Window Switch Cleaning
11-19-2004, 01:03 PM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Window Switch Cleaning
This write-up is for 85-87 4000s. Since I do not have any other kind of Audi, I'm assuming this will be the same for the Quattros and CGT's.
First off you'll have to remove the switches from the car. This is easy enough, just press on the center of the switch and it'll pop down through the panel. Rear door switches are removed buy pulling them out. Here it is out of the car.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch1.jpg">
Once you have the switches out, insert a small flat blade screwdriver between the rocker switch and the outer housing, around the middle of the switch are the tabs that hold it in. Pry the rocker out of the housing. Be careful to keep the switch upright.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch3.jpg">
Once the rocker is out, you'll see two flat pieces of some kind of fiber/plastic material. This is what the rocker pushes down on to make the contacts move.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch2.jpg">
This next part is a little more "tricky", on my first switch I ripped the plastic housing a little. So take your time.
It's easier if you use two or more little screwdrivers. Starting on one side, insert a screwdriver into one of the tabs along the base of the housing. Then put another screwdriver into the other tab on the same side. Now pry the housing up a little, just so the one side clears the tabs. Repeat on the other side.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch4.jpg">
Once all four tabs have released the side of the housing, slide the housing up and out of the way.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch5.jpg">
Now you'll have access to the contacts that need to be cleaned. As you can see in my photo, the contacts need some cleaning.
There are two ways you can do this. One is to pry off the little flat contact in the middle of the upper and lower contacts (the contact that moves up and down) This is done by popping off the side opposite the contact points. Then it'll just fall out.
A small warning though, once these little pieces of metal are out, it's pretty tough to get them back in. I had to bend part of the metal to fit it back on. The switch still works, it just doesn't have any resistance or and "clicking" sound when using it. This turns the switch into a smooth, quiet switch, that just barely touching the switch will activate the windows. But myself I prefer to have some resistance to the switches (a la OEM), I didn't like the "touch sensitive" feel of the switch.
The second way, and faster/easier way, is to just sand down the contacts while leaving them in place. Make sure to sand down ALL the metal contacts and both sides. The way I did this was to wrap a small strip of sand paper around a small flat tip screwdriver and used the screwdriver like a little sanding block.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch6.jpg">
Once all the contacts are clean and shiny again, put everything back together. Starting with the outer housing, just slide it back down, then put the two little square flat pieces back into the guides and slide into place. Then just pop the rocker back on and you're done.
Only one window worked when I got the car and after cleaning the switches they all work perfectly.
One final note. One of the members said he replaced all the bulbs in the switches with LED's. But all of my switches already have LED's in them. Even a spare switch I grabbed from a junk yard has LED's in them. (the switch in the photos are from a junk yard.) So I don't know if the LED's were a model/year thing, or just Canadian ones had them, I don't know. Strange.
Hope this helps some of you.
First off you'll have to remove the switches from the car. This is easy enough, just press on the center of the switch and it'll pop down through the panel. Rear door switches are removed buy pulling them out. Here it is out of the car.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch1.jpg">
Once you have the switches out, insert a small flat blade screwdriver between the rocker switch and the outer housing, around the middle of the switch are the tabs that hold it in. Pry the rocker out of the housing. Be careful to keep the switch upright.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch3.jpg">
Once the rocker is out, you'll see two flat pieces of some kind of fiber/plastic material. This is what the rocker pushes down on to make the contacts move.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch2.jpg">
This next part is a little more "tricky", on my first switch I ripped the plastic housing a little. So take your time.
It's easier if you use two or more little screwdrivers. Starting on one side, insert a screwdriver into one of the tabs along the base of the housing. Then put another screwdriver into the other tab on the same side. Now pry the housing up a little, just so the one side clears the tabs. Repeat on the other side.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch4.jpg">
Once all four tabs have released the side of the housing, slide the housing up and out of the way.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch5.jpg">
Now you'll have access to the contacts that need to be cleaned. As you can see in my photo, the contacts need some cleaning.
There are two ways you can do this. One is to pry off the little flat contact in the middle of the upper and lower contacts (the contact that moves up and down) This is done by popping off the side opposite the contact points. Then it'll just fall out.
A small warning though, once these little pieces of metal are out, it's pretty tough to get them back in. I had to bend part of the metal to fit it back on. The switch still works, it just doesn't have any resistance or and "clicking" sound when using it. This turns the switch into a smooth, quiet switch, that just barely touching the switch will activate the windows. But myself I prefer to have some resistance to the switches (a la OEM), I didn't like the "touch sensitive" feel of the switch.
The second way, and faster/easier way, is to just sand down the contacts while leaving them in place. Make sure to sand down ALL the metal contacts and both sides. The way I did this was to wrap a small strip of sand paper around a small flat tip screwdriver and used the screwdriver like a little sanding block.
<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/dc.a/Audi/switch6.jpg">
Once all the contacts are clean and shiny again, put everything back together. Starting with the outer housing, just slide it back down, then put the two little square flat pieces back into the guides and slide into place. Then just pop the rocker back on and you're done.
Only one window worked when I got the car and after cleaning the switches they all work perfectly.
One final note. One of the members said he replaced all the bulbs in the switches with LED's. But all of my switches already have LED's in them. Even a spare switch I grabbed from a junk yard has LED's in them. (the switch in the photos are from a junk yard.) So I don't know if the LED's were a model/year thing, or just Canadian ones had them, I don't know. Strange.
Hope this helps some of you.
11-19-2004, 06:20 PM
#4
Lane Shark
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BC, Canada
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Dallas - you rock. Great write up.
Now convince the wife how indispensable you are to the Audi tech community & come down next Saturday : - p.
ps - Her & your daughter are more than welcome, have her trade of is she's working.
ps - Her & your daughter are more than welcome, have her trade of is she's working.
11-19-2004, 07:43 PM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Do what?
Do I just email that address (tech@audiworld.com) the thread link or email them the entire write-up in or what?
Sorry, I'm new to making/submitting mini write-ups so I'm not really sure what you guys are asking me to do.
Thanks.
Sorry, I'm new to making/submitting mini write-ups so I'm not really sure what you guys are asking me to do.
Thanks.
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11-19-2004, 07:49 PM
#8
Lane Shark
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BC, Canada
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cross posted to the feedback forum for ya
also might want to transfer pics to AW's server incase you ever change internet providers & we loose all those pics<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/feedback/msgs/23628.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/feedback/msgs/23628.phtml</a</li></ul>
