MX5Ireland

Recently my electric windows and windscreen wipers have started working much slower than usual. Its most noticible with the windows and it takes ages for them to open and close. I dont think its a battery problem because the car starts every time even when its lied up for over a week.

Anybody got any ideas what might be causing this and what needs to be done to fix it?


Thanks


DAN

Dunno about the wipers, new blades or even motors maybe ?
How are the lights in your car, do they dim when you put on the wipers ?

The problem with the windows is a 'know issue' with the Mx5, everybody has this problem in the end.
Best thing to do is take off the door panel and lube up ( ) the window runners and cables. There may be a lot of old greese in there that has gotten a bit hard, so clean it off and then lube lube lube lube with silicone spray or something ( )

Best to do it with the panels off so you can see where the window is sticking, it may be the small wheels on the glass themselves that have worn down and stick.

I had a similar problem, but turned out to be a flaky window switch. Replaced it & problem solved (for the windows....not the wipers!)

Have had a similiar problem with my drivers door in the cold recently - removed the door card and sprayed lots of 3-in-1 oil down along the metal runners - bloody hell - it'll nearly chop your feckin hand off now it goes up and down so feckin quick

Robin

Fixed my slow-opening leccy windows today by simply getting my aerosol can of W5 universal silicone oil (from Lidl), attaching a thin plastic tube to the nozzle (they come with WD40 sometimes, very handy), opening the windows wide (with some hand pressure to help) and spraying the silicone lube into the track at the front of the door (5 secs of spraying each side). Worked the windows up & down 3x each to spread the juice, and job done. 2 minute job and the windows are, for the moment, working fast again.

Time will tell whether this is a long-term solution but if I end up having to do it once or twice a winter I won't mind, and I can't see how any excess silicone oil will damage anything else (comment, anyone?).

EDIT: Oh, and I had the same problem with the window switches. Took them apart, cleaned the contacts with sandpaper & if I remember correctly bent them to make them springy again - job done, fixed ever since!

Simon

+1 on the silicon lubricant. Great stuff. Also good on the zip.