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Power Windows, took out the switches

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  DavidPeab 
#1 ·
Rear passenger side window stopped working this week. Used it for the dog just about every trip. Probably used more than any other window. Anyone have an idea what to check next? BTW, it is NOT the child proof switch.

Took the door trim off and put my voltmeter on the 2 pin connector to the motor. Saw +/- 12 V from both the driver switch and the rear door switch when flipping them up and down.

Used an external battery and applied 12V to the motor and the window ran up and down. Reversed the connections to make this happen. Worked fine.

Took both switches out and opened them up. Cleaned the contacts with a bit of 600 grit and acetone.

Why am I seeing a good voltage at the motor connector inside the door, but not getting the motor to move through the switch? Ohmed the switches and they are ~.2 ohms. Which is the fluke meter ohm between the leads.
 
#2 ·
Why am I seeing a good voltage at the motor connector inside the door, but not getting the motor to move through the switch?
Was the measurement at the 2 pin harness connector to the motor made with the connector still attached to the motor (e.g., back-probing the connector), or was it removed from the motor at the time?

If the +/- 12 V measurement was made with the connector removed from the motor, the voltage at the 2 pin wiring harness connector could well be the same as the battery voltage at the time, even if there's a resistance somewhere in the supply circuit that is limiting the current flow when the motor is connected.

If the measurement was made with the connector attached to the motor, and the measured voltage was at or very near to the battery voltage when the switch was activated, then my initial leaning is toward a weak motor, possibly due to worn brushes or a dirty commutator. Direct connection to a car battery might provide more voltage and current -- enough to punch through the resistance and start the motor. But with the wiring etc through the switches, there just isn't enough.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply, plain OM.

Thought about that after posting last night. You are right about a circuit being able to show a voltage potential but not able to pass the current req'd for the motor. The volts would sag and the motor wouldn't turn.

Will need to rig up an inline sniffer harness to check the volts on the motor line with the motor connector (D25). Will provide a pic so others can see what I did.

FWIW, found a link in an old thread to wiring docs for this year, 2006.
Directory /Auto/Japan/Subaru/Legacy Outback/2006/USDM Legacy FSM 2006 (BP-BL)/2006 USDM/
 
#4 ·
Solved!

Guess when I had taken the driver main window switch apart last week that I didn't put it back together perfectly.

Had the time this morning to take it apart again and check everything more carefully.

Here is what I did; you'll need a couple small flathead screwdrivers, needle nose pliers, 600 grit or finer sandpaper, acetone, q-tips (preferrably wood handle), small conical grinder from your dremel, grease, and a sharp scribe or awl if you have one.

Use the screwdrivers to ease the 6 switchbox side flanges out, I also used the scribe to start a few of them because the fit is tight.

When you get it open, there are 8 pieces of metal that act as the switch wipers. 6 for the passenger windows, and 2 more for the door locks. They are little rockers that contact the N.O. (normally open) base parts that tie either Vbatt or gnd to the circuits.

Pull them out and notice that they fit in a particular orientation. Gently sand the carbon buildup from contactor side (bottom) from the skinny side of the rockers. Use the dremel tool, without rotation, to gently clean the carbon buildup from the switch body mating contacts.

Clean all of this with acetone and the q-tips. Replace them in the correct orientation. Check each one for movement. I found that some of them didn't rock correctly to make adequate contact. Needed to make some very small adjustments to their bends using the needle nose pliers. After they all rock correctly, apply a tiny amount of grease on the top where the finger switches arms meet them to make them move.

I checked that the switchbox was working correctly by using an ohmeter to the main connector pins as shown in the wiring diagram. The Subaru drawings are not drawn in the way that I am used to, so it took me a bit to understand the drawings first before I could tap the right pins.

Working on an instruction thread to show how to read their drawings. Check back in!
 
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