Window won't drop...

[itiejim]

As per the title really - I've cleaned all the connections inside the door, tried disconnecting the door ECU etc - but still no joy. The window works on it's own, but just won't drop when the door is opened.

Any ideas?

[jammy_basturd]

I had this problem, though it was quite as consistent as it never dropped. For me sometimes it wouldn't drop, sometimes it wouldn't go back up. Found mine was caused by a broken wire where the loom passes from the door into the car.

Most people however find it is either a dodgy sensor, or the door proximity switch not properly adjusted. Did you make sure you got all the connectors, as far as I can remember, there is one connector down by the proximity sensor away from all the other connectors that would be quite easy to miss.

[itiejim]

Where's the proximity sensor?

Am I correct in thinking that the early cars had a different set up for this - a reed switch rather than a magnetic one or something?

My car is the 20th off the line so has a few bits on it that were changed later on...

[jammy_basturd]

Not sure, mine (1997) has a magnetic one. As you look at the inside of the door, it is at the bottom right. Looks just like the end of a bolt sticking through the door.

I ended up doing a lot of fault finding before I found my problem. One thing that helped me a lot though was to stick a multimeter on the pins of the connector as it enters the door/window control box. Doing this I could see when circuits went open/closed and so which circuits were working properly.

[rustybkts]

Try unplugging the plug with only two wires on it that plugs into the door/window controller in the boot above the petrol tank.
This plug is the supply to the control card which has two programmable micro controllers in there which can lock up as they are under power 24/7 and a bit ancient.

My controller gave up the ghost recently and I was going to make a modified version using a modern micro controller until I purchased one from Bell Hill at a good price.

If yours doesn't re-boot properly, let me know and I will look at converting my spare faulty one.

[itiejim]

Thanks folks; I've tried rebooting the ECU and also unplugging the multi plug next to it.

Interestingly, the first time I opened the door it dropped the window, but only the first time. My problem is that it won't drop the glass when the door is opened - therefore I guess that it can't be the proximity sensor (which I imagine would tell the glass to go back up again when you close the door).

[jammy_basturd]

I guess the ECU uses the proximity sensor and the microswitch to determine what to do with the window when opening closing the door:

[JensenA]

Jim - I had the same problem on mine after a long periiod of inactivity (the car not me).
Firstly check the switch mounted inside the door, its near the lower front edge of the Window, a small mechanical switch with a 'trigger' strip of metal that touches the glass. It is triggered only opens when the glass has dropped.
Once you have checked this is working OK, and you are sure all the other electrical connections are OK, then you have to do a lot of 'phiddle fozzing' about to sort it out. I forget all the combinations but it was something like.......
Sit in the car and lock it with the blipper.
If the window is still open, Unlock the car and close the window.
Lock the Car.
Unlock the car.
Open the door to see if the glass drops.
If not, drop the glass a bit
Close the door.
Close the window.
Lock the car.
Unlock the car.
Open the door.
Say loudly "Yazza Ma Kazzama, big bong booley"
Lock it.
Open the door...........

You get the idea, after phiddle fozzing around like that it sorted itself out.

[itiejim]

Thanks Jensen, I'll try that. I'd been using "fussle wuzzle, jim bam joo", so that might be the problem.

[sonnylad]

Also worth checking the magnet has not fallen off door sill area as there only glued on.