Electric window relay problem

[Monkeythree]

Trying to get my electric windows functioning properly but have run into a problem. With the car just sat there, ignition off, the relay is clicking away intermittently. It will give a burst of clicks for a second or two then go quiet for a bit, then a few more. The good thing is that having noticed this, I assume this is probably the cause of the battery drain that has caused me to leave the battery disconnected all the time.

So far I've tried disassembling and cleaning the contacts in all 3 switches and this morning I've tried a new relay. Still does it.

The windows work fine (or at least the passenger one does because I'm awaiting a new motor and regulator for the drivers side) but I can't live with a relay that drains the battery all the time.

I'm not great with electrics so this is puzzling me, especially that the relay is clicking with the ignition off. The windows don't operate with the ignition off but there must be power at the relay?

Any ideas chaps?

 

[Indi9xx]

Might it have an aftermarket alarm which someone has wired into the windows for total closure that might be playing up?

Your car being a late S2 it should have the 928 part number metal factory alarm with two connectors on it. Although this is not directly connected to the electric windows, it is connected to the door switches, if it has a fault or a bad earth it can earth out the door switch contact causing the electric window relay to think the door is open when it is not. It is on connector two, pin 21, a brown with a white stripe wire. try unplugging this box and seeing if the relay calms down... The control unit is normally on the ECU cradle with the DME in the passenger foot well or under the passenger seat.

Bad door switches also might have a slight short, not a direct one but enough to allow just enough current to pass to earth via the switch to be on the brink of enough to throw the relay solenoid but not enough to hold it there, causing the contacts to open and close or at least to try to.

Or it could even be a bad wire or relay

 

[hotblack944]

Courtesy light switches in the door jambs not making good contact?

 

[Monkeythree]

Thanks both for the quick replies. It's the factory alarm Jon with no aftermarket alarms now or previously as far as I can tell. I had the DME cradle out the other day when I was tracing my immobiliser to the passenger footwell so pretty sure about that. I tried disconnecting it but the window relay kept chattering.

I then checked the door contact switch on the drivers side (can't open the passenger side wide enough right now) and sure enough with the switch depressed, the relay noise stopped. So I've had the switch out and cleaned up the contacts and now there is just one click from the window relay each time the door contact switch either opens or closes.

Two questions:
1) Is it correct that there is only one wire going to the back of the door contact switch? (There are 2 small spade terminals on the switch)
2) What have the door contact switches got to do with the operation of the electric windows in the first place? The windows operate with the doors either open or closed?

 

[hotblack944]

ORIGINAL: Monkeythree
1) Is it correct that there is only one wire going to the back of the door contact switch? (There are 2 small spade terminals on the switch)

Yes, the switch just earths this wire.

ORIGINAL: Monkeythree
2) What have the door contact switches got to do with the operation of the electric windows in the first place? The windows operate with the doors either open or closed?

The windows should operate with the ignition off when the doors are open.

 

[Monkeythree]

Thanks Jim. Just tested with the ignition off and the windows do now function with the doors open but not when the doors are closed.

Magic! Another problem solved. I love this forum.

 

[hotblack944]

Glad to help.