How to make Power Windows work without ignition ON ?

[Z2TT]

Hello,

I find it very annoying to have to insert the key and switch it to ignition every time I want to use the power windows, Is there any way to make the power windows work all the time?

Thanks.

[turbo4agte]

Do you think you'll bother rewiring everything if its too much work to just put the key in?

The doors switches and modules are fed power by a 12v switched source from the ignition. The easy ugly way would be to just hack apart the wiring you have there add an inline fuse and feed it power directly from the battery so its always "live". You can go through the fenders. You'd have to do this on both sides for both windows. Then just pull the fuse from the fuse box so the hacked wiring thats still left there doesn't cause a short

To make it neat, you'd have to pull apart the dash to get behind the fuse box, and instead jump the feed for the power window fuses to an always live power source. But this would give power to both sides and atleast look OEM.

Either way takes work and proper wiring if you dont want your car to burn up, and from your post you dont exactly sound like the get up and do it type.

[c2888]

I've often wondered the same thing, because manual windows always work.....
Why don't electric ones work all the time?

Our 01 rav4 has a "turbo timer" that lets you move the windows after the ignition has been turned off +1 but annoyingly Toyota decided that opening the door would stop the countdown, ahahaha that's -1

Wiring is simple, it's just logic, with enough patience anyone can work it out.

[TERRA Operative]

You could also goto Jaycar and get something like this kit to delay the power off by a minute or so.

It's what I plan to do soon.

[Z2TT]

Do you think you'll bother rewiring everything if its too much work to just put the key in?

Its not too much work to put the key in, It is just inconvenient, I have no idea why It was made so you have to put the key in to use the windows.

and from your post you dont exactly sound like the get up and do it type.

If I wasn't the get up and do it type of person, I wouldn't bother asking on this forum

[Cruiser97_80]

How easy would it be to break into a car with the power windows always active?

[Z2TT]

No more easier than a car that only has them active when on Ignition.

How is the thief going to access the power windows from the outside?, he'd have to smash the window in order to get to the switches, defeating the purpose of needing to use the power windows to break in when the glass is all ready broken.

[1975ToyotaCrown]

I think its a safety thing, just imagine how easy it would be to break into cars if the electrics were on all the time.

[Vios-GT_07]

i thought that the power windows always have positive power on, and that the ignition key will switch the earth on for the switches? correct me if i'm wrong.. because if this is right, you could just directly wire the negative onto the chassis and viola, always on power windows.. either that or the ignition key triggers a relay that powers the windows?

[LeeRoy]

It all depends on the car. My celica has switches that earth the component to turn it on/make it do whatever it does - negative switched, but other switches work opposite by providing power, positive switched.

Youve got no idea if you think that having power to them constantly is safe in the scenario of someone braking into your car by using them as a means of providing entry. Now although it would be safe to assume nobody would try it cause they would assume that the windows arent powered, if someone sees you using them without the keys then youve essentially given them the keys to the car.

Do you have an alarm with voltage sense? If so then using the windows with the alarm on should trigger the alarm. If you didnt have an alarm i wouldnt even think of doing it.

Besides, its sheer laziness.

[Z2TT]

How is the thief going to access the power windows from the outside?, he'd have to smash the window in order to get to the switches, defeating the purpose of needing to use the power windows to break in when the glass is all ready broken.

If the car had the power window switches on the outside, then you are right it would be safety issue, but my car has it's safety switches on the inside. I would be surprised if a thief smashed my front windscreen to get into the car to access the power window switches and open my driver side window, then go back outside through the windscreen and enter my car through the window he just opened.

I often leave people in my car when going out to get something, and they would want to be able to open the window if it gets hot and stuffy inside, or close it if it begins to rain.

[cambelt]

The main reason they were all ignition switched is for kids safety if there in the car by themselves. Same as auto up for the drivers side .
I now see auto up on new cars , timers and seat switches to keep them running when sitting in the car .
VN toilets had this back in 1989.
Dave

[LeeRoy]

Go outside and have a look how easy it is to bend your door frame out enough to get a metal ruler into the cabin.

[Z2TT]

Very hard, any thief who would want to spend the time and work that hard to BEND the door and stick a metal ruler through the cabin and somehow poke the window switches might aswell get a job and earn money for his car.

The main reason they were all ignition switched is for kids safety if there in the car by themselves. Same as auto up for the drivers side .
I now see auto up on new cars , timers and seat switches to keep them running when sitting in the car .
VN toilets had this back in 1989.
Dave

Good reason.

[Mos]

Very hard, any thief who would want to spend the time and work that hard to BEND the door and stick a metal ruler through the cabin and somehow poke the window switches might aswell get a job and earn money for his car.

Tell me you're joking???
If every car had power windows that worked at all times this would be the preferred method of break in as it doesn't do any damage and it's very little effort - if you think it's "that hard" to do you're seriously kidding yourself.

Power windows in toyotas are supplied through a power fuse and a power relay (that's what they're called in the diagrams). The easiest way is to pull the relay out and jumper the two pins that the relay closes - this method does not use power. The better way is to supply power to this relay to turn it on whenever an alarm is disarmed.
Some cars turn this relay on when the doors are opened through the remote, and for a time after the engine is switched off - leaving them on permanently while the alarm is disarmed can drain your battery if you leave the car in that state for a long time, hence manufacturers don't do that.

Mos.