DIY - Cancel auto up/down window for winter

[_hollywood]

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

[wparsons]

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.

[gmookher]

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

[wparsons]

^^ 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.

[Jayde]

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.

[xxscaxx]

what about using a nylon washer?

[SPEEDGOD]

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

[MemphisR]

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).

[wparsons]

^^ 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.

[Porsche]

Originally Posted by FRSFirestorm

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.

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.

[FRSure]

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

[bryan767]

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.

[Target70]

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.

[zAnSh1n]

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...