Attn Electronics Gurus!!

sport_20

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Mazda
Anyone know if it is possible to re-wire so that the electric windows go up when the ignition is turned off? (attn)
 
Hmm.. with an aftermarket alarm with triggers... I don't think you could do it any other way, even with relays...
 
sport_20 said:
Anyone know if it is possible to re-wire so that the electric windows go up when the ignition is turned off? (attn)
Wow that would be really cool to have. It may be hard to do and not worth the trouble though.
 
Ok, it can be done.

First off, there I would warn against any safety concerns, such as a passenger who might have their hand in the window, or if you were bringing something home from a store, and had to have part sticking out the window.

Totally automatic could be bad in those situations.

You could however re-wire the cut-off switch to cutoff all the windows, not just the passenger windows.

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How it could be done:

You would need a few relays to work the switches, and some "Limiting switches"
A limiting switch cut's off the button as soon as the window is all the way to the top, or bottom.

If you have a moonroof, you can see how the limiting switches work.
If you hold the button down, the moonroof closes, if you press the button to "close" again, nothing happens, as the switch is disabled.

But none of the power windows have limiting switches.
You can tell, if you turn you headlights on, and push the UP button on a closed window. The window tries to move up (It even may make a slight noise) and your headlights will dim, as the motor is active, even if the window is already up.

Yes, the driver side has an AUTO mode, but this works off a timer, rather the limit switch.


So, if you want an auto circuit, it would have to activate as soon as the car turns off.
This can be done with a relay.

But you would have to add limiting switches to each window you want to auto activate.
You would need a Limit switch for the UP position on the window.
A common type of switched used for limit switches is a spring loaded switch, or leaf switch. You can get these are nearly any auto store.

As soon as the car turns off, the relays would activate the UP buttons for the windows.
The windows would then role up, until the Limit switches are closed.
The limit switches would then have to cut the power to the relays, so that they don't push the window up and higher, or drain the car battery.

The best switch for the job would be a Normaly Closed switch.

This all sound complicated, but it is not as complicated as it sounds.

Here is a diagram of the switches and relay for one window:

autocircuit.gif


Let me go through it:

RLY2 is what actualy activates the window being rolled up.
It is wired to the button you press to role up the window.

RLY2 can be disabled by any of three switches:
-RLY1 is wired so anytime the car is on, the window is free to move, and the circuit is inactive.
-SW1 is the limit switch, this stops the window once it reaches the top.
-SW2 is a recommended re-wireing of the "Disable switch" that already exists on the car, this will allow you to disable the auto circuit at any time.

Also remember the manual only recommends that you don't activate more then two windows at a time, or you could blow a fuse.
If I did this, I would only be concerned about the front windows.

I would probably also leave it disabled most of the time.
I would rather park with the auto circuit disabled, get out, and simply press the disable button, enabling the circuit and rolling up the window as I walk away.

The only problem with the circuit is that if you pressed the DOWN button, while the car was off, but the circuit was on, I am not totaly sure what would happen. It would probably blow a fuse.

This could be fixed by using two relays, one that disables the DOWN part of the switch, any time the Auto circuit is activly enabled, or running.

/Edit Heck I just went in and added it anyways,
Basicly you need to cut the output wire of the Down switch, the wire it to a relay, so that the Down switch isn't enabled if the Auto circuit is enabled.

The catch is that the Down switch would be useless as long as the Auto Circuit is enabled, this means to role the window down just press the Disable button, and then role the window down.
I guess that works out fine, as then when you get out, just press Disable again, the auto circuit kicks in, and the window goes up.

I also added Diodes that prevent the +12v Accessory, from mixing with +12Volt Battery.

Hmm, mabye I will try this soon, there isn't that many parts to it all.

This was a fun challange for me.

/Edit, I just thought of a good idea for a switch.
Glue a magnet to the window, then mount a Reed switch.
That way there is no mechanical hitting of a spring or metal by the window.


/Edit, Edit:
This could also be re-wired so rather then having an Auto-on, you could have a single press-button that you push anytime you want the windows to Auto-role-up.
(Diagram if someone wants it)
 
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I hadn't thought about the limiting switch, good idea. I was revolving around battery drain b/c of the window always drawing power when you shut the power off- I would second the motion of a kill switch, and primarily leave it off though.
 
Well, I think if I do this I would rather have a "Press to Auto role up" button, rather then totaly automatic.

So here is the circuit for that:

presscircuit.gif


Basicly it takes a third relay, and a momentary switch.

The relay can't activate by it's self, instead it powers up and stays on when you press the "Auto-Up" Button (SW5)
All the relays are active until either the "Up limit" is reached, or the Disable button is pressed.

Note: BOTH circuits present a danger, as the windows could potentialy keep pushing up if anything was caught in the middle.
The only way to make them stop on the first circuit is to turn on the car, or press the Disable button.

The only way to stop the second cricuit is to press the disable button.
But the second circuit is inherently safer anyways, as you have to press a button to activate it in the first place.

I am NOT responsible for any damange to yourself or car if you build these circuits.
 
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Actually it wouldn't be too hard if you are going this route to build one more little circuit with a kill switch that's tripped off of the down button on the power window, especially if you have done the always on power window mod- that way the passenger wouldn't lose a hand.
 
Zap, how bout making a howto to get the passenger window to have the ability to have an Auto mode? :)
 
shinzen said:
Actually it wouldn't be too hard if you are going this route to build one more little circuit with a kill switch that's tripped off of the down button on the power window, especially if you have done the always on power window mod- that way the passenger wouldn't lose a hand.
Hmm, this is possible.
I will have to try looking at the wiring again.
I think I will try to re-wire both circuits for that.

1st circuit: Windows start going up automaticly as soon as you turn off the car. Pressing DOWN will cancel the window going UP, kill the circuit and put them back to normal operation.

2nd Circuit: Windows go up when you press a button. Pressing down, kills the circuit and the windows go back to normal operation.

Moeed said:
Zap, how bout making a howto to get the passenger window to have the ability to have an Auto mode? :)
Both circuits should work for either door, just wire into the switch at that door.
You just may want to make the kill switch common for them.
 
Well, the easy way would be a relay wired in that is normally open. As long as the down switch isn't pressed, it passes current with no issues, when the down switchs is pressed it triggers the circuit power to off.
 
just be hittin yo switches B,

why are you too lazy to hold 2 switches for about 5 seconds? you already have power windows and not the regular roll up ones
 
pr5owner said:
just be hittin yo switches B,

why are you too lazy to hold 2 switches for about 5 seconds? you already have power windows and not the regular roll up ones
It is a fun challange to see if it is possible, and how to do it.
Nothing wrong with further enhancing a feature.

In either case I figured out how the Switches are wired, and how the driver's master switches interact with the passanger switches:

powerwindows.gif


After looking at this, we don't need a protection relay for the DOWN button.
And in fact either down button would cancel out the Automatic circuit any time they were used. (Either one)

I'll explain: (C stands for Close, and O stands for Open)
If you press Close on the drivers side, +12volts passes through every switch in series on it's way through the motor and to ground.

Pressing any switch to Open will interupt the current flow to ground, and stop the window's motion.
In the first circuit I posted, this would stop the circuit as long as the down button is held. (The window would not move until the car is on, or the disable switch is pressed)
If the second circuit I made is used, this also kills the first relay, and the circuit is stopped, and the down button would role down the window.

The wiring is very creative, no matter how the switches are configured, there is no chance of +12volts being connected directly to ground.
Even if both Close, and Open are active at the same time.

/Edit -Tapping into the circuit could cause a problem though, as the close switch could be connected to both terminals, causeing a short.
 
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Wow!

That is one wicked explanation, I will definetely be trying it when I have had a chance to sit down and work it all out. Thanks a lot, will let you know when I have tried it (or blown up my car trying ;) ). Cheers.
 
Another thought

I have had a look through the circuts and explanations and have had another couple of ideas... (uhm)

1. I have an alarm (aftermarket) which obviously has a flashing LED when it is activated. Could the current drawn by the LED be used to start the circuits going to roll any down windows up?

2. Instead of a reed switch...
(i) Can a simple timer circuit be added to stop each circuit after a set time (how ever long it takes to roll a window from fully down to fully up)>
OR(ii) Assuming the current drawn when the window is up but the switch is still being held is higher than if the window was rolling, could there be some ccompents added to measure this change in current draw and turn off the circuit?

Thanks again....
 
sport_20 said:
1. I have an alarm (aftermarket) which obviously has a flashing LED when it is activated. Could the current drawn by the LED be used to start the circuits going to roll any down windows up?

2. Instead of a reed switch...
(i) Can a simple timer circuit be added to stop each circuit after a set time (how ever long it takes to roll a window from fully down to fully up)>
OR(ii) Assuming the current drawn when the window is up but the switch is still being held is higher than if the window was rolling, could there be some ccompents added to measure this change in current draw and turn off the circuit?
1) Yes, it could be wired to a transistor, that could then activate the first relay in the "press to activate" circuit.
The very first pulse from the LED would activate the circuit

2) A timer doesn't work, as detecting the current pull of a motor would be hard.
Plus repeated pushing of the motor when the window is already up can damange the motor.

A reed switch is non-contact and very easy.
You can calibate the switch by simply adjusting it up and down to make sure that the window closes completly.

Plus if the window is already up, the circuit never activates in the first place.
 
ZapWizard said:
1) Yes, it could be wired to a transistor, that could then activate the first relay in the "press to activate" circuit.
The very first pulse from the LED would activate the circuit

2) A timer doesn't work, as detecting the current pull of a motor would be hard.
Plus repeated pushing of the motor when the window is already up can damange the motor.

A reed switch is non-contact and very easy.
You can calibate the switch by simply adjusting it up and down to make sure that the window closes completly.

Plus if the window is already up, the circuit never activates in the first place.

Thanks. As I have VERY limited electronics knowledge, any chance of a digram of the circuit with the transistor set up?

I thought that using some sort of cut out (i.e cuts out at say 2 amps) would allow you to not have to have a swtich. Maybe not...

cheers
 
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