Electric windows misbehaving

Dave Kelas

Dave Kelas

Member
And so it starts. I've only had it 2 days! Got that sinking feeling

Started with the drivers side window coming down after I closed it. No problem I thinks to myself
and brought it right down, held the button for 10 seconds then closed it and held the button down again.
It's been working fine since. Then the passenger side does the same thing! Tried the reset again and the
window closes and opens ok but the auto close isn't working now. Have to hold the button down to close
the window. Auto open works ok. Driver side rear window auto opens and closes, passenger side won't auto
open or close but works ok if I hold the button.

Has anyone else had this happen and is it the switch or a module somewhere?
 
Hold up each button on the drivers door for three seconds one at a time. How old is the car battery? Do you have remote locking?
 
Over 80% of A2 electrical problems are down to a bad battery. Poor earths and blown fuses, corroded terminals and crap wiring cover most of the rest with failed units being the last. ~The FSI can be a fussy unit anyway so a bad battery is just an excuse for a stream of issues and warning lights.
 
I need to get the battery tested but this is the only electrical fault so far. When I bought the car it had been parked up for weeks but it started fine and has been fine for 2 days
 
steve_c said:
May well be sand in the runners.
Click to expand...
If the window is going up and then suddenly retracts by 3 inches or so, then Steve's suggestion of there being grit in the runners is the likely explanation.
The window motors have an integrated mechanical resistance sensor. If the motor has to provide more than a certain amount of force to close the window, it assumes that something (like a child's arm) is caught, so it immediately backs off. This behaviour is frequently misinterpretted as an electrical fault when it is actually a safety feature. Now that A2s are between 15 and 20 years old, the runners are often dry/dirty enough for the motor to have to exceed the force threshold. Cleaning and lubricating the runners is all that's required to restore normal operation.

Cheers,

Tom
 
audifan said:
Over 80% of A2 electrical problems are down to a bad battery. Poor earths and blown fuses, corroded terminals and crap wiring cover most of the rest with failed units being the last.
Click to expand...
Whilst I have to doff my cap to you for all the excellent advice you dispense on a daily basis - we all owe you a debt of gratitude - I have to contest this statistic. Whilst a bad battery can, of course, cause problems (mostly related to poor engine starting, not holding much charge, occasional misfires, etc), in all my years of working with A2 electrics, a poor battery has never - not once - been the cause of problems. The A2's electronics are really quite resilient to low-voltage scenarios.
A vast majority of electrical faults (not including engine start/running problems) that I've seen reported here are solved by replacing control modules (e.g. CCCU, DCMs, etc), sensors and microswitches, or by repairing loom damage.
As I travel around the country (and other countires, as I'm doing at the moment) working on A2 electrics, I carry the parts needed to do the pre-agreed retrofits, but I also have a load of spare parts to fix unforeseen electrical problems. I call it my get-out-of-jail-free box! I've never had to defer an unforeseen repair to a later date due to not having a replacement battery with me.

Cheers,

Tom
 
@timmus Thanks Tom, I stand corrected due to your greater experience across the continents not just the UK. A lot of the problems I've dealt with were cars on original battery with bodged wiring of aftermarket stereos.
 
I may have an answer to the problem. Someone with an A3 on another forum had the same problem and traced it to the windows being loose in the bottom clamp. Both my front windows are a little wobbly too. I've noticed the angle change by a few mm as they roll up but they align ok when they hit the top position. This could fool the anti-pinch I guess. I'll pull the door cards and tighten them when it stops raining cats and dogs :)
 
timmus said:
Whilst I have to doff my cap to you for all the excellent advice you dispense on a daily basis - we all owe you a debt of gratitude - I have to contest this statistic. Whilst a bad battery can, of course, cause problems (mostly related to poor engine starting, not holding much charge, occasional misfires, etc), in all my years of working with A2 electrics, a poor battery has never - not once - been the cause of problems. The A2's electronics are really quite resilient to low-voltage scenarios.
A vast majority of electrical faults (not including engine start/running problems) that I've seen reported here are solved by replacing control modules (e.g. CCCU, DCMs, etc), sensors and microswitches, or by repairing loom damage.
As I travel around the country (and other countires, as I'm doing at the moment) working on A2 electrics, I carry the parts needed to do the pre-agreed retrofits, but I also have a load of spare parts to fix unforeseen electrical problems. I call it my get-out-of-jail-free box! I've never had to defer an unforeseen repair to a later date due to not having a replacement battery with me.

Cheers,

Tom
Click to expand...
Thanks Tom. That is great info and good to know that a failing battery won't cause a problem. I think I've found the problem. Someone with an A3 on another forum had the same problem and traced it to the windows being loose in the bottom clamp. Both my front windows are a little wobbly too. I've noticed the angle change by a few mm as they roll up but they align ok when they hit the top position. Must be fooling the anti-pinch
 
Resurrecting an old thread. My A2 front windows are being a pain. Drivers side window switch opens passenger and rear windows but won’t open drivers window (was working fine until a week or two ago) - passenger window switch won’t open passenger window. Is this a simple fix?
 
buffetrestaurant said:
Resurrecting an old thread. My A2 front windows are being a pain. Drivers side window switch opens passenger and rear windows but won’t open drivers window (was working fine until a week or two ago) - passenger window switch won’t open passenger window. Is this a simple fix?
Click to expand...
From what I have gleaned from my own window issues it may be your CCCU going duff, I have another one being reprogrammed to hopefully sort it out, @timmus maybe able to shed some more light on the problem.
 
buffetrestaurant said:
Resurrecting an old thread. My A2 front windows are being a pain. Drivers side window switch opens passenger and rear windows but won’t open drivers window (was working fine until a week or two ago) - passenger window switch won’t open passenger window. Is this a simple fix?
Click to expand...
Try disconnecting the battery, pop the + and - negative leads together for 10 seconds and then re fit. It worked for me last year. Failing that battery, bad earth, sand in runners or ccu on the blink
 
Back on this - windows now back working. Didn't do anything to fix it so I think it was/is an occasional bad connection on door control unit. Unit feels like it isn't 100% set in place on door but reluctant to explore further now that it's working.
 
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