Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Pony Car Project- Locks and Windows

Yesterday I started installing the components to make the power locks and the passenger side power window function.

The power lock installation went fairly easy. After removing the inside door panels and arm rests, the power lock motors fitted up well. I had one mounting rivet not compress far enough and had to drill it out and start over. But when I hooked up the electrical connections, they worked well!

The power window motor fit in easily, but one connector wire was not crimped well and it pulled out. So I had to take the connector apart and reattach the wire. After I hooked up the electrical connector, I gave it a try. From the passenger side switch, the window just wanted to go up, not up and down. I guess that is better than just going down! Furthermore, there was no response from the drivers side switch. I buttoned up the door panels and called it a night after working for several hours.

This morning, I studied the wiring diagram and gave it another go. I removed the arm rest to access the switches and performed continuity checks and jumpered from the various contacts without using the switch. I was successful in getting the motor to operate the window both up and down. But something was defiantly out of wack with the wires. I started checking the interconnecting wires from the drivers side switch. Through a process of elimination, I concluded that a ground wire that ran from a connector under the left side of the dash to the drivers side window switch was broken somewhere along its length. Sure enough, I jumpered around this wire and the window operated from both switches. I took the drivers side door panel off again and snaked a new wire to connect into the old wire.

Now I have fully functioning power locks and windows. This was a job that I was looking forward to finishing. Now if I have passengers during the summer, they can roll the window down and listen to the load pipes!

About half of these items are now installed.
 

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