Electric Windows - Not

[SwedishBlue]

Hi I am a newbie to this site. I have just got a 406 GTX 2lt, and I need help. I am hoping that the combined wisdom of you techy types can provide the answer. The windows don't work, all four of them. When you operate the switches nothing happens except that the interior light go off. I am assuming that this is a short somewhere and I suspect the solenoid(just instinct really). Has anyone had and solved this problem and or know where the solenoid is to be found. The Haynes manual does not say and I am stuck with no windows. Cheers

[steve_earwig]

Hi there I presume you checked the fuse(s). The light going off thing sounds like a bad earth to me. Solenoid? What solenoid? Each has it's own relay, it's a pain to open up the doors so you could try a meter on the interior light to give you a better idea of what's occuring. Afaik they don't share a fuse so earth sounds more likely (yeah, I know door contacts send an earth but I presume it just uses that as a signal if it's a D9)

[mjb]

Need to know if it's a D8 or D9. I'm guessing it's the latter as I can't imagine how this would happen on a D8 if the lights go off if any of the buttons are pressed.

What to the buttons on the other doors do?

[Welly]

Has the car been for a swim lately?

I'm wondering if he needs to have a shufty under the drivers carpet? bad multi-plugs? sounds almost like the BSi doesn't want to play ball.

If you're going to attack the door cards then be careful to preserve the water shedding layer otherwise the footwells will get wet in no time

[SwedishBlue]

Thanks guys. Yes I checked the fuses but didn't think of the earth. Don't know if it is a D8 or D9. How do you tell? I will check out the earth situation tomorrow and will start under the carpet, although there is no sigh of wet or damp. Thanks again , I will let you know if I find anything.

[mjb]

D8s have radiator grilles like the one in my sig image. D9s have mesh grilles. Production turned to D9s around 1999.

The body electrical systems really are completely different, so it's essential to specify which version of the 406 you've got when talking about them

[mjb]

ooh. when you say the interior light goes out, does it go straight off or fade?

[mjb]

I reckon it's a D8, the lights go straight off, and the problem is with the grounding point M050 which is at the end of wire M50C. Where that is in real terms I can't see. Unless I'm missing something it should be under the dash somewhere. Hopefully it's just making a bad connection to the body, but it's more likely something's shorting to it - and being a main grounding point there's lots of options.

Check the following (if fitted):
central locking operation using the key in the drivers side door
deadlocking on the front and rear drivers side doors
the map reading light
both sunblind vanity mirror lights
right hand side indicator (the little one behind the wheelarch)
handbrake on light on the instrument cluster

If there's one or more not working, we may be able to narrow things down a bit more

In fact, check all your lights while you're at it


Bloody hell, the lengths I go to for this forum

[SwedishBlue]

Hi again. It has a mesh grill so I guess it's a D9. The lights in the door cards go straight off , the roof light fades away to off. As I said I will check out the earth siuation later today. Thanks again for all your input it is appreciated.