Another Mondial Rear Window Stuck Down. Help! | FerrariChat

Another Mondial Rear Window Stuck Down. Help!

Discussion in 'Mondial' started by jgoodman, Nov 2, 2010.

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  1. jgoodman

    jgoodman F1 Rookie
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    #1 jgoodman, Nov 2, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    So tonight, I raised the cabriolet top. Unfortunately, I cannot raise my driver's side rear window. It is stuck in the down position. I did the F-chat search and there were suggestions to get to it from behind the grill over the oil cooler. So once out, I removed a little black cover panel held on by a few screws. Now I can see part of the the rear window and the track (pic 1). I've shaken the window in it track, removed the weatherstrip from the top, put a U-shaped piece of aluminum from the back of a caulk gun in there and tried to pull it up (pic 2), then banged on the window motor from the top with the back of my daughter's dancing baton (pic 4) which fits in there perfectly (pic 3) and is exactly the right length with a little mass on it, with the engine on and it is still stuck. Any thoughts? I can hear the motor clicking and the lights slightly dimming, so it's not a lack of power, although I have seen the discussion of putting a relay on the circuit and improving the ground. What is that screw down in there seen from the top on my last pic #5? I saw some comment from Brian Crall a while back saying the entire unit gets removed from the top. How do you do that? What is holding the window and motor assembly in place? Is it that screw? How do you get to the wiring?

    I knew I shouldn't have even bothered to put the top up. Arggh!

    Thanks in advance. Jay
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  2. FF8929

    FF8929 Formula Junior

    Apr 12, 2008
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    Fred Flynn
    #2 FF8929, Nov 2, 2010
    Try to get a hold of the wiring harness that goes to the motor, through that panel. There's plenty of slack. Unplug the harness. Ground one wire of the motor pigtail, preferably to the battery, and touch a hot jumper wire from the battery to the other. If the window doesn't move, try it the other way. If it still doesn't go up, it gets tougher. The parts manual is useful here. The rear track is held in by several fasteners, one of them is accessible ONLY after removing the rear wheel well. Now, the front track is held at the bottom by a fastener that is hidden behind a B-piller cover plate. The striker pin must be removed to get the plate off. This plate covers the whole B-piller and is painted body color. In my experience, both tracks need to be removed, along with other stuff, to get the motor, etc. out. The rollers that attach to the bottom of the window can be popped out without damage. Take your time. Good luck.

    PM or E-mail me if you get in trouble. [email protected]
     
  3. JoeZaff

    JoeZaff F1 Veteran
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    #3 JoeZaff, Nov 2, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2010
    Jay,
    My window got stuck recently in the down position. The motor was working fine, but something was inexplicably jamming it. Two weeks later it started working again on its own. to this day I have no idea what caused it or why it went away, but I am scared to close open the window for fear it won't close....Here is why...

    I would caution you very strongly against trying to do this repair yourself unless you have the guidance of someone with some experience at it and the tools to do it correctly. The shop labor on a rear window repair is well over 6 hours for a reason. This job is a major ordeal, which is why it commonly referred to as the Mondial's Achilles' heel.

    Now for more bad news, if ultimately your regulator cannot be rebuilt (which is often the case due to the plastic cracking) you will not be able to get a replacement at present unless you can find a donor car. Ricambi, Ferrari Parts, even Algar Ferrari don't have them. Algar spent three days trying to track a new one down and they couldn't. They are apparently all gone. So, if I were you, I wouldn't be taking anything apart until you have a plan of attack on what you are going to do once you get the regulator out. At least with the window down you can open and close the top. One more warning, if you are not careful you could end up breaking the window...very few things have ever been fixed by banging on it with a baton :)
     
  4. CliffBeer

    CliffBeer Formula 3

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    #4 CliffBeer, Nov 3, 2010
    Sometimes these things can be more electrical than mechanical (especially ferrari window motors). Specifically, the accumulated resistence through various contacts and the switch can lower the voltage to the motor such that it can't overcome the normal friction (normal for a 25 year old unlubricated window/track/regulator, that is) and therefore sticks in place. If you can isolate the + and - leads directly to the windown motor then there's a chance you can at least get the window up by putting a healthy + and - on there (check the wiring diagram closely first). Once up then you can go to work on cleaning contacts and improving the electrical system performance.

    Good luck!
     
  5. jgoodman

    jgoodman F1 Rookie
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    #5 jgoodman, Nov 3, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2010
    Thanks fellas. I will try tonight Fred to pull up the wiring harness. Last night I didn't even see it and as you and Cliff suggest give the motor a proper power connection. Yeah Joe, I'm very cognizant about breaking things, but it's currently broke in the down position which is relatively a very good thing, unless one is planning to drive around this Saturday in 40 degree weather with the top down! Thanks Fred. Your approach is definitely my alternative plan for this winter.
     
  6. jgoodman

    jgoodman F1 Rookie
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    #6 jgoodman, Nov 3, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2010
    Wow! I am so happy right now!

    So I took your collective advice. I started with the rear switch, which I removed, scraped and cleaned with contact cleaner and put back in. The window still clicked a little, but wouldn't move. I got a coathanger down in there from the outside access and caught the wiring harness to the motor. While pulling the wiring to the motor assembly up, it detached from its connector in where the components are housed and I thought I'm totally hosed. But with the one end of the wiring harness I had, I tested with a voltmeter and found that I had the battery side wires and connector and thought, now I'm definitely hosed!

    Luckily I caught the rear motor wiring harness with my trusty coat hanger after peaking down from the top and then in from the outside and going back and forth and pulled it up, but with the window stuck down, it really barely was within fingers reach just inside the outer skin of the car and the window itself. I brought over my daily driver and connected my battery jumper cables to it with its engine running. Then, I attached two heavy wires jammed into the rear window motor wiring connector and after about 3 or 4 minutes of reversing the jumper wires to the jumper cables back and forth a bunch of times, finally the window moved up! Yeah! :)

    Then I sprayed the entire length of the motor drive cable with WD-40 several times now that I could get to it with the window out of the way, and reconnected the rear motor connector to the battery side connector in there, and rolled it up and down a bunch of times, and guess what......it's moving better than ever! While this may not be a permanent fix, my rear window is working again, and I am totally psyched.

    I cannot believe that I got it fixed without having to remove the motor window assembly! And never ever will you guys see another post where something on a Ferrari is fixed with the back of a caulk gun, a girl's baton, a coathanger and WD-40! lol! But that combo was the secret trick!

    I am so appreciative of all your help. Thank you fellas! F-chat rules! :) It's All Good! :)
     
  7. jgoodman

    jgoodman F1 Rookie
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    #7 jgoodman, Nov 3, 2010
    And Happy Birthday Joe! Thanks buddy for your brotherly love and support! And thanks again Fred and Cliff for your input!

    Viva Mondial!
     
  8. davebdave

    davebdave Formula 3
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    #8 davebdave, Nov 3, 2010
    Wow, you MacGyvered your Ferrari back together. Awesome, and coincidentally your car is from the same era as the tv show. I must have missed that episode.
    Dave
     
  9. JoeZaff

    JoeZaff F1 Veteran
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    #9 JoeZaff, Nov 3, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2010
    Jay,
    I am happy for you...because it worked.

    But you could have seriously FUBAR'ed your window mechanism with that approach had the Mondial gods not been on your side on this one. In the future, I probably wouldn't have used WD40. A grease like White Lithium grease is a much better choice. My experience with WD40 is that it lasts for all of about 15 minutes. Also WD40 cuts grease, so after it dissipates you are going to have nothing lubricating the mechanism...

    I know I am Debbie Downer on this one.

    But congrats nonetheless. Your success through perseverance continue to impress me.
     
  10. jgoodman

    jgoodman F1 Rookie
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    #10 jgoodman, Nov 3, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I hear you buddy, loud and clear. The original problem was that I couldn't get anywhere near that old 20 year grease in there with the window stuck in the down position. However, by adding a straw to the WD-40 spray tip, I was able to actually get to the cable in that track around that rear window obstructing it and saturate the cable, and then with a little help from above, we're amazingly somehow back in action. I promise I will add white lithium grease to the cable mechanism once the WD-40 has a chance to soak in a little longer.

    And never ever again will you guys see another post where something on a Ferrari is fixed with the back of a caulk gun, a girl's baton, a coathanger, WD-40, and a straw! :)
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  11. jgoodman

    jgoodman F1 Rookie
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    #11 jgoodman, Nov 3, 2010
    Love MacGyver. And there are similarities, besides the looks. He and I both know how to do things with stuff found in the garage! LMAO!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtPqO1zAf4c
     
  12. FF8929

    FF8929 Formula Junior

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    #12 FF8929, Nov 3, 2010

    I agree with Joe, white lithum grease is the right way. But you used some very creative "tools". Glad to have helped.
     

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