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electrical window switch alternatives for FC's

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Old Jan 11, 2017 | 06:56 AM
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electrical window switch alternatives for FC's

Both my passenger window switches are bad. Master and pass door. driver side works just fine. Could it be a fuse? If not. Has anyone here found a cheaper alt to replacing their switches other than ordering the original ones? Could metal toggle switches do the job too? I tool them all aparr already and cleaned up the contact points but still nothing. Also both windows go up and down kinda slow.... Bad motor? Regulator?
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Old Jan 11, 2017 | 07:29 AM
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Originally Posted by FC3S_Bat
Both my passenger window switches are bad. Master and pass door. driver side works just fine. Could it be a fuse? If not. Has anyone here found a cheaper alt to replacing their switches other than ordering the original ones? Could metal toggle switches do the job too? I tool them all aparr already and cleaned up the contact points but still nothing. Also both windows go up and down kinda slow.... Bad motor? Regulator?
​​​​​​​Thanks
​​
All just indicative of a bad switch. 30 years ago, all the load current went THROUGH the switch, not via relay.

If you don't have black interior, I recall the switches out of an MPV van being identical, but don't quote me on that, search.

Please don't molest the car with toggle switches . These vehicles have been hacked up in so many ways, toggle switch windows doesn't need to be another.
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Old Jan 11, 2017 | 07:36 AM
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The switch can cause significant drop in the voltage after all these years, so the switch would be the first thing to replace. If the slow window problem remains, inside the door the motor has a kind of plastic chain that is pulled back and forth by the teeth on the motor. This chain is retained inside a plastic tube. The following image should illustrate what I'm talking about.

Parts049-1.jpg Photo by jdmspares | Photobucket

The first thing I would do before trying to replace the motor or regulator is clean the chain and see if that improves their motion. I'm not sure if any grease is present, but if there is, it should be completely removed and replaced with fresh grease (I'd use Lithium Grease). Then if you still have a problem you can confidently move on to the regulator and motor.
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Old Jan 11, 2017 | 11:12 AM
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Originally Posted by DC5Daniel
All just indicative of a bad switch. 30 years ago, all the load current went THROUGH the switch, not via relay.

If you don't have black interior, I recall the switches out of an MPV van being identical, but don't quote me on that, search.

Please don't molest the car with toggle switches . These vehicles have been hacked up in so many ways, toggle switch windows doesn't need to be another.
​​​​​​​I did some search already and noticed that the FD switches are also very similar just a bit rounder on the edges. However between the FC and FD switches there isnt much of a price difference...
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Old Jan 12, 2017 | 12:26 AM
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it's why i made the relay mod for these cars, then the switch with last until the plastic just falls apart. and i intent to start printing 3D parts for those soon, as soon as i can model it in the software, since i don't have a 3D scanner.

for some reason the FD switches don't fail nearly as often as the FC switches do, even though their whole system is almost identical. it's why i never bothered making a kit for the FD.
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