85 245 GL Passed E-test !! (but window switch problems)

[garazgos]

I'm in Ottawa Ontario Canada and we are required to take our vehicles
in for emissions testing once every two years.

Incredibly, old Olaf (a 1985 245 GL) passed the test. Not a
conditional pass. A real "pass" pass.

Since the vehicle will be 20 years old next year, this was the last
E-test that Olaf will ever have to do for the rest of it's life , which
should be another 10-15 years or more, easily.

On the way home, my dog who was in the back with her head hanging out
the window, was barking up a storm at a couple of Golden Retrievers who
were out for a walk with their humans, so I started to close the rear
window a bit so as to give the dogwalkers some sort of comfort in
knowing that the "ferocious beast" in the back wouldn't jump out the
window and maul them to death.
(The truth is she's all bark, no bite. A 65 lb Heinz 57 Shepherd/hound
mix. She might lick them to death but that's about it.)

The window stopped responding about half way up.
Trying the other window switches, I found that none of the switches
were working.

"No problem" I thought to myself smugly.
"Just a fuse" I thought to myself smugly.

I get home, check the fuse and... the fuse is good.

"Hmmm" I think to myself.
"Maybe the contacts are a bit corroded ?"

Unfortunately, they're clean but I sand them anyway, install a new fuse
.... and still nothing.

"Oh oh!" I think to myself as I look at the darkening sky and hear a
weather report of rain for the next few days until Monday at least.

Any clues or tips on what the problem might be would be greatly
appreciated.

BTW, how hard would it be to convert the power windows to
manually-cranked windows ? (He thinks, only half in jest.)

Just think, no more scraping of the terminal posts and reassembling
those fiddly little wing and ball-bearing things. Ever.

 

[torpainter]

I beleive you still have a few more tests to do.I had to test my 79 last
year.25 years and no more tests

 

[Rob Guenther]

My friends 1984 Monte Carlo doesn't have to go for any more tests... Thats
what the emissions place told him.

It also passed.... barely, but it did.

 

[Eunoia Eigensinn]

Torpainter:

From the Drive Clean website:

http://www.driveclean.com/

"Drive clean regulations require testing every two years for vehicles
beginning in the third calendar year after their model year, up to and
including the 19th calendar year after their model year."


Now that we've cleared that up, any suggestions on how to fix the window
switch thing ?

 

[Gary Heston]

Trying the other window switches, I found that none of the switches
were working.

"No problem" I thought to myself smugly.
"Just a fuse" I thought to myself smugly.

I get home, check the fuse and... the fuse is good.

"Hmmm" I think to myself.
"Maybe the contacts are a bit corroded ?"

Unfortunately, they're clean but I sand them anyway, install a new fuse
... and still nothing.

[ ... ]

Have you verified that the fuse is getting power?

If it is, then the wire running to the drivers' door switch cluster
would be the next suspect, followed by the switch assembly.

You can pull the door panel and use a battery charger directly to the
motor terminals (unplug from the rest of the system first) to get the
windows up.


Gary

 

[Calvin D. Smith]

Trying the other window switches, I found that none of the switches
were working.

"No problem" I thought to myself smugly.
"Just a fuse" I thought to myself smugly.

I get home, check the fuse and... the fuse is good.

"Hmmm" I think to myself.
"Maybe the contacts are a bit corroded ?"

Unfortunately, they're clean but I sand them anyway, install a new fuse
... and still nothing.

[ ... ]

Have you verified that the fuse is getting power?

If it is, then the wire running to the drivers' door switch cluster
would be the next suspect, followed by the switch assembly.

You can pull the door panel and use a battery charger directly to the
motor terminals (unplug from the rest of the system first) to get the
windows up.


Gary

I had this happen to me. The wiring between the chassis and the door - -
where the wiring flexes each time the door is opened/closed - - had
broken. I soldered and taped the wires, and voila!

cds

 

[blurp]

That battery charger idea is a great one in a pinch.

Do you have overdrive and, if so, does it work? It shares the fuse
with the windows.

From my experience I can suggest two things:
1. Fuses that look good are often still bad or corroded on the ends.
Take the fuse out and sand the ends a bit and then replace.

2. Another place to check is under the center dash console (the part
with the environmental controls). For a long time my windows were
intermittent (with the OD) and the only way to get them working again
was to push hard on the plastic just above the 3 buttons (floor,
defrost, recirc). Sometimes a push would do, sometimes push and hold.
It wasn't until I took that centre piece off much later that I found
that several wires all ground to a screw under the top right corner of
this console cover. The screw was loose. Since I tightened it I have
had no more intermittent windows AND they are moving about 50% faster!
You may be able to remove the two screws and two clips and just pry
the plastic back far enough to see the screw and tighten it.

And you're right about the e-test... my 83 240 Turbo is free and
clear! If you get someone to bore-out your catalytic converter you'll
get a nice power boost too. Not that I would ever do that. ;-)

Good luck,
blurp

Trying the other window switches, I found that none of the switches
were working.

"No problem" I thought to myself smugly.
"Just a fuse" I thought to myself smugly.

I get home, check the fuse and... the fuse is good.

"Hmmm" I think to myself.
"Maybe the contacts are a bit corroded ?"

Unfortunately, they're clean but I sand them anyway, install a new fuse
... and still nothing.

[ ... ]

Have you verified that the fuse is getting power?

If it is, then the wire running to the drivers' door switch cluster
would be the next suspect, followed by the switch assembly.

You can pull the door panel and use a battery charger directly to the
motor terminals (unplug from the rest of the system first) to get the
windows up.


Gary

 

[Mike F]

That battery charger idea is a great one in a pinch.

Do you have overdrive and, if so, does it work? It shares the fuse
with the windows.

From my experience I can suggest two things:
1. Fuses that look good are often still bad or corroded on the ends.
Take the fuse out and sand the ends a bit and then replace.

2. Another place to check is under the center dash console (the part
with the environmental controls). For a long time my windows were
intermittent (with the OD) and the only way to get them working again
was to push hard on the plastic just above the 3 buttons (floor,
defrost, recirc). Sometimes a push would do, sometimes push and hold.
It wasn't until I took that centre piece off much later that I found
that several wires all ground to a screw under the top right corner of
this console cover. The screw was loose. Since I tightened it I have
had no more intermittent windows AND they are moving about 50% faster!
You may be able to remove the two screws and two clips and just pry
the plastic back far enough to see the screw and tighten it.

And you're right about the e-test... my 83 240 Turbo is free and
clear! If you get someone to bore-out your catalytic converter you'll
get a nice power boost too. Not that I would ever do that. ;-)

Good luck,
blurp

In addition to the other suggestions...

There are 2 fuses for power windows - one for the relay, one for the
motors.

The relay is mounted just to the left of the glovebox (remove 7 screws
and glovebox). Also there is a matching pair for the power locks, and a
bigger one for the overdrive.


--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

NOTE: new address!!
Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

[garazgos]

Trying the other window switches, I found that none of the switches
were working.

"No problem" I thought to myself smugly.
"Just a fuse" I thought to myself smugly.

I get home, check the fuse and... the fuse is good.

"Hmmm" I think to myself.
"Maybe the contacts are a bit corroded ?"

Unfortunately, they're clean but I sand them anyway, install a new fuse
... and still nothing.

[ ... ]

Have you verified that the fuse is getting power?

If it is, then the wire running to the drivers' door switch cluster
would be the next suspect, followed by the switch assembly.

You can pull the door panel and use a battery charger directly to the
motor terminals (unplug from the rest of the system first) to get the
windows up.


Gary

Thanks Gary. It's night time here now but I will try your suggestions
in the daytime. Sometime. Soon.

Last week, in the absence of responses here on this group, and not
having a clue (ie clue-less) I made an appointment at a reliable Volvo
service garage in town, 30 kms away. They were booked solid but said
they'd have a quick look if I didn't mind waiting until one of the
mechanics was finishing up a job and not yet starting the next one.

Halfway there, I tried the window switch just for the heck of it
(although it wasn't working when I started the car) and the dang thing
did its job.

So I'm at the service garage asking the fellows to fix a problem that
they couldn't diagnose because the switches were working, something
they were reluctant to do because they didn't want to sell me
replacement parts I didn't need. They did try to get the switches to
crap out but no luck.

It worked fine for a few more days until tonite.
Crapped out again. Again while my dog was in the back, hanging her head
out to bark at other dogs in passing.

I noticed in another response where a poster mentioned that the motors
(?) shared something with the overdrive switch and it occurred to me
[light bulb flashing on in head] that I did use the overdrive today.

I'll have to check that one out too. (And thanks for that suggestion,
Other Poster).