Power windows booster relays

Power windows, power lock, power seats, radios, heaters, fans, motors, relays, air conditioning, and other accessories or wiring-related items.

Moderators: Dan Szwarc, jleonard

User avatar
Dan Szwarc
Site Admin
Posts: 29772
Joined: Fri Jun 16, 2000 1:01 am
Contact:

Power windows booster relays

Post by Dan Szwarc »

Install two relays in the door, wire them as shown, run a new, separate power feed to the door, and put the relays between the motor and the rest of the wiring (inline with motor connector).
Attachments
Window booster relays
Window booster relays
User avatar
whitecastle
Dedicated Enthusiast
Posts: 520
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:29 pm
Location: Calgary, AB Canada
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by whitecastle »

But you are not allowed to work on this in the summer. Only in the winter. :lol:

Should one wire all 4 doors? 8 Relays in total? or is this just for the passenger side?
Steve
1965 Lincoln Continental 4 Dr Sedan - 2011 - Present - Mobsteel F/R - Accuair eLevel
1965 Lincoln Continental 4 Dr Sedan - 2011 - Stripped for parts
1964 Lincoln Continental 4 Dr Sedan - 1999 - Didn't run, couldn't fix, sold
User avatar
Dan Szwarc
Site Admin
Posts: 29772
Joined: Fri Jun 16, 2000 1:01 am
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by Dan Szwarc »

It will work for any window and any year of car, 60s or 70s. You need two relays per window.

Figuring out how to fit in it the door is your challenge. Even I haven't figured out mine, yet.

Also, I bought 5 sets of these quick connects to put inline between the motor and the connector feeding it so I wouldn't have to cut anything.
quick-connect.jpg
I bought 10 gage for minimal voltage drop, but it is really too big. I should have bought 12 or 14 gage wires. Found them on ebay for a reasonable price. Car audio applications use them. They come in various wire gauges and lengths.
User avatar
66continentalefi
Occasional Visitor
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2013 12:15 pm
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by 66continentalefi »

This is a great idea thanks for the info Dan!. My windows have been sluggish since I bought my car. Cleaning the switches helped but this should really do the trick!
66 continental 48000 miles homemade lowering blocks, msd ignition, electric fans and powerjection 3 EFI
94 towncar 158000 kms stock, big stereo, daily driver
05 aviator 172000 kms wifes dd my repair bill!
poweroptions
Occasional Visitor
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:56 pm
Location: Athens, Texas
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by poweroptions »

On my Mark IIIs I have wired in relays to all 4 windows, The relays are inside the arm rest which I secured with one pop rivet. The windows all work super fast and smooth.
1969 Continental Mark III 460CID, 1973 Continental Mark IV 460CID Silver Luxury 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car 460CID w full glass roof 1966 Thunderbird convertible 428CID 1952 Studebaker Champion 170CID 1972 Buick Riviera 455 CID
User avatar
Barry Wolk
TLFer for Life
Posts: 10877
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by Barry Wolk »

Look at some of the available German relays. You can get 12 volt 30-amp cubes that are about 3/4" square. They are commonly used on starter circuits of old VWs and Porsches to prevent burning up the ignition switch.
'56 Mark II convertible, '51 Royal Spartanette, '56 Chris Craft Continental
'68 Lincoln Continental Limo, '77 Town Car, '55 356 Porsche Continental cabrio,
'69 Mark III convertible,'88 BMW 750iL, '88 BMW 325iX, '97 BMW Z-3, '98 ML-320

My newest car is 15 years old!
User avatar
Steve K
Lincoln-ally Insane
Posts: 2868
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:12 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by Steve K »

So what does doing this do for the windows? I admit I do not understand the symbols in the diagram. Probably much like this one to some of you
tcam.gif
:D But seriously, doing this does what to help the windows work better vs. the stock wiring?
2018 Lincoln Continental
1964 Lincoln Continental Sedan
1948 Mercury Town Sedan,
1959 Mercury Montclair
User avatar
Barry Wolk
TLFer for Life
Posts: 10877
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by Barry Wolk »

It takes the load off the contacts in the switch as in this configuration they only control the tiny electrical coil that provides the magnetism to move the coil. Too much current burns the contacts in the door switches. Too much current happens when the window mechanisms or motors get bogged down in old hard grease.

The symbols on the left are the coils for the two relays. One is set up for normally open operation and one for normally closed. Bt flipping the switch you reverse the power to the motors through the heavy-duty relay contacts and not the light-duty door switches.
'56 Mark II convertible, '51 Royal Spartanette, '56 Chris Craft Continental
'68 Lincoln Continental Limo, '77 Town Car, '55 356 Porsche Continental cabrio,
'69 Mark III convertible,'88 BMW 750iL, '88 BMW 325iX, '97 BMW Z-3, '98 ML-320

My newest car is 15 years old!
poweroptions
Occasional Visitor
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:56 pm
Location: Athens, Texas
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by poweroptions »

Chad, adding the relays allows direct current to the window motors. It eliminates the current flow thru the window switch then to the motor. The small contacts in the switch cause an amperage drop. It seems that many of my 60s and early 70s Lincolns had slow windows. I would replace window motors with FOMOCO NOS motor, clean the guides and runners of old grease and apply new white lithium grease, even install new switches, and the windows would still struggle going up especially on the Mark III's . I bought my five wire relays off Ebay for cheap. They are color coded. Wired them in and the windows work like new. All because the motors get full current . I have a diagram in my personal folder that is very EZ to understand. It takes about 20-30 minutes to wire them in per window. You will not believe how nice the electric windows will function. I 'll shoot a picture in the morning and post it here. Another note, I added relays to my auto dim light switch on the Mark III's. The damn lights would go out at night after being on to long. The lamp switch would overheat. Adding the relays eliminates the current load on the dash switch and never again light failure on the MKIIIs. I've had about 10, 61-65 Lincolns and I can't remember having problems with the light switch however.









Chad Gasket wrote:So what does doing this do for the windows? I admit I do not understand the symbols in the diagram. Probably much like this one to some of you
tcam.gif
:D But seriously, doing this does what to help the windows work better vs. the stock wiring?
1969 Continental Mark III 460CID, 1973 Continental Mark IV 460CID Silver Luxury 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car 460CID w full glass roof 1966 Thunderbird convertible 428CID 1952 Studebaker Champion 170CID 1972 Buick Riviera 455 CID
poweroptions
Occasional Visitor
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:56 pm
Location: Athens, Texas
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by poweroptions »

Chad here is my diagram, if you can't see it clearly on here I can send you a copy. Pat ps. the 61 -69 Lincolns' rear windows were all wired with relays from the factory, it is the front windows that didn't have relays if my memory is correct.







Chad Gasket wrote:So what does doing this do for the windows? I admit I do not understand the symbols in the diagram. Probably much like this one to some of you
The attachment tcam.gif is no longer available
:D But seriously, doing this does what to help the windows work better vs. the stock wiring?
Attachments
relay diagram 001.JPG
1969 Continental Mark III 460CID, 1973 Continental Mark IV 460CID Silver Luxury 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car 460CID w full glass roof 1966 Thunderbird convertible 428CID 1952 Studebaker Champion 170CID 1972 Buick Riviera 455 CID
poweroptions
Occasional Visitor
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:56 pm
Location: Athens, Texas
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by poweroptions »

Chad it will blow you away how much faster the windows will travel. This applies to Fords, Mercurys and Lincolns. My GM cars the Eldorados and the Rivieras never had this problem. I would spend days removing the Lincoln's regulators and replace all the components only to put it all back together and have to pull the front windows up with my fingers on the Mark IIIs. That's a nice luxury feature. Haha. Then I discovered this weak link in the engineering design. I think Radio Shack sells the 5 wire relays but I bought packs of 10 off Ebay.
1969 Continental Mark III 460CID, 1973 Continental Mark IV 460CID Silver Luxury 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car 460CID w full glass roof 1966 Thunderbird convertible 428CID 1952 Studebaker Champion 170CID 1972 Buick Riviera 455 CID
User avatar
Steve K
Lincoln-ally Insane
Posts: 2868
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:12 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by Steve K »

Thanks you guys. I have really boggy front windows despite all the cleaning of guides etc. described by everyone. The back ones are superfast so you are right they may be wired differently. I always thought maybe it was because they had so much less use. Anyway, I think I can do this and I'm going to give it a try.

Isn't there already enough primary power in each door for this? You just tap into that for the current, but use the relays between the switches and motors essentially? I'm going to look to see if I can find the right relays on ebay.

Seriously, thanks a lot everyone for the explanation. If you need your pancreas, liver or kidneys rerouted or something, let me know and I'll give you s ome pointers! :lol: Although I am not sure I can improve on the factory original design as you have with the Lincolns!
2018 Lincoln Continental
1964 Lincoln Continental Sedan
1948 Mercury Town Sedan,
1959 Mercury Montclair
User avatar
Steve K
Lincoln-ally Insane
Posts: 2868
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:12 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by Steve K »

Would doing this help the seat motors too? I know those are a mechanical transmission operated by an electric motor and I remember from driving a brand new 64 back in the day that even then they seemed kind of slow and grating, but how much of that is the mechanical aspect of the seats and transmission vs. the actual load on the motor and switch? Any advantage to relays there (or do they already have them?)
2018 Lincoln Continental
1964 Lincoln Continental Sedan
1948 Mercury Town Sedan,
1959 Mercury Montclair
poweroptions
Occasional Visitor
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:56 pm
Location: Athens, Texas
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by poweroptions »

Chad yes the relays are the ticket ! The FOMOCO switches carbon over. The relay will send direct current to the electric motors. Buy the 5 wire relays. I think you can blow my diagram up I sent out and I identified the colors as well as the number code on the relays to make it EZ.
1969 Continental Mark III 460CID, 1973 Continental Mark IV 460CID Silver Luxury 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car 460CID w full glass roof 1966 Thunderbird convertible 428CID 1952 Studebaker Champion 170CID 1972 Buick Riviera 455 CID
User avatar
Steve K
Lincoln-ally Insane
Posts: 2868
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:12 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: Power windows booster relays

Post by Steve K »

Not to beat a dead horse, but do you have to do anything different on the driver's door window than the others or are they all done the same? Does it influence anything to do with the lockout switch? I'm guessing that since all the stock switches still activate the relays they are wired to, that shouldn't matter as the switches stay the same. So there are two relays on each motor so that one controls the up and one controls the down direction of the motor? The motors are grounded to the body and each of the two wires going to the motor operates it in a different direction? In your post, I was able to blow it up and see where you have the numbered wires. Is there a shopping list available of the right kind of relays and the number needed? What about the wing windows? Are they too small a load to worry about?
2018 Lincoln Continental
1964 Lincoln Continental Sedan
1948 Mercury Town Sedan,
1959 Mercury Montclair
Post Reply

Return to “Electrical & Accessories”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest