As I tend to leave the roof and windows down my front windows are now hardly moving when I put them up . What have people used to lubricate tracks. Or does the motor lifter need greasing ?

 

Try silicone spray.

 

Also look a Palm's book concerning installing relays to let the window motors run on direct battery power, instead of sending all the current through the crappy power window switches. I did it on my '87 and it made a huge difference on how fast the windows now operate.

Thanks,
John,
1987 XJ-S V12

 

I worked on my drivers door window and found that the tracks and wheels were full of dried grease. I cleaned them out, and added new grease. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

 

The contacts on the switches also get worn. I replaced my window switches and it made a huge difference. Measured old and new switches and the old switches had significantly more resistance. When new, the switches can pass plenty enough current to power the windows. But as they age the switch becomes a huge resistor.

 

On a convertible it's common for the window switches to get dirty internally and make poor contact. Unplug and remove the switches and thoroughly spray good quality contact cleaner* into the switch at the edges of the button and while rocking the buttons back and forth. Let them dry fully before reinstalling.

*DO NOT use WD40, it will only make things worse.

 

Can confirm, wd40 not the greatest...electrical parts cleaner and some silicone for the tracks should fix it.

 

A lot of my issue was more that the rollers were completely gunked up. I had to clean them out with carb cleaner first, then regrease them. That seemed to be the biggest issue with mine

 

Agreed.

WD40 is best described as a mild, slightly oily solvent. I love the stuff, 1001 uses, but it isn't the best choice for cleaning switches. It'll work in a pinch, though. I just used it to fix my defogger switch....followed by a rinse with brake spray.

Lots of good electrical cleaners out there....and thanks for the reminder that I need to get some !

Cheers
DD

 

That final rinse was important. Once the petroleum distillates in WD40 evaporate, it forms into a gummy mess that becomes a dust and dirt magnet.

Cheers

 

According to lore, WD40 was the 40th iteration of a water displacer. Never meant to be a lubricant.

 

FWIW, I did the Palm rewiring, and it vastly improved the window performance.

Thanks,

John
1987 XJ-S V12

 

Exactly.

It's a solvent, not a lubricant.

It will 'free up' lots of stuck things....but won't lubricate them.

Fantastic product for cleaning lots of stuff. Mild enough that it basically won't hurt anything

And, yes, whatever petro ingredients it has do indeed push water out of the way !

Cheers
DD

 

Just did mine today and used tyre silicon spray.

Worked a treat!

 

I wonder if a relay conversion would do anything to make the pony screen washer pumps stronger...anyone tried it?

 

I replaced mine with a headlight washer pump, which is far more powerful, and I added extra jets. Before doing that, when I went to dual headlights, I wired both pumps to the screenwash circuit, and this helped a lot, also with extra jets.

 

I used the head lamp washer pump for the l.h.jet and the original pump for the right hand jet as I fitted the later water tank under the r.h. wing where the vac tank used to go, with power wash pump just for the power wash set up.. Never needed them but looks interesting at the front, imo
they are new pumps but to be honest they are no stronger than the old ones, I may have a go at fitting a relay when the weather warms up

 

[QUOTE=rgp;1993147]I used the head lamp washer pump for the l.h.jet and the original pump for the right hand jet as I fitted the later water tank under the r.h. wing where the vac tank used to go, with power wash pump just for the power wash set up.. Never needed them but looks interesting at the front, imo
they are new pumps but to be honest they are no stronger than the old ones, I may have a go at fitting a relay when the weather warms up[/QUOTE
Rex, Just to e clear, I meant I bought a Delphi headlight washer pump for another car application entirely, not the XJS OEM second headlight wash/wipe pump. The new pump is for the wiperless, jet-type of headlight washer, and is about 2 times the size of the OEM pump, and really drenches the screen.