Mondeo electric window faults

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Folks, your thoughts on this one please.
I have a 2year old mondeo with electric windows, approx 4 times a year, with the key out and the car locked, all the windows will wind down (usually overnight). It happened twice on consecutive days recently.
I believe it may be due to Rf energy or some EMC problem, but we live in a reasonably quiet area electrically. Examination of the limited schematics in a Haynes manual reveals that while the window control circuits are fed through "ignition on only" circuits the actual motors are not. There is also the dreaded CAN bus that is permanantly active.
A Google reveals many cases of this fault, Ford having a deaf ear, or much speculation on the cause but no solutions.
My thoughts are to fit a latching switch in each door to break the motor circuit. The alternative of breaking the motor drive circuit with an ignition controlled relay at the fuse box may raise other issues, as the module that is fed from this circuit has central locking and other components associated with it.

Over to you, Ed

[Mark R]

Ed
sounds like an alarm system fault to me.
A diagnostic plug in may reveal the answer.

cheers Mark

[Mark Hennessy]

VAG cars suffer from this because of water getting into the module that controls the windows. Normally happens after rain - which gets in past the pollen filter and soaks the carpet in the passenger footwell. No idea where the module is in the Mondeo, but it's worth digging around - at the very least you ought to discover where all of these things live.

With each electrical connection you discover, it's worth opening it up and inspecting it, then dosing it with Servisol before putting it back together.

I need to do the same to my central locking (Focus). For years now, the internal lock doesn't activate the central locking unless the car is bone dry. Not a problem, as everything else works properly from the fob, and it's not often I feel the need to lock the doors from inside because I don't drive thrown dodgy areas

[AlanBeckett]

Very, very occasionally my Freelander winds down its back window. Generally I don't notice until I come to lock it, at which point it complains.
Alan

[Mark Hennessy]

Have you asked Honest John? http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/

[Ian E G7OLT]

Have you asked Honest John? http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/i...tm?t=80547

also,

http://www.talkford.com/topic/85636-all-...their-own/

neither much help. :-(

[Mark Hennessy]

Yes - you need to go to him directly - with his contacts in the trade, he's more likely than anyone I know to get an answer. Obviously Ford are denying the existence of the problem (surprise surprise ). I'd try writing to him via his Telegraph column - if nothing else, the more mail he gets, the more likely he is to follow it up.

I've been very lucky with my old Ford, but I'm not sure I'd buy a modern one. Then again, I've no idea what I'd buy. Preferably something without a CAN bus :-)

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Folks, thanks for that I'll give honest John a try. I suspect he already knows about the problem, as it has been going on for some time if the posting on various forums are to be believed.
Imvestigating further with the latest Haynes manual (not nearly as comprehensive as they used to be), it is implied that some models have an "all open" and "all close " facility for the windows. If this facility is not fitted I suspect that there are loose connectors somewhere with unterminated leads; just the thing you are always taught not to do in data and other systems due to possible pick-up.
The use of 4 seperate switches, and fitting them would be a pain, so I will see if there are spare ways in the door connectors so that I can run a looped wire to a relay in each door that was "ignition on" activated. The relay contacts could then break the motor loop.


Thanks, Ed