Hello everybody, hope someone can help.

 

My driver's side electric windows switch has stopped working.

I only have front electric windows on my car, the driver's side switch operates neither window but lights up when lights are on,

The passenger side switch works as normal.

I have checked both fuses and they are intact which makes me believe it's a bad switch, can anyone confirm this as a likely cause before I fork out for a new switch.

Thank you in advance.

More likely a broken wire in the bellows between driver's door and A-pillar; it's almost compulsory on a mk2.

What year is the car?

Thank you for your quick response,

the car is a 2013 facelift.

Certainly worth a look at the wiring before spending any money on switches, I'd say.

Will do, I take look at wiring first.

Personally, I would pop the switch out and short the live feed to each of the two window feeds to see what effect that has.

1 hour ago, Jocko said:

Personally, I would pop the switch out and short the live feed to each of the two window feeds to see what effect that has.

Am I correct in thinking that the four wires are,

Live 

Left window

Right window

And illumination?

 

No.

Brown is earth

Black/green is from/to right window switch

White/black is from/to left window switch

Grey/blue is illumination

 

The switches ground/earth their respective 'output' wires via different resistances. The differing voltages that arise at the motor module pins 4 and 6 cause the different functions.

 

 

 

The fact that the illumination works means the that earth is intact, and the black/green and white/black are within the main part of the door loom, so pretty well protected from harm compared to those that go from door to body of car. Seems improbable that both switches have failed at the same time, so...

I'd say you'll find at least one broken wire in the bellows area, which is rendering the driver's side module (J386) temporarily unable to do its work.

Thank you for all your help and assistance.

When I have finished work for the week I will be getting the test meter out and checking the wiring at the switch before I dismantle the door 

To check the wiring in the door bellows you don't need to dismantle the door at all.

Here's one thread with a picture of where I mean, there are many, many such threads

 

 

I have had a probe around with the test meter.

Picking up a 12v feed   and earthing through the black/ green and white/black wires I get a 12v reading showing both wires reach ground.

I see no damage like shown in the photographs at the door plug.

Is it now safe to assume that the switch itself is at fault?.

18 minutes ago, DarrenG said:

Picking up a 12v feed   and earthing through the black/ green and white/black wires I get a 12v reading showing both wires reach ground.

I don't really follow what you mean by that, but as I said before, I doubt those two wires could get damaged.

 

If you earth either end of either of those two wires do you hear any relay clicks?

I can't remember if the switch position that shorts those wires direct to earth (no resistor) is an opening window or a closing window position. Either way I think if you short say the black/green wire to earth you should hear a click from the relay inside the driver's side motor module, if it is alive. If it's an opening position and the window is closed, you should see movement.

 

 

I don't want to risk any damage to the module by shorting the wires to earth.

My test seems to show that the wiring is ok 

I have seen a switch available for £10 so I am going to take a punt and order it 

 

Thank you for all your help and assistance.

Just now, DarrenG said:

I don't want to risk any damage to the module by shorting the wires to earth.

One of the positions of each switch does exactly this ( the one with no resistor shown) , so there would seem to be more damage potential doing what you did before, with 12V feeds. Up to you, it doesn't seem like you're 100% understanding what I'm writing, nor the wiring diagram.

 

What you're trying to establish is not whether the switch wiring is OK, but whether drivers side module is alive/awake.

 

 

These are the resistor values I found on a switch pack for an earlier car (Mk1 Fabia I think) and which way the window should move with each.

So shorting to earth should open a window

 

From another thread on Briskoda: 

Both passenger and driver's side switch in the drivers door offer the same selection of four options. 

1. Press switch down to the first detent - 150 Ohms to earth

2. Press switch fully down - short/0 Ohms to earth

3. Pull switch up to first detent - 1.8k Ohms to earth

4. Pull switch up fully - 530 Ohms  to earth.

 

It's possible that your switch may have different values, but if you can measure four different resistances (one = 0) for each switch you will have shown the switch to be innocent of fault., if you short the wires to ground, windows should open irrespective of the switch condition.  (Ignition probably needs to be on for this).

 

 

Hi,

I was using an electronic test meter to check if the wiring was intact.

Although there was no visible damage at the plug inside the bellows it was possible to have damaged wiring inside the door.

My testing seems to show that the wiring is intact.

I am just thinking that at ten pounds it is worth getting another switch, If it turns out not to be the switch I will have a spare ready for the inevitable day when the switch does pack up.

 

Fair play.

Virtually impossible for the wiring to get damaged anywhere other than the area that bends in the door hinge, but...

If the rubber boot hasn't been properly in position you can get water running down and corroding those connections.

Did you unplug the 28-way plug, or just eyeball in situ?

25 minutes ago, DarrenG said:

Hi,

I was using an electronic test meter to check if the wiring was intact.

Although there was no visible damage at the plug inside the bellows it was possible to have damaged wiring inside the door.

My testing seems to show that the wiring is intact.

I am just thinking that at ten pounds it is worth getting another switch, If it turns out not to be the switch I will have a spare ready for the inevitable day when the switch does pack up.

 

 

I think rolling the dice for a tenner probably makes sense, certainly the switches on the Mark 1 Fabias failed with monotonous regularity after ten years or so.

I just moved the boot and had a look at the wiring.

I expect that the passenger switch is ok as it gets nowhere near as much use.

 

To be honest I am better with mechanical things than electrics, 

Very grateful for all the advice I have received about this issue.

Hello everybody

breezy Pete, you were correct after all, the wiring was indeed broken badly further along the loom,

It's so bad I decided to remove the loom from the door and repair it on the workbench.

Only good thing is that I get to use the new soldering station I bought last week.

 

Fisher Price soldering station...

1 minute ago, sepulchrave said:

Fisher Price soldering station...

 

Lol 😂,

£11 from Lidl.

Well done mate. 🙂

2 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Well done mate. 🙂

 

I would have never found it without all your help, I can't thank you enough.

No problem. Hopefully others in the same/similar boat can gain from reading of your experience. 

 

I quite like Parkside stuff, is that in the shops now?