.

[adamred]

Nice old thread. FYI on my SC, the windows will still go down even after I open the doors....keys are not even in the ignition!

OTOH I have never had a problem with my battery draining....funny little gremlin...