Electric window failure

[geezer1]

Has anyone experienced problems with their electric windows (and door releases) on their Tamora’s. Over the last year I have been having intermittent problems with the door release whereby it will fail and I have to use the manual override in the foot well.

However, the latest more annoying failure has come from the Driver’s electric window. Initially not working on odd occasions, it would then normally burst back into life. Unfortunately last week it gave up altogether!

I’ve taken the door panel off and traced the cabling back underneath the dash. It’s not the window motor as I’ve tried this on the passenger door and it works fine. Also I’ve traced power through the dashboard switch units and these again seem ok.

I’m starting to believe it’s less likely to be a loose connection rather than some kind of relay / ECU failure. If so, where can these be located?

Any comments or experiences to share would be greatly appreciated!

[moag]

I cannot help re window, but would be interested to know how you take the door panel off, as I have a rattle that needs a fix...

[nubbin]

The buttons on the dash sometimes get stuck - it requires a new alloy dash plate to sort it out.

[geezer1]

To take the panel off is dead easy. There are 3 allen key bolts on the bottom side of the door. When these are removed the panel can be pulled carefully away leaving an inner skin (which is held on by something no more permanent than sticky tape!)

[targarama]

An educated guess to the cause would be the window control module black box thingy (technical term). I'm not sure where this is, it might be stuffed down the side of the pedal box on the drivers' side - there seem to be several such black boxes down there on my T350.

These units have been known to play up.

T/.

[tvr33]

I had an intermittent problem with the electic windows on my Tam. David Gerald traced it to the rubber window seals being too sticky so the final "burst" to move the window up when the door was closed was not happening. They lubricated the seals and all was OK. When I had the problem, the windows could be moved up & down with the door open but not closed.

BTW, c90% of my Tam niggles are rubber seal related: hood, roof, windows etc. Annoying but not a big issue.

[hambo]

Hi,

Just shortly after I picked up my T350t the driver's window started to work intermittently and would fail to drop down after the door had been released (v. annoying). Took it back to the dealer who replaced the box unit in the foot well, which appeared to work. However problem soon reappeared so back to the dealership.

This time they took the door panel off and luckily found that it was a loose connection in the small plastic box just off from the window motor. After reapplying the wires it has worked fine since then.

Hope this helps.

[geezer1]

Cheers guys, I got a result last night. After speaking to Martin at Racing Green (wot a top bloke, always has time to have a chat) he confirmed your thoughts that it could be the 'black box' control unit.

I swapped the one from the passenger side to the drivers and sure enough it started working. Hopefully that has solved my intermittent door release problem as well (I'm hoping the unit controls both door and window!).

All that's needed now is to put the car back together!

[cgibson]

tvr33 said:

They lubricated the seals and all was OK.

Do you know what they used - I think a few of us would benefit from knowing.

[TVR33]

Apologies for the delay. Any silicone based polish, in small quantities will do. e.g. furniture or paint polish.

[targarama]

TVR 'black boxes' seem to go wrong quite often. Has anyone opened one up and seen if the hamsters need feeding, or the string they use to hold the components onto the PCB has come loose?

I think when one of mine fails I'll be having a look (unless I have one of those mega TVR warrantys - I'm waiting for my 2yr engine warranty to expire before taking any other warranty out - 7 months to go, hopefully nothing else major will fail in the meantime )

[garyf]

cgibson said:

tvr33 said: They lubricated the seals and all was OK. Do you know what they used - I think a few of us would benefit from knowing.

I have a Holts spray tin of silicon lubricant for rubber seals. Got it in car accessory shop. Halfords may have it too. I was also given a little black plastic bottle of graphite lubricating powder by a Petrolhead in work just yesterday. I haven't tried this yet, but I'm going to give it a go on the hardtop of my Smart as the creaking is driving me mad.

Gary.