DIY - Cancel auto up/down window for winter
 

Today I decided to do something about those windows that kept freezing and document it since I know alot of people are having problem with that issue. After careful observation, I don't see the window's edge rubbing against the seal, so your weather stripping won't get damaged doing this procedure. As always..do this at your own risk!

It takes 5 minutes and all you need is :
- 10mm socket
- some electrical tape
- beer (optional)

Basicly you want to disable the open/closed door switch, it's a simple ground you want to cancel.

1. First open you door and located the switch.

2. Use your 10mm socket and a ratchet to remove the switch. Be careful of your paint as it's pretty easy to overdo it and hit the paint with the ratchet as you swivel it.

3. Pull out the bolt, and pull the switch GENTLY, do not disconnect it since you might loose the wire inside the body!

http://i.minus.com/j1jNOLX6E5QuS.jpg


3. Use a peice of electrical tape, and stick it on the back of the switch, slice an opening for the bolt.

http://i.minus.com/juQkDzR2V8BWE.jpg

4. Use more electrical tape to cover the top part of the bolt that makes connection with the switch. Also put a square with a hole sliced in the middle and insert it againt the bolt's head, as you don't want any metal on metal contact with the switch.

http://i.minus.com/jbn6tLYn9G4nV6.jpg

http://i.minus.com/jbfnvnjNFB66FB.jpg

5. Bolt back the switch and play with the knob/nipple :D a bit to make sure ground does not make contact.

All done !!!

http://i.minus.com/jroM6B0GWtwUb.jpg


Do the same for the passenger door, or if you're single like me, only do the driver's side ;). The only downside to this procedure is the dome light won't open when you get it (but it does anyway when you use your keyfob unlock) and it will disable the factory alarm's open door detection.

So please clarify... This overrides the "feature" of the windows to disable in cold? So they keep trying to go up when you get in and shut door even if frozen or not sealing right?

OR...

The window never goes down now when you open the door after this modification? That's what it looks like is happening. Can this hurt the seal over time or is it OK and won't rip or damage it?

The window won't go down when you open the door basicly. The window is frozen every morning, when I open the door the window goes down maybe 2mm and you hear the motor forcing/humming, then the regulator resets(because it senses something keeps the window from moving) and when I close back the door the window is not totally up - so you have to bring it up manually. And you can't do a "reset procedure" because the windows is, well, frozen in place.. See the complaints : http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...=window+frozen

And no, the window does not even rub anywhere when you close/open the door. From what I can see, it's a completely useless feature.

I believe the feature is for when you close the door you don't get that build up of pressure that messes with your ears. But great DIY. I'll have to do this one.

Mine have frozen a couple time already. Blinky auto lights afterward. Like stated above I think the window drop is for cabin decompression when closing the doors.

I wouldn't expect this to effect the seal anyway as the door is normally already open before the window goes down anyway.

this would have been great to know about when i had my tints done. the seal pushed my tint a bit and gave me a few wrinkles on the driver's side :/. but yea thanks, this will definitely help with the window freezing issue.

Hey thanks for the heads up getting my windows tinted tomorrow

Hey thanks for the heads up getting my windows tinted tomorrow

Go back to whoever did your tint and have them fix it, they should be able to cure it better with some heat before giving the car back to you so there's no issues with this.

As for windows freezing, I haven't had a single issue with mine yet, even after leaving it out in a couple snow storms.

This is actually a pretty dang good idea , very clever. I never thought it would be an issue, but if I had the same thing happen to my car, it would really, really bug me. Always thought it was a bit odd the windows cracked down just a bit every time you get in an out anyway lol.

Thanks,
Rick

This and the clutch adjustment are the best diy's for this car, its currently 5 degrees here, and everytime i open my door i have to deal with a loud crunch followed by blinky lights, im done resetting these windows, attention toyota, people in cold climates will drive this car, why the issues with windows? Cmon

Thanks for the diy!!!

Good diy for winter freeze protection. For protection of fresh tint I would just pull the power window fuse for a couple days.

Are your windows tinted? I have't had my windows stick once, and I'm probably further north than you are. My windows were tinted long before winter, but it seems that the issue isn't with the windows freezing to the seal, but the internal workings freezing up.

If the tinter knows what they're doing (ie have done frameless windows before), there won't be any issues at all. I asked the guy that did mine, and he said he's done hundreds of cars that do this (LOTS of high end cars do this as well) and never had issues. He said he just heats up the tint more to speed up the curing process before returning the car.

I guess we have more moisture here, i have a thin sheet of ice most nights and when my door opens, kachunk, the window struggles super hard

I was parked outside and had a thin layer of ice, plus about 4 inches of snow over my whole car and it didn't struggle at all.

For anyone having issues, have you taken it back to Toyota (or Subaru) to have it looked at? It sounds like the window cables are freezing up internally.

If you block off the door pins then the alarm doesn't know when a door opens either, so you've essentially disabled the alarm.

the box says it all:
f you live in a cold climate, you’ve probably experienced frozen door seals. You try to open the door to your vehicle and it won’t budge. Meanwhile it’s freezing outside and you’ve got places to go. Now you can prevent the freezing of your door seals and keep the rubber healthy with Wurth Rubber Care Gel Stick.

I just use [ame="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B8GTQG/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=10314214164&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&h vrand=14972057261802074081&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e &ref=pd_sl_2nbkp3fuvh_e"]gummi[/ame] fledge (wurth's rubber conditioner) on my rubber seals, and thus such 'mod' butchery is not needed...apply liberally and see if the window still sticks to the rubber, use several applications on a DRY rubber seal, wallla

bmw and porsches have done the window seal down half an inch thing for ages, but with a better seal system than subaru's seals, hence less moisture freezing issues

This mod appears to be done by folks unfamiliar with wurths

these products work, I have used them for years, and I mean LIBERALLY

^^ People are having the issue even if the window isn't sticking to the seal... you have to get the door open further than you can if it's stuck to the seal to have the window drop.

Interesting read. I'll have to consider this, since at least 4 of the 5 days I'm up early in the morning my windows are frozen and won't go down.

If only Subaru will make a fix so it's something we can change on the fly.

what about using a nylon washer?

My windows got stuck a few days ago. Rattling started on the drivers side this morning on the highway. On a side note did you guys get grommets placed in the bottom of the car:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11523

I haven't read all the comments as I'm on my lunch. But it sounds like no one has thought of the obvious which involves no modding to the car at all and is good to ensure long life for the seal. And the answer is..............Petrolium jelly(vasaline).

^^ It's mostly happening when the internal mechanism freezes, not when the window freezes to the seal. You have to get the door open enough that the door switch is open, which is probably a fair amount further than you can get it if the window is stuck to the seal.

Mine have frozen repeatedly as well. I siliconed the seals, but that's not working as well as I'd hoped; need to try something else. The glass is probably freezing/sticking (and straining the electric window lift motor) down at the base along the window "sill" as well. Lubing that area aggressively is going to streak the glass every time it raises and lowers.

I too initially thought that this window up/down feature was for "cabin decompression" although it seemed an expensive solution to a trivial "problem."

Subsequent reading tells me that it is more serious than this. The window glass rolls down because when you CLOSE THE DOOR, the glass may strike the body in a way that SHATTERS the glass on these frameless glass doors. Ooops... Now you've really got a problem.

The glass in these frameless windows is being lowered to protect it when closing --- they couldn't care less about our ears. Now this would explain why Subaru went to the expense of including this feature. True? I don't know, but it makes sense to me.

It is also my understanding, unconfirmed however, that Subaru used thinner -- thus lighter -- glass in this car. This, too, makes sense, and may account for the number of broken windshields that do not suffer even small stone chips without quickly cracking. I don't know, but I need to remember to stay well clear of trucks on the roads.

Sorry for bump... But can you disable auto up down through techstream?

Just got about 6 inches of snow. Went out to clear the car, and I noticed the window dropped down 1/4 inch and didnt go back up. Actually I had to sit in the car with the heat on until I was able to move the window back up, it would only go down...

Plan on doing this if we get snow again.

I don't know about the techstream, but the quick and easy way to disable that I found is just to remove the bolt from the door switch. Put them in a bag in the glove box or somewhere you can find them later to reinstall. The switch grounds to the body through the bolt, remove the bolt and the car will think the doors are always closed. dome light still works with the lock/unlock on the key, and I have not had any issue with window/frame interference.

i think this mod made the auto headlights on my monogram malfunction... my headlights will not auto-off now when i turn off the engine, get out, and lock the car.

it used to go off in about a minute. though i never timed it...

:lol:

And here I thought my window was broken and my AUTO headlight feature was broken... it all ended up being just this little switch (that I had to tighten to fix my issues).