924Board.org

[Modoc]

hmmm.... well, i talked to my mechanic today, said "Well, we can fix your windows one of two ways, i can replace the motors, or i can rewire your car to use a relay instead of using the fuse box"... sounds like a great idea to me, hes done it before to 924s and says it works great, this guy is a great mechanic, i know him well, anyone got objections? :-p once he tells me how to do it, ill try to do it myself and post pictures on the board... anyways ill try to get more info later...

basicly instead of replacing the motors which are blowing fuses because of the old wiring and stuff but because the motors are old and are using more than their alloted amps... but whatever i dunno i trust him alot to work on my car...
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Proud owner of
'88 924s - Sold
'01 ML430
'97 Honda Civic

[Neil924]

Sounds exactly like my mechanic!

[mhart]

umm...i would actually caution against doing that...the motors were put on a fuse for a reason...specifically, if they are unfused, they'll draw too much current and overheat. Particularly if they're old, they'll be more likely to draw extra current (this is whats causing your fuses to blow) to overcome the internal resistance built up by wear and tear. This will cause them to overheat, particularly if they get used a lot, and if they overheat, there's a potential for them to ruin the door cards, or worse, start a fire

in my opinion, you're better in the long run sacking up and paying for new window motors
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'87 924 S - No sunroof and a few modifications

[D Hook]

They're already on a relay, aren't they?

Have you tried taking off the door cards and checking the motor connections, cleaning them, making sure the window isn't obstructed in it's track?

If you're asking for opinions, obviously, it's your car; do what ever you think is right. But you have to remember that they DID work at one time and, if they've been neglected, they'll start causing problems. Rewiring is one way to get around the problem but mhart is correct in that you could do more damage by ignoring what actually is causing them to blow fuses in the first place. I doubt the motors are bad unless the doors have been damaged in the past and moisture has gotten inside. Usually the alignment for the window gets whacked somehow and makes the window harder to go up, stressing the motor, creating more heat, pulling more amps until the fuse blows. You may have a bad relay, too. Or bad connections at the motor, or a pinched wire in the door, or a speaker placement causing stress on the window track, lots of other possibilities.

I would try all kinds of remedies, including replacing the motor with a known good one (borrow from someone?) before I'd let anyone rewire. Unless, that is, the problem IS the wiring. You don't want to see your car on this board 10 years from now with the new owner skewering you because "that dumb SOB PO rewired all the window! Now the wipers turn on every time I turn a corner!)

I've got at least two good motors, if you need to borrow one but you'll have to pay the shipping both ways, plus a small deposit to be sure I get them back, unless you just want to buy them. Surely, there's someone in your area who's got a spare they could loan you for testing. Or just pull yours out and bench test them.

EDIT: One other thing, your car is an '88. I wouldn't think age of the wiring would be an issue unless your car wiring has been subjected to severe conditions (heat?). Get a second opinion from another mechanic.
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'80 924 n/a SOLD

[Smoothie]

Just in case you feel like trying to clean and relube the motors' innerds -

[gohim]

It's your car and you can do what you like, because you have to live with the results, NOT YOUR MECHANIC.

Mechanics, for the most part, are trained and have experience fixing mechanical problems, not electrical problems. If you think you have an electrical problem, you should probably go to an automotive electrician to get their opinion, BEFORE considering radical surgery.

As others have already said, the windows worked before, and if they don't work properly now, there is something wrong. The problem is probably mechanical (old window felt and window seals creating too much friction, window tracks need grease, or motor gears have worn out or need grease), but you could have an electrical problem like worn or corroded switches or a bad relay.

If your mechanic can't fix the problem with the original setup, then you need to find a mechanical or electrician who can/will.