Windows work only when a door is open?

[Patro]

Hello everyone.

Recently I left my car sit in the garage for almost a week and when I drove it I realized my windows won't go down or up if the door are closed. Interior lights as well as footwell lights stay on when I'm driving but the visor and the round reading lights don't work at all. I tried disconnecting the battery over night twice and nothing. The door actuators seem to work just fine since it doesn't matter which door is open or not. I've been googling this "thing" for days and couldn't find anything similar except for something related to the comfort module which is still unclear to me.

Does someone have any idea what it could be? It's very annoying to drive on the highway and having to open the door to get the windows moving.

Thanks.

[flyfishvt]

Probably the micro switch in the door striker is malfunctioning

[JDStrickland]

My guess is a broken wire in the harness that goes into the door, near the hinge. Does it matter which door has to be opened? Does the opposite side door make the other window work? My strategy would be to open the door and manipulate the rubber tube that the wires are in to see if the behavior changes.

[Patro]

First I thought it's the wire harness near the hinge as well. But it's not. I pressed and released the switch in the door striker to see if something changes and same thing. On both doors. Also the windows work without having the key in the ignition, as long as a door is open of course. It's like all the windows and interior light properties have been reversed or smth. Everything is upside down.

[DJ Genius]

Windows HAVE to work when doors are open. I think it is for 2 minutes after the car is switched off or alarm disarmed. It is a feature stored in ZKE module. You can enable/disable that with coding equipment.
If your footwell lights stay on when you close your doors. It means ZKE does not know that you closed your doors. It could be one of the door switches or wiring.
Please remove both switches and inspect the connectors. And see if you get your footwell lights to go off.
You can remove both wires from the switch and touch them together simulating the switch sequence. I believe touched wires would simulate as door open, not touched wires - door closed. Or it could be the other way round, it depends on the switch design. But you should see the difference. If you don't see the difference move on onto the other door switch. ALL door switches have to work properly in order to tell ZKE that doors are closed.

[MParallel]

Windows HAVE to work when doors are open. I think it is for 2 minutes after the car is switched off or alarm disarmed. It is a feature stored in ZKE module. You can enable/disable that with coding equipment...

There is indeed a 'window behavior' parameter in the ZKE which can be set to Euro/US. But it's not as you discribed.

The windows always work with the doors open. But on EU cars, with doors closed and engine ignition turned off, then we have 2 minutes more where the windows can be operated with doors closed.

[Patro]

Windows don't work at all when the doors are closed. Also the interior light stays on when I'm driving.

Are there any relays that could cause this?

[JDStrickland]

First I thought it's the wire harness near the hinge as well. But it's not. I pressed and released the switch in the door striker to see if something changes and same thing. On both doors. Also the windows work without having the key in the ignition, as long as a door is open of course. It's like all the windows and interior light properties have been reversed or smth. Everything is upside down.

The windows should work whether the doors are open or closed, and they work before the doors open but after the key goes off. You can park the car and take the key out, then operate the windows until the doors are opened. Once the doors open, the windows stop working UNLESS the key is on.

- - - Updated - - -

Windows don't work at all when the doors are closed. Also the interior light stays on when I'm driving.

Are there any relays that could cause this?

The inside lights have a 3-way switch, OFF, ON, and AUTO. Off is always off, ON is always on, and AUTO has the lights work based on the status of the doors, open door is lights on, closed door is lights off. There is a delay of about 40 seconds for lights off, except that if you close the door and put the key in and start the car, the delay automatically expires. The idea here is that the lights should remain on long enough for you to turn the car on.

[Patro]

I know how it should work because it used to work. Now it doesn't. I'm just looking for any ideas that could indicate where the problem might be.

[DJ Genius]

Have you checked for any blown fuses?

[RobMCoupe]

Have you check crash alarm relay? I recall when my 94 325is had strange issue when this relay was not working properly. It is a bit of pain to get to but try disconnecting the relay and see if the symptoms changed.

[flyfishvt]

Do the door locks work normally? What happens to the windows and lights if the drivers door is closed and the passenger door is open.

[Patro]

The locks work. The sunvisor lights, reading lights don't work at all except for the footwell light and the center light (the one with auto mode) and those which work usually turn off normally after 30 or so seconds when I close the doors BUT stay on when the engine is running. It's not related to a single door. Or a lock. Fuses seem good. Not sure about the relays since I'm not sure which one to check.

I will probably take a video about the problem since is pretty hard to explain it properly. You really need to see this sorcery in person to understand my frustration.

[Patro]

Here's the video.

[DJ Genius]

I had a very similar issue when my battery was going flat. After I replaced the battery it looked just like your issue. Obviously flat battery caused some electrical spikes. Then I went and checked on the fuses and sure enough 5A fuse was gone. Can't remember which one though. That's why I recommend to you to check the fuses. Please check them again.
It could also be that one of your sun visor electrical connectors is shorting out into the chassis. Again, I had the same issue, but that was because I installed sound deadening with foil cover so it was shorting on the sunvisor light connectors that is attached to one of the sunvisor holders.

When I had a blown fuse, my windows also did not work and worked only with the doors open. So I will repeat myself again, please check the fuses. Pull them out and inspect them carefully, do not rush.

[Patro]

I had a very similar issue when my battery was going flat. After I replaced the battery it looked just like your issue. Obviously flat battery caused some electrical spikes. Then I went and checked on the fuses and sure enough 5A fuse was gone. Can't remember which one though. That's why I recommend to you to check the fuses. Please check them again.
It could also be that one of your sun visor electrical connectors is shorting out into the chassis. Again, I had the same issue, but that was because I installed sound deadening with foil cover so it was shorting on the sunvisor light connectors that is attached to one of the sunvisor holders.

When I had a blown fuse, my windows also did not work and worked only with the doors open. So I will repeat myself again, please check the fuses. Pull them out and inspect them carefully, do not rush.

I don't know who you are, where you live, but I will find you and buy you a beer! It was a damn 5A fuse. It barely looked blown, maybe that's why I missed it. Now only if I figure out why the interior light stays on while driving.

[Patro]

Now only if I figure out why the interior light stays on while driving.

Looks like it's the trunk switch. Is there any way I can fix it or do I have to replace it?

[karam786]

hello brothers,,
i have the same problem ,can you please help me finding the 5A fuse?

[karam786]

thanks guys i have swapped around couple of 5A fuses,now its all working ,thanks guys