How Do You Lower the Top if a Rear Window Won't go Down?

Hi Greg, Sorry mate, but you are 'SOL'.
There is no manual over ride. If it does not go down even if you try to assist it to go down, the motor is shot. Welcome to the achilles heel of the Mondial Cabrio !

Here is my thread on removing the rear windows. Sounds like you may have to take it out in order to get your top down. You can always get some plexi glass incase it rains and the top has to go back up while you get the motors rebuilt or find a replacement.

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=339623&highlight=rear+windows

All the best,
Mike

 

Yes as mentioned above, you are in a world of hurt. You can try one thing though and it's just a gamble. The window system has power drops all over the place and the motors and mechanism grease get hard so they are all a bit rough at this point. You can try disconnecting the battery, getting to the bottom of the switch and spraying some deoxit in there and rocking it back and forth a bit. Blow it out, then allow to dry for a while. Reconnect battery and try again. Maybe even give the window the lightest of jiggle.

I suppose if you know exactly what you are looking at you could jumper across the switch when the console is apart, I don't recall what the bottom looks like so i'm not recommending it but for a one time try and if you know exactly what you are looking at it might get the desired result.

This isn't a way to live and won't fix your problem but there is a chance you can nurse it down if your motor isn't shot.

I'm embarassed to say I've been helping my rear windows up since the day I purchased my car 3 years ago. They have not gotten any better through regular use. My top and been down and up over 100 times since I've purchased the car. I have relubricated the mechanism channel but it really hasn't helped in my case.

Good luck and you are definately not alone. There are some folks here who never put their tops up so the function of the rear windows is irrelevant. My car has been driven in every weather and I use it for long distance touring so I need the function. I'm afraid one day these windows will bite me in the rear too.

 

PV Dirk,

I've taken my motors and assembly units out of my car, not alot of folks have ever done this or even know where to begin. From what I can tell, its not the switches, its not dried up lube, but rather a combination of things that actually causes these motors to eventually stop working. I'll list them out:

1) flaw in design of rear motor /rod looping needs alot of force to bend the rods that eventually puts too much strain on the motors
2) motors are not powerful enough
3) poor ground connection
4) Roof mechanism when top is down gets in the way of glass movement and puts a strain on the motors

I wish someone would make a manual crank conversion kit for these so they will never fail again for the life of the vehicle.
My $.02 observation as I am still dealing with trying to get my motors working again once its back in after a year.
The coupe guys don't have to deal with any of this nonsense because the rear windows are fixed.

-Mike

 

That's awesome, please let us know when you get it back in and working again. I need to put mine back in but its just not priority at the moment and my top is always down.

Cheers,
Mike

 

You've got me most curious. HOW did you get the window out. PIcs would be 'awsome'[hate the word, but it applies here].

Since you have a Mondial T, such is very important to understand. We know the passenger's side is the most difficult UNLESS yours is a LHD: that is, unless you are removing the left side window it is extreemly difficult. The good news, too, is your window is UP and not down making this entirely a different story.

sooo, please tell us more.

 

PV et al, lubricating the mechanism channel with lots of WD-40 and then white lithium grease has made a world of difference on my rear windows. They move up and down freely as I believe they were designed, even though mine are always down. Good luck.

 

I am thinking that if somebody made a replacement soft top with canvas where the window goes up, it would be a great solution. Just take the failing window out all together. It is not particularly useful. In it's place put a locking rod that holds the top up.

The advantage to this idea is one can save the window hard ware if it is ever needed, and the weak spot is replaced with a faster action top.

-sc