Help! One window down.

[Skyedriver]

And it rained last night here in Oban.
One rear window on my 1997 940 Estate has been a little temperamental for a few weeks, not going down or up sometimes unless the engine was running, other times been faultless.
So yesterday I had the window part open but it wouldn't close. Tried it again today, it would go down but won't come back up. That's using either the switch on the drivers door or the actual door itself.
So I assume there's power to the switches and to the motor, am I correct?
Is there a sensor or limiter that may have failed?
Is there a mechanical override to wind it back up?
Can I run a live lead from the battery to a terminal somewhere to get it back up?
The door card is off, the gray liner is part removed ready.
Interestingly (to me anyway) is that it looks like the door card has been off before as there is no screw under the hidden cover although the grey liner looks untouched. (I've had the car 3 years).
Thanks for any guidance.

[bob12]

I would suspect that the wiring loom wire/s for the window lifter switch on the driver's door where you can see it at the door hinge area has, with age, parted so loosing the electrical connection.

[capt jack]

Before leaping off into electrickery land try the basic mechanical stuff first. The rear windows don't get so much use, and as a car gets older they're more likely to get stuck through lack of use than go wrong through over-use.

When this exact same thing happened on my Saab I made the mistake of heaving everything out, when all that was actually needed was a bit of silicone lubricant applied to the mechanism, and to the two vertical slider channels that actual hold the glass.

As you've already got the card off you should be able to see the two metal-and-plastic slider assemblies. A liberal spray of silicone lube over these, plus some more trickled down the felt-rubber channels that hold the glass will help get it all going.

Also, to get the glass moving again, try pushing it up as you operate the switch.

This takes minutes to do, and costs nothing - assuming you've some lube to hand. And at least if it doesn't work you'll have eliminated the simple mechanical as the problem, and you'll know for sure that the issue is then almost certainly electrical.

By the by, WD40 isn't as good as silicone spray for this.

As I say, this is based on my experiences with my old Saab, which was also Swedish!

Cheers

Jack

PS: If the engine idle speed dips a little as you operate the switch, but the window still won't budge then the motor is drawing current, but the mechanism is jammed. Also, while you have the the door card off, just check that there's nothing broken in the mechanism. It's a very simple scissor-like affair. If in doubt whip off the other door card to see how it should look.

PPS: If you have any spare rain then honestly, please would you send it south? My back garden looks more like the South Sahara than North Yorkshire! Cheers. Jack

[Skyedriver]

Hello Capt Jack
I lived in North Yorkshire for 10 years, just moved to Oban a month ago. Can't recall a summer like this one, we spent the last week in North Berwick on the east coast of Scotland and that was really hot and sunny also. Oban has been hot until a few days ago.
Anyway to the rear window, I tried gripping and pushing it up this morning and it's not budging.
The fact that it went down and until recently up and down makes me think it's not a broken linkage but more an electrical problem but may be totally wrong. Was hoping there was a nut/bolt/screw somewhere that would allow me to wind it up manually If I can get it shut I can leave it that way.

[Laird Scooby]

In addition to Jacks excellent suggestion, try this one.

Start the engine.

Open the drivers window completely.

Stand outside the car, next to the drivers door and open the rear door.

Press the window switch in the drivers door to send the rear door window up and hold it.

Slam the rear door.

If this doesn't send the window up, try operating the rear lock-out switch back and forth several times then repeat the procedure.

[Skyedriver]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

In addition to Jacks excellent suggestion, try this one.

Start the engine.

Open the drivers window completely.

Stand outside the car, next to the drivers door and open the rear door.

Press the window switch in the drivers door to send the rear door window up and hold it.

Slam the rear door.

If this doesn't send the window up, try operating the rear lock-out switch back and forth several times then repeat the procedure.

Hi, Not sure if this is serious or not but anything is worth a try!
I will be looking for the hidden camera mind....

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Skyedriver

Hi, Not sure if this is serious or not but anything is worth a try!
I will be looking for the hidden camera mind....

It is serious and i've used it myself many times to lift a reluctant window on countless cars. Usually once you get it moving, more silicone lub in the rubber/felt channels (window down) and several up/down runs from the switch usually restores them to how they're meant to be.

The shock of slamming the door while holding the button in the desired direction of travel gives it a shake while power is being applied. Often that is enough to overcome any inertia from sticky window rubbers, a sticking brush in the widow motor or whatever else the problem may be.

If it doesn't work, you'll have to unplug the two-wired plug to the motor and feed battery power directly into the plug being careful not to touch the two wires together and short the battery out of course!
That should prove the motor one way or the other, if it goes the wrong way, reverse the wires into the plug and make sure it goes up.

I've used these techniques many times over the years not only on my own cars but customers cars as well. Saves a lot of faffing about stripping down, running jumper wires to the motor and so on.

Also if you have any, spray some switch cleaner into the switches.

Because of their design, you can get away with spraying it in round the edge of the rocker so it goes between the switch rocker and the switch case.

Then wait a few minutes and give each switch a good workout, one way then the other repeatedly several times (do this with the ignition off so you don't blow any fuses!) to give the contacts a good clean. That might even cure the problem without any other intervention but lubing the rubber channels is always a good idea and should be done periodically anyway.

[Skyedriver]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Some black magic stuff

You're da man!

Thanks very much for that help, neighbours thought I was mad, continually slamming back door, but window now closed.

Let's hope the rest of the day goes as well.

Just need to put the door panel back on now.

[Laird Scooby]

Glad you got it sorted!

The real "black magic stuff" is when you kill a chicken, walk 3 times round the car chanting "Prince of Darkness, protect your worthless servant" - that's actually for Lucas stuff but i've found it effective on Bosch as well :

http://mez.co.uk/lucas.html

That way, even if your neighbours think you're mad, they won't bother you in case you turn them into a toad!

[stephend]

I was about to say, "Dave's winding you up" ... but then I realised what I was writing!

I've filed that trick away for future reference!