Passenger window misbehaving

safrane

Member
Messages
16,894
It sounds like the micro switch behind the door card, and given its the passenger side my guess is that it is dirty and stuck rather than faulty...unless he took a lot of passengers for a ride prior to you Simon.

Check these first, Loz posted a how to in relation to the door card and I believe Roger had a pictorial on the micro switches too. Save your £100, you may need this at a later date and its better to keep the misses sweet given you have only just bought the dam thing.
 

Simonfryan

New Member
Messages
248
It sounds like the micro switch behind the door card, and given its the passenger side my guess is that it is dirty and stuck rather than faulty...unless he took a lot of passengers for a ride prior to you Simon.

Check these first, Loz posted a how to in relation to the door card and I believe Roger had a pictorial on the micro switches too. Save your £100, you may need this at a later date and its better to keep the misses sweet given you have only just bought the dam thing.

Sounds like good advice. I hadn't thought of this but that's why I'm finding this forum to be so useful.

I'll check out the micro switch before taking the plunge and buying the window ECU.
 

Simonfryan

New Member
Messages
248
I don't know what micro-switches are fitted, but if anyone has a definitive guide to checking and setting them it would indeed be worth a look. A guide to door card removal is here:

http://www.sportsmaserati.com/showt...ort-Doorcard-Removal?highlight=MICRO+SWITCHES

PH

Thanks for the link to this thread Phil. Removing the door card doesn't look too difficult (at least not with this thread as a guide) but I wouldn't have a clue where the window micro switch is or how to remove it - so if anyone does then I'd be grateful.
 

Tubber273

New Member
Messages
228
Interesting thread to me as just the other day, when I opened my drivers door to get out, the window went all the way down.
When I shut it from the outside (hoping it would go all the way back up), it stayed fully down.
I got back in, shut my door, raised the window all the way, but when I opened the door.....all the way down again!
Third time was the charm as it worked exactly as it was supposed to then and ever since.
I think in my case, the gremlin didn't like cold weather (+2 or 3 Celsius). :D
 

Tubber273

New Member
Messages
228
Hope your gremlin goes away like mine did Contigo!!
I think it's the micro switch just a little less resilient in colder weather......I hope!!
 

Simonfryan

New Member
Messages
248
Hope your gremlin goes away like mine did Contigo!!
I think it's the micro switch just a little less resilient in colder weather......I hope!!

The consensus seems to be that the micro switch is the most likely culprit. If anyone can post a link to any pictures of it in situe, and provide details of how to remove and clean it, that would be really useful.

Better still, if anyone within a couple of hours drive of Cardiff can help me to remove the door card and clean or replace the switch I'd be willing to pay handsomely in alcohol!
 

safrane

Member
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16,894
Sorry Simon In London now for two days otherwise... If not sorted by Thursday drop me a line
 

Simonfryan

New Member
Messages
248
Sorry Simon In London now for two days otherwise... If not sorted by Thursday drop me a line

I'm not sure I'll have time to sort it this week and as it's currently just a minor inconvenience there's no major urgency to sort it.
 

davy83

Member
Messages
2,826
I have had trouble with both windows on my 2001 3200GTA. The microswitches do move or wear and can benefit from replacement. I replaced the drivers door window motor with a hybrid of the new 4200 window motor and the old 3200 unit (which is a very cheap design, and much more expensive than the 4200 unit). i found the window operation was much improved with the new motor (faster and more definite). My passenger window does not fully close automatically and i have to press the button after its closed every time. I plan to replace the window motor and i think this will fix it, the motor is in my garage waiting for me to find the energy!.
 

Simonfryan

New Member
Messages
248
I have had trouble with both windows on my 2001 3200GTA. The microswitches do move or wear and can benefit from replacement. I replaced the drivers door window motor with a hybrid of the new 4200 window motor and the old 3200 unit (which is a very cheap design, and much more expensive than the 4200 unit). i found the window operation was much improved with the new motor (faster and more definite). My passenger window does not fully close automatically and i have to press the button after its closed every time. I plan to replace the window motor and i think this will fix it, the motor is in my garage waiting for me to find the energy!.

Do you think that it is more likely the window motor than the micro switch causing the window to not fully close?

In mine the window closes but then partially lowers again as if the car thinks that the door is open, which makes me think that it's a control issue - either the window ECU or (more likely from the comments previously posted) the door micro switch.
 

davy83

Member
Messages
2,826
The slight drop after the windows goes up could be down to slack in the worm screw of the motor mechanism? i am not real sure. I found the windows not closing was a mixture of the micro switch settings (small levers get bent and wear and need adjusted) and just slack in the motor mechanism. The other problem is that the big worm screw mechanism stops in the same place all the time so some parts of the worm screw wear more than the rest, When i removed the motor mechanism the bit that did all the work at the final resting position was worn well away and was extremely slack.
 

Simonfryan

New Member
Messages
248
Makes sense I guess...

Though the drop I get is a very definite one - identical to when the door handle is pulled to open the door.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,639
Davy is correct, when the widow hits the roof it wears the gears in that spot over time. The next stage is for the nylon gears to strip the teeth in that area, then you will get a grinding noise as the gears skip an inch from the top of full closure.

Alfa GTV runs the same unit although modified but you can rag the motor from it.
 

Simonfryan

New Member
Messages
248
A bit more info on the window drop issue...

The last couple if times I've used the car I've noticed that opening and closing the drivers door makes the passenger side window drop and the rise again (as if that door had been opened) and then it sometimes returns and settles at the dropped position. Often, turning the ignition on makes it close fully.

Not sure if this helps you chaps to narrow down the fault at all, but as it isn't just happening when the passenger side door is opened, to me it suggests that it's more likely to be the control unit getting confused rather than the passenger side microswitch or motor.

I'd be interested if anyone agrees/disagrees with my theory.
 

Chrisbassett

Member
Messages
3,909
Well, it sounds like the ECU is confused, but that could be because of confusing signals it's receiving as much as it being faulty...worth checking that all contacts are clean and stable.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,894
Simon, have you checked for any damp in the passenger foot well...the car was for sale for quite a while and it may have some moisture that is causing some electrical issues.

You could try removing the relays and fuses and blow some warm air in there to remove any damp