Has anyone fitted an extra switch to operate the passenger door window from the driver's side?

 

Can it be done??

 

Is it a big/expensive job??

 

With all the hot weather lately I find it a pain to have to lean over to the passenger's door to open the windy.

Try the VW up site I think someone was looking at doing a two window switches mod. Mind you it would be quite a lot of work to get the wires into the door?

http://www.upsociety.de/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=327

Has anyone fitted an extra switch to operate the passenger door window from the driver's side?

 

Can it be done??

 

Is it a big/expensive job??

 

With all the hot weather lately I find it a pain to have to lean over to the passenger's door to open the windy.

 

Has anyone fitted an extra switch to operate the passenger door window from the driver's side?

 

Can it be done??

 

Is it a big/expensive job??

 

With all the hot weather lately I find it a pain to have to lean over to the passenger's door to open the windy.

Aircon, in hot waether you should keep the windows closed to allow the aircon to work.

I remember thinking how it was a bit of a cheapskatey thing when I got my car to not have a switch on the drivers side. But then again I never open my windows!

I open the windows on a car with aircon! if the car has been parked in the sun all day, open the windows for the first few minutes of the journey to let the most of the heat out, then put the air con on with recirculation and cools the car down a lot quicker! also puts less strain on the engine and reduces fuel consumption (slightly)

Always open the windows on hot days,IMHO the extra fuel for aircon usage is a huge waste and an unacceptable burden on the environment, with the extra emissions. Also with only 60 or 75 bhp it is a stress on the poor little engine it could do without.

Luckily being well over 6 foot I can easily reach the passenger side window button without too big a stretch

As these cars do not come with the option of double window buttons on the drivers side, I think a fair bit of wiring would be involved, maybe you could fit a remote switch in centre console area without too much trouble? Extend the cable without taking door cards apart etc?

I must admit, it is a bit of a bind to have to reach over when the passenger has forgotten to close the window.

I must admit, it is a bit of a bind to have to reach over when the passenger has forgotten to close the window.

How about modifying the stick that you should have in the car, to push the parcel shelf down when you drive off and forget

 

Could be a dual purpose tool 

I must admit, it is a bit of a bind to have to reach over when the passenger has forgotten to close the window.

 

Crikey! You let passengers touch any control on your car, let alone open windows!

DAMO........................

Are there any electrics experts among us? I am most definitely not one but with Multiplex wiring I believe that in theory any switch can activate any device if it can "see" the relevant control unit. Would it be possible with modifications to the relevant control units,to utilise the Left/Right switch on the Mirror adjuster so that in the Left position the Window switch on the Drivers door could operate the Passenger window?

I don't know why they didn't put the windows switches in the centre console or in the dash that way didn't matter there only one switch per window. My MX5 is set that way so was my old Seat Cordoba,

That would have been preferable to having to lean over, thats for sure

My passengers are beaten soundly if they try and open a window - and then I make them wash and clean off the nasty damp smear marks.

Interesting comments. I take it that nobody has done this yet?

 

I like to open windows in bad weather conditions at junctions so that I can hear and see, so I use the windows a lot!  At 6' 4" and monkey arms, it's still a bind to reach over!
I find people are more likely to let you into traffic with the window down.

With limited vents, one has little control over air management, and so steaming up in wet weather can be an issue, even with A/C assistance. Another safety issue.

 

The comment about central buttons is sensible - even jag have done that in the past!

 

I have found this and these buttons although I've not checked that they will fit the door (the car has manual mirrors too! Grrrr). Worse case would be to take a set of cables from the passenger door to the driver door, otherwise, if the poster above is correct and the car uses multiplex signalling, then it's just a case of adding another nearside window switch. However, the switch appears to be a single product (not handed), so I assume that they do not use multiplex signalling.

 

One could (thinking aloud) add a little micro controller, four relays (up/down x 2) and read the original switches to provide the following functions.

 

Hold up or hold down: normal (local) operation

Tap up or tap down: fully wind the (local) window all the way up or down

Double tap up or Double tap down: fully wind the opposite window all the way up or down

Tap up and hold up or Tap down and hold down: fully wind both windows up or down

 

The hardware and software would be pretty simple, adding to the loom in a way that would allow it to be returned to normal function would probably be the most expensive/time consuming part.

 

Kind regards

aDub

 

edit typos

Edited 5 January, 20179 yr by aDub

Hi DILLIGAFF

 

It seems that the only "easy" answer is to bite the bullet, & trade in for a Post 2015 car - these DO have electric window switches on each door.

 

Best o' luck though. 

BTW - "multiplex" switching is probably a misnomer, except in some instances. CAN (car area network), tend to be used mainly for out-bound signals e.g. lighting (and I don't work on cars any more, so please put me right). By having a "ring main" of power and a signal wire, the amount of cabling can be drastically reduced, since the signal cable can say "rear wiper motor on", only the rear wiper responds when it's power switch it activated. The next signal may be "switch on high beam".

To "read" devices, e.g. switches one can do this in (generally) one of three ways.

1. Old school, wire them all back individually to devices and relays etc. as per your Morris Minor (or into the controller of more modern cars)
2. Each device can have an address or ID, and so it signals "Hi, I'm the high beam switch and I'm off" on a single wire, each device will be known to the controller. Adding non "official" parts may result in non operation, since the address may be "wrong" or non-existent.
3. Several switches/senders are wired into a multiplexor. This device reads each connected wire in rotation and sends out a "string" of data on a single line in a  known order (there is no address - connecting in the wrong order will result in wrong operation), this string of data is then de-multiplexed (broken up into individual information) at the controller and acted upon. This reduces cabling to a degree and especially at the controller. The data may be switches giving on and off data, temperature values, fuel levels etc. Some may accept analogue data, but usually all outgoing data will be digital.