Has anyone ever sucessfully rebuilt a power window switch?
06-29-04, 01:38 PM
#2
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Yes - both S4 & S5.
The contacts get burned & dirty, but usually can be cleaned with autobody sandpaper.
You have to be very careful with the tiny spring loaded plungers & ***** inside.
I work on a large clean rag to catch any parts that try to get away.
The S5 switch is the trickiest to reassemble.
It just takes patience.
The contacts get burned & dirty, but usually can be cleaned with autobody sandpaper.
You have to be very careful with the tiny spring loaded plungers & ***** inside.
I work on a large clean rag to catch any parts that try to get away.
The S5 switch is the trickiest to reassemble.
It just takes patience.
06-29-04, 01:48 PM
#3
Locust of the apocalypse
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You have to be carefull taking it apart, but, I've done several different type of window switches, (mr-2's, t-birds, lincolns, etc, but not an RX) but basically, those switches are all the same... there are rocker pads in there that the switch ride on, if they are broken, you can make new ones out of heavy copper from other electronics, light home light switches and such....
Most automotive window switches consist of a plastic pointer attached to the bottom of the switch, this pointer normall rests in the center of a copper "rocker", the rocker sits in a pocket in the plastic housing and when its in the neutral position, spring force keeps the ends of the rocker from touching contact pads on the back housing, one at each end. when you push the switch forward, the pointer moves towards the back and cause the copper plate to touch the contact, thus compleating the circuit for up or down.. There are some variations, but the principal is 95% the same, using a rocker and a contact point, not rocket science.
A lot of times however, the contacts just are real dirty..
Take it apart, WTF, its broke anyway, be real careful and try to separate the switch without tearing it up too much. hopefully it just needs cleaned or something simple replace that you can scavenge from somwhere else. Its also very possible that a wire just needs soldered back on. I always put some silicone dielectric grease on the contacts before re-assembly
Also.. I think Icemark used to rebuild wiper switches, he might do window switches as well.
Most automotive window switches consist of a plastic pointer attached to the bottom of the switch, this pointer normall rests in the center of a copper "rocker", the rocker sits in a pocket in the plastic housing and when its in the neutral position, spring force keeps the ends of the rocker from touching contact pads on the back housing, one at each end. when you push the switch forward, the pointer moves towards the back and cause the copper plate to touch the contact, thus compleating the circuit for up or down.. There are some variations, but the principal is 95% the same, using a rocker and a contact point, not rocket science.
A lot of times however, the contacts just are real dirty..
Take it apart, WTF, its broke anyway, be real careful and try to separate the switch without tearing it up too much. hopefully it just needs cleaned or something simple replace that you can scavenge from somwhere else. Its also very possible that a wire just needs soldered back on. I always put some silicone dielectric grease on the contacts before re-assembly
Also.. I think Icemark used to rebuild wiper switches, he might do window switches as well.
06-29-04, 01:57 PM
#4
I've had two switches break recently and both snapped the little plastic "finger" that moved the actual switch. I tried some epxoy and it lasted a litle while. Ultimately, I just gave in and have been using the switch without the cover and asthetic rocker
06-29-04, 02:01 PM
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The S4 switch uses rockers. Pretty easy to work on.
The S5 switch is weird.
It's a plastic snap together slide contact arrangement.
It has some tiny spring loaded ***** that make assembly a challenge.
On one switch I had to line drill the plastic botton's piviot point & insert a pivot rod.
One S4 button shattered, so I had to fill it with epoxy & screw a plate on top to hold it together
The S5 switch is weird.
It's a plastic snap together slide contact arrangement.
It has some tiny spring loaded ***** that make assembly a challenge.
On one switch I had to line drill the plastic botton's piviot point & insert a pivot rod.
One S4 button shattered, so I had to fill it with epoxy & screw a plate on top to hold it together
Last edited by SureShot; 06-29-04 at 02:07 PM.
06-29-04, 02:02 PM
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the window switch is a SINCH to take apart and put back together. i even had the two big springs pop out on me. then i had to deal with the tiny spring. it was easy, though. of course, i have these beautiful pianist hands, not stubby fat fingers.
i took pictures of the inside of the switch. the contacts were burnt, and the copper slider pieces were dirty. one thing i noticed was that the window buttons click when you push or pull them, but my driver-side window pushing down does not click. i'm not sure why. i can't say if me rebuilding the switch helped or not as my car is dead and the battery is in the back seat. it wasn't important enough to me to rig up the power source to check my work.
also, the soldering looks fine. i cant speak about cold soldering points, but the solder itself looked perfect and all the wires were in good condition. none were out of place.
mine's an S5, by the way. i reassembled it rather easily.
i took pictures of the inside of the switch. the contacts were burnt, and the copper slider pieces were dirty. one thing i noticed was that the window buttons click when you push or pull them, but my driver-side window pushing down does not click. i'm not sure why. i can't say if me rebuilding the switch helped or not as my car is dead and the battery is in the back seat. it wasn't important enough to me to rig up the power source to check my work.
also, the soldering looks fine. i cant speak about cold soldering points, but the solder itself looked perfect and all the wires were in good condition. none were out of place.
mine's an S5, by the way. i reassembled it rather easily.
06-29-04, 02:13 PM
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Locust of the apocalypse
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beautiful pianists hands???????????
I take my big ol sasquatch paws anyday!!!! So whut if'n i can't make that friggin diminished 7th chord all the time on that skinny SG neck, thats what power chords are for!!!
I take my big ol sasquatch paws anyday!!!! So whut if'n i can't make that friggin diminished 7th chord all the time on that skinny SG neck, thats what power chords are for!!!
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06-29-04, 02:22 PM
#8
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haha, i dont even know how to play a piano, and my hands really aren't all that beautiful (cute and cuddly maybe?), but they're not short and/or fat. that's for sure! and as far as chords, i don't really know what you're talking about. i have two 1200s with a vestax 07 in the middle with m44-7s on the wax. oh, and i scratch hamster style. lemme know when you figure all that out. 
and to act like i'm staying on topic, who wants pics of the inside of the switch? not all came out too great, but i'm sure there's at least one keeper. you can see the "skidmarks."
and to act like i'm staying on topic, who wants pics of the inside of the switch? not all came out too great, but i'm sure there's at least one keeper. you can see the "skidmarks."
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