Slow electric windows???

Thanks Darren

Regarding the main battery earth point - I went through some old receipts for work done on the car (here in Oz) and one included "repair faulty battery earth".

It got me wondering if the current earth point is where it was originally.

I've attached a couple of photos showing the current point. Got me wondering if the rusty metal stump to the left of it was the original earth point.

Can anyone advise if the set-up shown here is 'standard' ?

http://s1303.beta.photobucket.com/user/TomStanton1/media/IMG_3563_zps21765d43.jpg.html?state=replace#/user/TomStanton1/media/IMG_3560_zpsd3925149.jpg.html?state=replace&_suid=1359982934569030788480494239967

http://s1303.beta.photobucket.com/user/TomStanton1/media/IMG_3563_zps21765d43.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0#/user/TomStanton1/media/IMG_3563_zps21765d43.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0&_suid=1359983182962023683509588712137

Regards
Tom

[phildini]

Yes it looks to me the rusty thing its the original earth bolt....

Not sure, I'm not even sure which way is up on those photos - it's all backwards down under

Seriously though the strap looks like it's clamped to a plastic (or painted) surface. Either way if it is then you're reliant on the bolt itself making good contact and it could well be crusty with rust.

I'd clean up and move. One option is to relocate it to the front suspension turret. You need to chisel off a small bit on the edge of the glass fibre but that way you can get the actual lead to make contact with metal - not just via the bolt.

(Original earth location point on these cars is useless BTW. It's virtually next to a drain hole..... need I say more )

Let us know how you get on Tom. Well worth getting earths as perfect as you can on these cars.

I unplugged the connector from the motor and hooked up my multimeter to the connector. When I click the window switch I get a reading of 12V which tells me the switch must be working. When I switch the multimeter to measure current I only get a reading of about 0.2 amps when I click the switch. I'm not sure how much current is supposed to flow to the motor.......

Tom..... a few observations for you. Certainly the motors will draw more than 0,2 amps, so therefore there must be a high resistance junction somewhere..... now if both winders are behaving the same, then if you look at the circuit below, a common point for both motors is the earth M9, which can be found behind the side panel in the foot well... see diagram... however, the diagram shows its position in a LHD Alp, so not too sure which side you will find it, BUT.... there is another earth in same position (M10) on the other side, so I would take the opportunity to clean both of those earths and make sure they are good, as the other one is the earth for the speedo and trip computer.

......the car running......

With regard to the car ability to start....... if turning over and starting is OK and not laboured, then I suggest that the battery earth is good, if there was high resistance in the Battery earth link, starting would be a problem.

And the starter moteor can be an issue, as mine was last year.
It was rather laboured starting, checked earths and connects and changed the battery, still no better.
Upon removal of the starter motor, I could clearly see that the brass bush on the end was oval, so the brushes were probably not maknig good constant contact.
New starter installed and it turns over much faster and starts straight away, and on the old battery too

Thanks John for the diagrams. I've looked at both earths M9 & M10.

Note sure if their names are reversed for RHD but the one on the passenger side looked fine - no surface rust on any of the connections. The one one the drivers side had a tiny amount of surface rust on some of the connections which I cleaned up with steel wool.

Unfortunately there was absolutely zero difference with the windows. Still just a very faint hum.

back to the drawing board...

Tom, What I would do next would be to try and identify whether the fault was in the Earth return, or the 12v feed to the motor by connecting the black lead of the meter directly to the battery neg terminal.... it must be the terminal..... extending the black meter lead if necessary.... then attach the red meter lead to one of the wires in the connector which is attached to the motor.... leave connector attached..... meter switched to read volts. With ign on, operate up/down switch and if on either up or down, 12v is indicated, then the fault is in the earth return.... if the voltage is very low, then the fault is in the 12v feed.
You can check the other wire entering the motor, but if the indication was read on, say, the up switch, then the indications would be read on the down switch. Just for info, in order to make windows go up and down, the voltage is reversed by the switch to the motor.
It might be worth confirming... for future reference... which side (M9 or M10) the windows rely on for their operation by detaching one at a time and finding out which one silences the motor hum when the switches are operated.
Hope this makes sense to you.
Let us know how you get on.