348 Power Window Problem

Although very sluggish, my windows worked last season. Today I undertook installing window accelerators. After I installed the first one on the passenge side I gave it a test before buttoning things back up. The fuse immediately blew. Thinkiing I did something wrong, I went back to the instructions and it didn't appear that I had. So I decided to go test the window I hadn't touched yet. Same thing happened. The fuse immediately blew. So then I tried contact cleaner on the passenger switch. Still no success. I need help!
BTW....Neither window worked when I first fired her up this spring, before I touched them. What should my process of elimination be?

 

Thanks! I will dig into those next.

 

My door jamb connections were clean as a whistle.

I swear my car is possessed! Today the windows would work intermittantly without blowing fuses. From one minute to the next they may go up, but not down and vise versa. I'm thinking I've got flakey switches. Have switches been a common problem for other people?

 

Thanks to all who provided input! I haven't solved the problem yet, but I believe I now know all the possible contributors. My diagnosis will continue..........will publish ultimate findings.

I have ordered several switches from Italiancarparts.com as I highly suspect them. If I'm wrong, it's only money.

 

Without an official wiring diagram I've drawn my own based on my knowledge of electronics. Based on it and the fact that I'm blowing fuses when I depress and hold the switch in the up or down position, I believe the circuit is being completed up through the relay, back down at least to the door jamb plug. But intermittently the window moves so the circuit is being completed sometimes all the way through the door jamb plug and switch to the motor. This occurs without moving the door or touching the door jamb plug so I'm thinking it is a switch problem. See an error in my logic?

 

I can understand intermittent problems due to connections/mice if the wiring is being moved/shaken, but when you're just sitting there pushing the switch?

I was hoping to avoid a brute force approach to this through some logical analysis, but I guess it is time to roll up my sleeves and go through it potential failure point by potential failure point. I will need to get my hands on the wiring diagram first, which I hope to have tomorrow.

 

Went through the front & back of my door jamb connectors. There was no corrosion or broke wires. Plus I checked my switch with an ohm meter and it appears to function properly. Also, I confirmed there is power to the switch as you would expect. Next I am going to dig into the mechanical aspects. I believe the movement resistance could be why the fuse blows when the switch is held on. Stay tuned!

 

Today I discovered that my fuses were blowing due to the Ricambi accelerator unit I had installed. When I removed the unit the windows worked (although slow) without blowing a fuse. I had double and triple checked my wiring of the unit and am quite sure I had it connected correctly.

- Blue wire from unit was grounded to the door frame.
- The blue & green switch/motor wires were connected to one brown lead from the unit.
- The yellow & black switch/motor wires were connected to the other brown lead from the unit.

Anybody got any ideas of what might be going on here?

 

Jeff348, thank you for your input. The problem is, I wired in the accelerator unit exactly as you show/describe (on the passenger side first), but it causes the the fuses (left and right) to blow without any hint of window movement. When I disconnect the unit the windows work, although in the slow mode.

It is not a lubrication issue, but rather an electrical issue. Perhaps I have a defective accelerator unit? What amp fuses are you using?

 

348Jeff, you've got your fuse panels mixed up. The window relay is in the step pad fuse panel, not the fuse panel that you show (luggage compartment). At any rate, yes I've tried changing the relay, I tried bypassing the switch, you name it, I've tried it, with the exception of trying the other accelerator unit. To be honest, I was so fed up when I discovered the accelerator unit was causing the problem that I was not inclined to subject myself to more frustration at this time. The weather is beautiful and I want to drive my car!

I've sent an email to Ricambi to see what they've got to say about it. I wonder if they have encountered other defective units.