Cabrio Window Saga
05-22-2006, 06:21 AM
#1
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Cabrio Window Saga
Hello Folks,
My cabrio drivers window would not go down. This is not good as I cannot catch any rays when the top will not go down.
I bought the 94 cabrio from FL about a year ago and, trust me, no rust on the bottom is a sight to behold. Like new.
The yang is that in addition to all the plastic shrinking,... everything corrodes which was the case with my window motor.
First I thought it must be the window switch. $30 later with a full set of ebay S car driver switches to test it out... still no up n down.
(They weren't really correct anyway.)
I take motor out and apply 12V. It clicks but doesnt move.
I'll get a new one I think.. best price $217... Yikes! I'll take it apart and see whats what... nothing to loose.
Motors fine. It was just 12 year old grease and corrosion.
Clean it and apply 12V and now it works.
Apply 12V via the car's window switch, however, and to my amazement: nothing again!
WTF?
Okay now I'm going to the multimeter which of course shows zero. Must be the relay. Find the window relay and figure that the FLAD (friendly local audi dealer)is not open Sunday and would have to order it and this is my day to get this sucker going. (I subsequently learn that this could be a hundred or two hundred $ relay.)
FWIW I open it up and examine the back of the circuit board like I am going to see the problem.
And, holy cow there it is; a broken, burned trace circuit on the board bottom.
70 minutes later I have for the first time ever in my 'young' life.. have literally micro soldered a wire to bridge the break and to my utter amazement it worked!
Note to self though; it's about time to get a real and decent soldering
iron.
I am guessing that the corroded stiff motor blew the relay. On repairs like
this, I always like to figure my dealer savings which I would estimate close
to a G note as they may not want to mess with just a motor and go for the whole assembly. Otherwise; has to be at least $500.
I did learn that the very thin, thread like solder that someone had given to
me worked way better than a radio shack thicker solder that I had "in stock."
My cabrio drivers window would not go down. This is not good as I cannot catch any rays when the top will not go down.
I bought the 94 cabrio from FL about a year ago and, trust me, no rust on the bottom is a sight to behold. Like new.
The yang is that in addition to all the plastic shrinking,... everything corrodes which was the case with my window motor.
First I thought it must be the window switch. $30 later with a full set of ebay S car driver switches to test it out... still no up n down.
(They weren't really correct anyway.)
I take motor out and apply 12V. It clicks but doesnt move.
I'll get a new one I think.. best price $217... Yikes! I'll take it apart and see whats what... nothing to loose.
Motors fine. It was just 12 year old grease and corrosion.
Clean it and apply 12V and now it works.
Apply 12V via the car's window switch, however, and to my amazement: nothing again!
WTF?
Okay now I'm going to the multimeter which of course shows zero. Must be the relay. Find the window relay and figure that the FLAD (friendly local audi dealer)is not open Sunday and would have to order it and this is my day to get this sucker going. (I subsequently learn that this could be a hundred or two hundred $ relay.)
FWIW I open it up and examine the back of the circuit board like I am going to see the problem.
And, holy cow there it is; a broken, burned trace circuit on the board bottom.
70 minutes later I have for the first time ever in my 'young' life.. have literally micro soldered a wire to bridge the break and to my utter amazement it worked!
Note to self though; it's about time to get a real and decent soldering
iron.
I am guessing that the corroded stiff motor blew the relay. On repairs like
this, I always like to figure my dealer savings which I would estimate close
to a G note as they may not want to mess with just a motor and go for the whole assembly. Otherwise; has to be at least $500.
I did learn that the very thin, thread like solder that someone had given to
me worked way better than a radio shack thicker solder that I had "in stock."
05-22-2006, 07:43 AM
#4
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Nope. I "think" I'm good to go
although I haven't had time to entirely reassemble everything yet. The motor does turn now when the switch is pressed.
I'm out by Palatine.
I'm out by Palatine.
05-22-2006, 08:59 AM
#5
AudiWorld Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 293
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I always take things apart to see if it's obvious how to fix them..
Not normally as lucky as you were on this occasion though.
(although I was able to fix my temperature gauge with some bell-wire, which I was rather pleased with)
(although I was able to fix my temperature gauge with some bell-wire, which I was rather pleased with)
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