electric window controls

[mauro110]

I'm about to travel to Morocco, question... I happened to be left without the right rear window control due to problems with the BECM. I'm terrified of being left with the windows down, which isn't good 4000km from home. I was wondering...is it possible to power the windows directly from the battery?

I mean, replacing switches and powering the glass motor directly at 12V
is this crazy?
Thank you

[prelude]

Yes, but not that easily.

You see, the switchpack (the thing in the centre console) simply sends a signal to the door units (I do not believe the BECM, which handles A LOT though, handles the windows directly.) From there on the rest is handled by the door unit. ie there is a 12V feed that powers everything in the door (the amp for the speakers, heated mirror, mirror motors, window motor, etc.) and the door unit simply puts power on the window motor when it receives a (digital afaik) signal over some signal wires.

So unless you modify stuff significantly by running extra wires you won't be able to do so, no. Also the switches in the switch pack only deal with very small signal level currents and would not be able to run a window motor anyway. I wonder if a relay would be too much already.

The only (ugly) workaround would be:


find appealing window switches
mount them in the door panel
wire them up to the motor and the +12v feed that is already there


I would personally forego all that and simply hope for the best. In the worst case scenario that a window stays down "all" you need to do is remove the doorcard and disconnect the window motor and put 12v on it from some separate leads. That way you can close the window and be done with it. Just bring a length of wire that you can use for that purpose :)

Cheers,
-P

PS I am still to figure out the protocol etc between those units since I am currently rebuilding my P38 to get rid of all the lucas prince of darkness gear but you will probably be off to marocco before I finish that :)

[mauro110]

thanks, the idea of ​​the "flying" cable to connect the motor directly to the 12v is very good
I like [pollice in su]