Side Windows go up on their own.

[unclepaulie]

Hi folks,

Both my 97 Boxster side windows are going up on their own randomly while driving with my convertible top down. I can lower them with the center console buttons but after about 5 minutes, they both will go up all the way again. Sometimes just the driver side will go up. I have not establish a pattern yet. Basically, it appears the windows have a mind of their own, they come up whenever they want. Sometimes even after I park the car in the garage with the top down, they would come up after a few minutes, on their own.

This problem started the same time when I broke one of the convertible top push rod connectors. I since replaced both top push rods with the new white connectors. I think that operation was a success, the top is working but the windows are acting strange. Not sure if they are related, thought I just mention it.

I just got the car second hand, no history, not familiar with how things work. Please excuse me for asking questions that may be obvious to you experienced owners:

Question#1
When I put the convertible top all the way down (the dash board light goes off), both side windows immediately go all the way up. I don't remember that happening before I repaired the push rods. Is that normal? Is that a sign of something is wrong?

Question#2
Does anyone know if there are sensors in the convertible top transmissions (that pushes the top and clamshell up and down)? Could it be that my transmission(s) is not in the correct position after I replaced the push rods, so that the sensor(s), if there is any, is making the windows go up.

Question#3
The previous owner put in such elaborate speaker systems, the doors were really worked on to get all the wiring and speakers in. Could some kind of short in the door panel cause the windows to act like this? But it is both sides happening at the same time, it would be a real coincidence.

Question#4
The 2 infra red eyes on top of the windshield right next to the light and the hinge where the top catches on, what should be in there? My plastic lenses fell off, I looked inside, I don't see anything that looks like sensors. Looks like an empty bracket. Is that for cars with alarms only? I don't have an alarm. It is not for sensors related to windows, is it? There is 2 more such infra red lenses in the middle console by the parking brake as well. What are they for? I did not open them up and look. Are they used for windows?

I am a little frustrated here. Any help is appreciated. I am pretty handy, I thought I would give it a try before I go to the dealer.

unclepaulie

[joyfrog]

Ok by no means am I a porsche mechanic, but when normal boxter convertibles are sent from the down to the up position and the clasp is closed the windows will automatically roll up. So to me it sounds like there may be some problem with this mechanism, the one I am referring to is above your rear view mirror. Maybe check for anything that looks out of place.

[unclepaulie]

hi joyfrog,

thanks for the input. yes, reading other window related posts in this forum and at another forum, it appears that the micro switch at the top of the windshield where the top hook latches is probably the souce of the problem. i will take off the cover and see how the switch looks like. may be a loose connection or just wear and tear.

thanks again. i will report back when i get a chance to do the job.

[unclepaulie]

Just to close out this thread and provide some info that might be helpful to other members at this forum. I am a little disappointed at the lack of replies to my post at this forum. I received a great deal of input from another P-car forum that helped me solved my problem.

here is the latest on my mysterious windows problem:

i pm'ed a member at the other forum for help since he previously posted a similiar problem. he kindly pm'ed me back the following which i thought may be helpful for others.

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I don't think the problem your having would be with the top micro switches because the windows are going all the way down. The first switch, when activated, only drops the windows far enough to allow the top to open.

My thought would be that you have a short in the switch in your drivers door. The key lock in the door has a switch that allows you to raise of lowwer the windows from outside the car.

If you turn the key counter-clockwise to unlock the doors and hold it a few seconds, the windows will go down.

If you turn the key clockwise to lock the doors and hold it a few seconds the windows will go up.

That's the switch I would check out.

I think that by inserting somthing into the latch your over riding the command sent by the door switch causing the windows to stop. Kind of like if you press the window switch once to start the auto down then press it again and the window stops.

Dan
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i took dan's suggestion to check the door lock switch. i drive my boxster for pleasure only, i hardly lock my car and i never used the "hold down the key" method to lock/open my windows. so i thought i would just exercise that switch to see if it may be sticky or something. i turned it both directions about 10 times, each time holding it down. i did that on both doors, they both have the same feature. well, i am happy to report that after that exercise, my windows are not coming up on their own anymore. it's been a couple of weeks, the problem would have came up by now. i guest a word of advise is to exercise that switch once in a while to prevent what happened to me.

[joyfrog]

Hey good to know, strange problem. Glad you got it worked out.