Electrics: 70: LHD V70 S70 C79 Window Switch Pack Clusters in a RHD car

[CNGBiFuel]

The Window Switch cluster pack on these cars si a known issue.

So much so, the Chinese make a LHD switch pack for £20 on eBay, yet it'll not fit a RHD car which is a pig. They don't make a pattern RHD.

My tip
The RHD bought 'used' are always a short-term fix, and cleaning not much better. Deoxit cleaner helps a lot. The genuine RHD is £120 odd wherever I look. Only at that price it is still no good, because it'll go again.

With some wire swappery I threw in a LHD cluster, using teh loom-end I found in the door on a breakers-yard car, and my old cluster as a converter. Took a bit of work with a soldering-iron. Works well and for £20 plus an hour of my time is a goer. Small snag is that the front left operates the right drivers window and vice versa. This was pain for the first 2-3 goes, but I soon got used to it, and the cars for me to drive. I seem to cope.

When next the switch pack/cluster goes, (this is not an 'if' but a 'when'), it'll be a £20 fix, not £120 or yet another 'chase my tail' breakers-yard 'used' cluster.
In my book, the best cheap fix. It won't last but at £20, I'll not sweat. Of course the truly permanent solution is fitting 16 relays instead of the cluster, I had considered it!

Nope, simply swap A1 A3, & A4.

[Sorry about the typo, ragtop owners, you'll be pleased to knwo you car is now a C79]

[CNGBiFuel]

It has to be said, I've jsut seen on eBay

16 x (12V Dc 10A 8Pin 8-Pin Coil Dpdt Omron Small Relays) for £14 delivered. So cheaper than a new cluster adn the permanant fix.

And because you could double-up two throws of contacts on each relay, (each relay is 8 pin remember) you've effectively 2 x 10A (20A) contact for all 16 contacts. That will be the permanent fix.

Anyone done this?

[andrewc1267]

I had a switch pack issue on my 1999 V70R I bought a lhd one and used it to fix mine happy days

[silverback02]

any links to switch or relays ?
cheers

[SteveSarre]

Various on ebay like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Master-Pow...-/122289345638

CNG, if you put this unit in, cut your own loom and resolder the wires as appropriate will that sort out the "front left operating the drivers" and vice versa?
I wasn't sure what you meant by using "using old cluster as a converter". Can you tell us more?

Have you opened a new unit up to look at the build quality inside?

Thanks
Steve

[CNGBiFuel]

Reluctant to hack into my existing loom I used my old switch cluster as a converter. Namely when I last hacked out a used cluster I got the loom too. So using this I made up a converter. Female plug to Male. Far more long-winded, but I like doing this sort of thing. Frankly, your version... resoldering the loom is easier, and likely as good. Soldering means you can't got back to RHD clusters, easily. But now I've looked, I'm not sure I would anyway....

Quality: Come on... what did you want? Jam on it? Those of you that know of my Volvo BiFuel Necam Stepper motor posts know I have an electronics background, I remanufacture Necam Steppers. Looks to me as though the Chinese pattern switch cluster unit at £19.60 on eBay is BETTER than the original. Yes really.



It is fitted with larger capacitors and extra diodes. I won't bore the proverbial off you , but these will aid in spark /arcing suppression and should reduce the contact wear and burning. If you really want to know what I'm on about, use the Google-poodle search 'Why put Diodes across a relay'. In simple terms there is a back voltage which causes arcing as the magnetic field still held in the winder motor, this motor acts as a dynamo yet has no where to put its power as it gets switched off. Hence arcing. Clearly the Chinese have looked at the issue. Whether it works long-term I can't say, but it is promising.

Even if it doesn't it's £19 quid FFS?!

So gents, strawberry it is.

[SteveSarre]

Hi CNG

OK great, sounds good. Yes I can understand your reluctance to cut your original loom, and great that you have looked inside.

I shall buy one soon. If you can post the exact item that you purchased it would be slightly safer than buying one at random or by price on ebay, just in case there are copy copies out there.

Thanks
Steve

[CNGBiFuel]

Bought mine 2-3 months back. Sorry, all I did was buy the cheapest. Came direct from PRC in 2-3 weeks.

At 1/6 of the price, I'll not worry too much. I fail to see how it'll be 6 times worse, so even if it were at half the price, I'd still be up on the deal. At £19 (delivered) not £119, I won't fret. Cheaper than any used RHD. Mine in LHD looks to last longer...
They take 2-3 minutes to change, so my approach is "Let Luck be a Lady', and crack on.

[CNGBiFuel]

Be aware, almost always no matter which window is playing-up, each takes its feed from the self-same driver's door cluster, so fix this and 90% of the time you've fixed the lot.

[CNGBiFuel]

It's only the front plug, rear is wired the same on RH or LHD. Just done another, easiest way is to cut the loom and put a six-way chocolate block or better still solder a wire swap:

So, where A1 to A6 is the front plug pins, and these the colours going into the front plug...

Swap A1 (BL Blue) to A2 (SB Black)
Swap A2 (SB Black) to A1 (BL Blue)
Swap A3 ( W White) to A5 ( GN Green)
Swap A4 (BL/W Blue/White) to A6 (BL/GN Blue/Green)
Swap A5 ( GN Green) to A4 (BL/W Blue/White)
Swap A6 (BL/GN Blue/Green) to A3 ( W White)

Or do as I did in the finish and go down to a breaker and cut out the length of the loom you want and wire one plug for your LHD cluster T'ed into the loom, such that you can still run a RHD cluster. Carefeul though, don't get them mixed. You will mash a cluster if you put a LHD in a RHD wired front plug.

Now, i've rung this a while now, I truly believe the Chinese version better than OE. I have long since got used to the right operating left and left operatign right. And at £20, I'll never go back to a RHD cluster.