940 Estate windows

[Chrisbc]

I have replaced the drivers side window switch and it sometimes works now.

I have burnished all contacys etc and the near side mirror control always works, the drivers side not, although this may be the mirror head, not worried about thios as it is set correctly.

Sometimes when pressing the window switch and nothing much is happening, I can hear a faint ctraking constant note from within the door, and than suddenley the window works, at other times nothing and than out of the blue works, I cannot see any obvious breaks or snags in the wiring, and the NS door switch works fine

Any suggestions and where is best point to couple up a meter would be appreciated

[gpl1968]

The door loom in the area between door and body is the most likely source of your problem.
I had a problem with the mirrors and central locking. I removed the loom and on examination found three broken wires in that area. Probably caused by flexing over many years of opening/closing the door.

[rchlprez]

There are some cases where some of the wires break off due to the wear and tear. I think that this will be of a very good thing to have a regular checking of these and especially during the winters so that it would be a problem at that time.

[Oilydad]

Agree 100% with GPL. The constant flexing of the loom between the door and the main vehicle body causes splits and breaks in the cables. You won't see these without stripping the loom sheathing off.

So nothing for it really but to strip back the sheathing and take a really close look. Warming the sheathing with a hair drier makes the job a lot easier especially in this extremely cold weather. be a good idea to have some extra cable, connectors etc ready in advance to repair the breaks.

Personally I'd live with it until it warms up a bit! It's a job for a nice warm day really.

[Chrisbc]

Many thanks for your advice, Ideally I will leave this for better weather, but is a non working window or a might-work-if it-feels like it window an MoT fail?

[RealEstate]

+1 GPL.
Had the same problem.

You may be able to verify it by operating the switch whilst opening and closing the drivers door. I expect you will find that the the rear windows are also affected if the cable for the driver's master switch is damaged. I had mine repaired in a garage - told me they found 5 broken wires.

I'd be interested to hear how long it take you to repair it in due course.

[Oilydad]

As far as I am aware the operation of car windows has nothing to do with the MOT test.

Sometimes when pressing the window switch and nothing much is happening, I can hear a faint ctraking constant note from within the door

Missed this yesterday, so it could be that the motor is seizing or that the window lifting mechanism itself is seizing up. Both would account for crackling noises.

Often a good clean up and lubricating session with WD40 and some light oil/grease inside the panel is all that's needed. But whatever, that would be a door panel off job to do it thoroughly, again for a warmer day.

I'd avoid running the motor if possible until you have time to sort it out.

[gpl1968]

Lubrication should be the first course of action when you have sticking windows and locks.
The best lubricant for this application in my opinion is ptfe (white) grease. It is readily available and comes in an aerosol can. It is waterproof and has a waxy nature so is less likely to attract dirt over time.
If necessary the window guides can be lubricated by rubbing them with a bar of soap.

If the loom is faulty, it is best to remove it from the car to work on it.
With the door card and footwell trim panel removed, it is a simple job to disconnect the main loom connector and feed the loom out through the door(leaving the grommets on the loom).
I cut the sheathing off the loom and made the repairs with soldered splices and insulating with heat shrink sleaving.
There seems to be enough slack in the loom to allow the repairs to be made without requiring extra lengths of wire to be added.
Finally I wrapped the door jam area of the loom with electrical tape, which has survived well, although if I had self-amalgamating tape at the time, I would have used that.
The total job including removal, repair and re-fitting, took approx. one hour.

[Chrisbc]

Thank you for the advice, I had a quick look at the door/body wiring today, the sleeveing was starting to come adrift and I saw at least one broken wire, so as it is not a Mot thing, I shall leave this for a more clement weekend and strip off door trim etc and repair and service motor if it looks icky.

Just out of interest, is there a section of loom which just plugs into each side or is a repair a better ( obviously cheaper) option?

Thanks again