Windows won't open :(

[Morgana]

Hi has anyone had this problem? My windows won't open, no matter what I do. I've tried everything it suggests in the owners manual.. I'm just two weeks away from my MOT!

 

I did wonder about disconnecting the battery and then reconnecting, but that will probably switch everything off!  Any ideas?

[KenONeill]

@Morgana - No help with what's wrong, but opening windows aren't in the MoT.

[Morgana]

34 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

@Morgana - No help with what's wrong, but opening windows aren't in the MoT.

Hi Ken and thanks for your reply, that's good to know. I've just sorted out the door that wouldn't unlock, now the windows are playing up!

[aubrey]

Check for broken wires in the door gaitor

[Morgana]

13 hours ago, aubrey said:

Check for broken wires in the door gaitor

Thanks for the pointers, Aubrey. I wouldn't know how to check this though, or how to repair it if I found any. I was hoping I was just doing something wrong.

This happened after my elderly dad got out of the car, leaning heavily on the window button on the passenger side. They haven't worked since then. Might have to go to the garage as soon as they open in the new year!

[aubrey]

I must say if they failed after heavy pressure to a certain place then that place seems a good area to check. The door switches do pull out and have a wiring plug-on connector on their base.

 

The door gaitor I was talking about is the black concertina rectangular soft plastic that goes between the car body and the door. It has all the wires in it for the door. Repeated opening and closing obviously flexes the cables inside and after time cores break. To check the cores inside there is a finger tab at the top, on the car body side that can be used to release the clip at the top that clicks the gaitor to the car body. I find it easier to slip a narrow flat blade screwdriver in at the top, centre between car body and rubber gaitor. Push down the screwdriver gently and the gaitor will come away from the car body. Once released from the top the bottom will just lift away. Then the gaitor can be pushed back towards the door and the wires inside checked.

[Morgana]

Thank you for that, Aubrey, I will give it a go when the weather gets a bit better, snowed and iced all over today here!

[RichardatWakefield]

Hi Morgana,

Wondering if your Dad's pressure on the passenger side window switch has popped the fuse, your owners manual will show you its location, number and fuse rating.

 

I've had a temporary front electric windows stoppage, when trying to get an iced-up window to open, think there's an overload cutout that re-sets after a while. 

 

Also had passenger side and then both fronts fail, needed new motor and control unit in drivers door.  

But yes, as Aubrey says, check inside those rubber gaiters on both front doors, the driver side (and hatchback) likely get most usage, and I've had broken wires and split insulations in the hatch bundle inside that gaiter.

Good luck, keep us posted.

Useful if you can add the car's year of manufacture/registration into you "signature" thingy, often helps.

 

Richard.

[Morgana]

On 12/29/2017 at 12:52, RichardatWakefield said:

Hi Morgana,

Wondering if your Dad's pressure on the passenger side window switch has popped the fuse, your owners manual will show you its location, number and fuse rating.

 

 

Richard.

Thanks for that, Richard. I did have a look inside the fuse box. It was the opposite way around to the diagram in the handbook!!  (it might even be back-to-front as well - or upside down? - read on!) I found which number it was (either 51 or 52) but as there are no numbers present on the fuse box, and also back to front or maybe worse!! it was a bit hit and miss as to finding the right one. So I counted from the end to the fuse I thought it was, and took it out, intending to go to our local car shop for a new fuse. However, the car wouldn't start! Ho ho, wrong fuse then! So I put it back, and the car started again...  Think I will have to take it to the garage, I'm not confident enough to try again!

 

It isn't long since I had a 'seconds' motor fitted to the driver's side (£110+fitting) as that didn't work, but the passenger side window was ok then.  The rear passenger windows work with old fashioned hand winders, so at least they can't go wrong! (Crossing fingers and touching wood as I say that!)

 

I will report back when I see the chap at the garage. Tried calling today, but no answer, he must have decided to have another day off!

[Morgana]

14 hours ago, Morgana said:

Sorry that should read £120 including the fitting, for the new-ish window motor.

 

 

 

 

[Morgana]

Right, after paying out £120 for a second hand motor inc fitting, not very long ago (October/November time last year, I think), the garage have just informed me that the motor is kaput. And needs another one. However, they can't find another second hand one at the moment, apparently, these are in and out of the spares shops as as soon as they become available. Says something about the build quality, doesn't it. I might have to bite the bullet and buy a new one, at around £200+ and fitting on top of that!  I'm fuming! 

 

Edited 25 January, 2018 by Morgana

[KenONeill]

24 minutes ago, Morgana said:

Right, after paying out £120 for a second hand motor inc fitting, not very long ago (October/November time last year, I think), the garage have just informed me that the motor is kaput. And needs another one. However, they can't find another second hand one at the moment, apparently, these are in and out of the spares shops as as soon as they become available. Says something about the build quality, doesn't it. I might have to bite the bullet and buy a new one, at around £200+ and fitting on top of that!  I'm fuming! 

 

Well, FWIW a new part installed by a garage has a 12 months warranty on it.

[Morgana]

That's the way I was thinking, Ken. At least you would get 12 months out of it before it started playing up. They really ought to address this issue, it seems to affect nearly all the Roomsters!

[Morgana]

I'm having a new one, with 12 months warranty, fitted on Friday this week. £250 - Ouch!  I don't know how they can justify that sort of price for a fiddly little window motor! :(

[RichardatWakefield]

Hi Morgana,

I've had to do this couple of years ago, the driver's side motor incorporates a regulator/control unit which apparently also controls the passenger side front elec window (my car has manual-wind rear windows), both fronts failed together thanks to this, coincided with holiday trip via S.Wales to a very wet Dartmoor, could have done with ability to open fronts slightly until demist temp up....  Price sounds about right.

Richard.

[Morgana]

Thanks for your reply, Richard. My car also has manual wind rear windows, so exactly the same here. Yes, opening the windows for a demist is the thing that is bothering me most at the moment as well!

 

A friend suggested to really clean the windows, especially where the rubber seals are, and where dirt collects with an old toothbrush, as the muck that collects there makes the motor work harder, and burn out quicker, so I will be doing that on a regular basis from now on!  I have some gummi pfledge to condition the window seals, which might also help.

[Morgana]

Just a quick update.  Window motor now replaced and bank balance lighter!

 

Now here's a thing. It might come in handy for everyone with electric windows - as some of you know, I had to pay £250 with fitting for a new motor for the front windows. A second-hand part was fitted around three months ago and failed, so I forked out for a new motor this time, as it has a 12month warranty. On YouTube, there are several videos about how to maintain car windows, so that the motor doesn't wear out. This involves cleaning out the channels the windows run along, and also the seals at the bottom of the windows. As my car is in the shade a lot of the time, a lot of mouldy green stuff had built up around the bottom seals. Clean that off. Open the windows fully down and clean inside the seal. Then clean the channels, and spray with silicone spray along the channels where the window runs up and down, and smear a bit of vaseline or similar (I used Gummi Pfledge, a German rubber lubricant) on the seals around the outside. This took me around 15 mins yesterday to do. My windows are a little bit faster to open and close now as well, and the motor doesn't seem to be labouring at all, whereas it did sound as though it was having a bit of a struggle before. When the motor struggles to go up and down, the motor can overheat and wear out a lot more quickly, so it's well worth 10 minutes of your time to do the above.

Plenty of videos on YouTube showing you how to do this.
PS don't use ordinary WD40, make sure you get a silicone spray. The one I used is this one:
https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l...SABEgIxivD_BwE

 

[RichardatWakefield]

Hi Morgana,

Excellent work and advice here, I'd better do same to mine. 

If I recall correctly, there's an overheat cut-out for the window motors, cuts out before the fuse blows, re-sets after several minutes.  I recall experiencing it when trying to open a frozen-shut window. A fist-thump on the glass helped to separate the glass from the seal.  But cleaning and lubricating the seals sounds top work.

Others my be able to confirm this (may be detailed in my Owner's Handbook...) But reducing the resistance sounds the best route. Thanks!

Richard.

[Morgana]

On 3/7/2018 at 18:15, RichardatWakefield said:

Hi Morgana,

Excellent work and advice here, I'd better do same to mine. 

If I recall correctly, there's an overheat cut-out for the window motors, cuts out before the fuse blows, re-sets after several minutes.  I recall experiencing it when trying to open a frozen-shut window. A fist-thump on the glass helped to separate the glass from the seal.  But cleaning and lubricating the seals sounds top work.

Others my be able to confirm this (may be detailed in my Owner's Handbook...) But reducing the resistance sounds the best route. Thanks!

Richard.

 

Hi Richard, that's what I thought. Clean the channels and make sure they run up and down without causing any stress to the motor and the motor will last longer. You wouldn't believe the muck I got out from the channels. And I had just had the car washed as well. I had to look really closely to see the mouldy green stuff - but it was there! A very thin line, something you wouldn't really notice at a glance. I used an old cheap acrylic artist's paintbrush to get it off, and a few baby wipes and a knife to get inside the channels. An old toothbrush would do the same trick.

 

I'm sending the old motor off to a mate of mine who likes taking these things apart to see if he can fix them. He says it will probably be only a £5 fix, as that's what he's found on other car parts. I'll update this thread when he's had a look, but he's on holiday at the moment, so it will be a few weeks or more. So we will see!!

 

Here's the chap on YouTube whose instructions I followed, as it might help someone else.

 

 

Edited 9 March, 2018 by Morgana
added a bit more info and a link!

[Morgana]

Just a PS to this post... The new window motor started playing up. Working sometimes, others, not. I checked the switch in the door... it was loose in its socket. It's a bit like a telephone cable socket, only not nearly so robust. It was working its way loose every now and then. It dangles down from the switch, so perhaps gravity, shutting the door, the odd bump from a pothole - were working it loose.  I've taped it with electrical tape and have had no further problems.

 

I had a friend look at the first (second-hand) motor that was fitted, and which gave up the ghost.. He took it apart, and said there was nothing actually wrong with it! All the parts worked when connected, the wheely bits wheeled and there were no circuits burned out on the circuit board. 

 

I can only assume that it was the switch all along. I did check it, but didn't really know what I was looking for. It seemed to be ok at the time. It makes me wonder if that was all it was all along, and that a new motor wasn't needed!