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Slow & Wussy Power Windows... How to make them better?

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So, since i've had my impreza... i've been sort of annoyed at how slow & wussy the power windows are... so i'm thinking i may want to upgrade my motors to get some real nut in those windows... any thoughts?

I also think i may have a bad ground in the passenger rear door.. that window is DEATHLY slow...

I'll open up the doors when it stops raining (yeah right.. :rolleyes: ) and see what sort of motor will fit in there :D

I want to have enough power in those suckers to crush a hand real good, right now, if i try to squish my hand (i got bored today.. give me a break..) it doesn't really hurt that much.. the motor just wusses out... i need some hand crushing power!!! :headbang:

er um ....

It could be that your motors are tired, or your winsow control module is tired. I would wire the motor right to the battery and see if it works any faster. If it does your problem is upstream from the motors. Also check your grounds and connections. Corrosion there can make them slow down.

 

nipper

  • Author
er um ....

It could be that your motors are tired, or your winsow control module is tired. I would wire the motor right to the battery and see if it works any faster. If it does your problem is upstream from the motors. Also check your grounds and connections. Corrosion there can make them slow down.

 

nipper

Thanks nippster! :D I'll give it a try... it's just been bothering me for some time now... all the other cars i've driven in have faster windows :rolleyes:

andy,i feel your pain.

 

since i've owned my legacy,the front pass window goes up to a certain point,then it bogs down like as if something is binding up.i have a feeling it has something to do with the dyna-mat that was put on the front doors by the previous owner...

 

 

Hmmm...i wonder if mine will crush a hand....i'll go check.:-p

damn now im going to have to check :)

 

Also lubricating the window mechanisims will help too

 

nipper

See if they go up and down better with the doors open. The glass against rubber seal surface needs to be lubricated from time to time or there gets to be a lot of drag between them.

Try cleaning and lubricating the regulator tracks. That usually helps a lot.

The first thing I do is part of my regular lubing. Spray silicon lube on the tracks. Fixes a lot of slow windows with out tearing the door apart.

Two of the windows on my '00 OBS were painfully slow. My first thought was resistance in the connectors, but cleaning and re-tensioning them gave no improvement.

 

What did fix the problem was backing-off a bit of tension on the pad behind the glass. It's located under the interior panel which needs to be removed. The motors used thru a certain era seem a little anemic by design and it doesn't take much drag to slow 'em down.

 

The adjustment is very sensitive - tightening the locking bolt can move it just enough to put it back to "too tight". It took me about ten tries to get it snugged down where it was happy (too loose is no good either).

 

The newer models seem to have torquier motors.

 

**** ******!

I have the same problem on my 2002 LLBean Outback, and I had it on my 1996 Outback as well. How do you lube the regulator tracks or the rubber seal? :confused:

  • Author

I'm guessing some silicon lube, in a spray can, and have at it, , for the seals, put some on a rag or something and just go over them, the tracks you can get to from either spraying down the top of the window, or taking of the trim i believe... :confused:

I'll get pics & investigate!... must also adjust tensioner :brow:

my windows shall crush hands again! muhahaha! :burnout:

I have the same problem on my 2002 LLBean Outback, and I had it on my 1996 Outback as well. How do you lube the regulator tracks or the rubber seal? :confused:

 

Clean the dirt out of the tracks and lubricate with white lithium grease. As far as the weatherstrip, it's not designed for any type of lubrication. Just make sure it's clean and doesn't have any tears.

  • 3 weeks later...

Hrm -- I should have been more specific. Do you have to take the door apart to get to the tracks? I'm not sure where they are. Thanks!! :D

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/power+windows/0/AC461471-A388-4BDD-A0FB-37E5CDB67765.htm

 

Check out this video of modified power windows. These will slice your whole arm off cleanly.

Old lincons used to have everything work off hydroboost (the power steering pump). The reasoning was that there was zero noise from the hydraulics. The down side was the windsheiled wipers were lethal if you got in thier way, and the power windows could cut your head off.

 

nipper

i never really noticed how slow my windows were...until 10 minutes ago, when i realized that it was raining, and all 4 windows plus the sunroof was down...

 

that kind of brought the slow windows into light.

 

kevin

i never really noticed how slow my windows were...until 10 minutes ago, when i realized that it was raining, and all 4 windows plus the sunroof was down...

 

that kind of brought the slow windows into light.

 

kevin

 

There is an SAE standard for window and sunroof speed (beleive it or not). Windows without a force detector usually run slower

Its called the "gee the window/sunroof is closing and i really should move my head now AACK" standard :)

 

nipper

my windows move faster if i'm only closing one at a time. that would lead me to believe that some of the slowness is due to the electric power.

 

i wonder if you could run an extra feed wire for the driver window and leave the other 3 on the existing circuit??

 

There is an SAE standard for window and sunroof speed (beleive it or not). Windows without a force detector usually run slower

Its called the "gee the window/sunroof is closing and i really should move my head now AACK" standard :)

 

nipper

Spray some silicone lube down the track and see if you don't have a miracle. If you add more wire you will just overheat something else when the real reason is resistance to movement. Lubeing your window tracks in the door should be done with white lithium whenever you have the panel off. Also lube your losk and such. Treat all rubber on the car with a rubber treatment too and it will help the car stay water tight.

my windows move faster if i'm only closing one at a time. that would lead me to believe that some of the slowness is due to the electric power.

 

i wonder if you could run an extra feed wire for the driver window and leave the other 3 on the existing circuit??

 

Considering the motor reverses to go up and down, i dont think there is much you can do. Also the switches cant handle a huge load. There isnt al ot between the power windows and the battery. There is a relay, then the pwr windows circuit. You can get more speed by getting a 10 volt or a 8 or 6 volt motor. You may gain speed by replacing the relay, and taking the switches apart and cleaning them. Also a fre$h motor would help too.

 

nipper

Like Nipper said before, you don't want to gain too much speed. If you are serious the first thing I would do is pop the panel and remove the contoller fomr the window. See how much pressure it takes to go up and down. Clean and lube until it is easy.

in order for me to lube the tracks,i'd have to remove the dynamat :-\

My windows will do about 90 MPH and take a leg off if it gets in their way.

 

Power windows by ARMSTRONG, baby...

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