Posting this here hoping that a wicked smaht spark chaser can help me with this problem.
Photo for clarification:
When I put my truck back together, I carefully collected all the OEM parts to 1) convert the interior over from butt-ugly red to a nice gray, and 2) upgrade my doors to power windows and locks. I'm using door panels and door guts from an '89 SR5 4Runner. I have the FSM Wiring Manual, and the only part of the wiring that I decided not to install was the little timer box that keeps the windows powered for about 30 seconds after you shut off the ignition, or until you open the door. I have the windows powered all the time so I don't need the key to put them up or down.
It's been about a year since I've put this truck back on the road, and I drive it pretty much every day. The problem I am having is the contacts in the window switch on the driver's door keep getting gunked up with carbon (see the photo for both sides of the contacts for the driver's door window, the black stuff on the contacts is what is causing the problem). I clean the contacts, the window works fine for awhile, then eventually it starts getting fussy and I have to press the switch many times, until eventually I can't get the windows to roll back up. I have to veeerry carefully take the door apart, disassemble the switch, clean the rocker contacts, then put it all back together again. I think I've done it 5 or 6 times now, and it's getting old.
What is causing this arcing? I've tried dielectric grease on the contacts, and that actually made it worse, so now I'm just keeping them dry. Did Toyota use some magical grease in these switches to keep this from happening? I'm sitting here now with the switch all apart, it's a royal PITA to keep doing this. I read on-line about putting a "snubber" on the circuit somewhere to suppress the arcing, typically either a diode or capacitor, but I'm not that good with the electronics stuff to figure out how to size these components.
Can anybody shed some light on this?
Photo for clarification:
When I put my truck back together, I carefully collected all the OEM parts to 1) convert the interior over from butt-ugly red to a nice gray, and 2) upgrade my doors to power windows and locks. I'm using door panels and door guts from an '89 SR5 4Runner. I have the FSM Wiring Manual, and the only part of the wiring that I decided not to install was the little timer box that keeps the windows powered for about 30 seconds after you shut off the ignition, or until you open the door. I have the windows powered all the time so I don't need the key to put them up or down.
It's been about a year since I've put this truck back on the road, and I drive it pretty much every day. The problem I am having is the contacts in the window switch on the driver's door keep getting gunked up with carbon (see the photo for both sides of the contacts for the driver's door window, the black stuff on the contacts is what is causing the problem). I clean the contacts, the window works fine for awhile, then eventually it starts getting fussy and I have to press the switch many times, until eventually I can't get the windows to roll back up. I have to veeerry carefully take the door apart, disassemble the switch, clean the rocker contacts, then put it all back together again. I think I've done it 5 or 6 times now, and it's getting old.
What is causing this arcing? I've tried dielectric grease on the contacts, and that actually made it worse, so now I'm just keeping them dry. Did Toyota use some magical grease in these switches to keep this from happening? I'm sitting here now with the switch all apart, it's a royal PITA to keep doing this. I read on-line about putting a "snubber" on the circuit somewhere to suppress the arcing, typically either a diode or capacitor, but I'm not that good with the electronics stuff to figure out how to size these components.
Can anybody shed some light on this?
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