I have had, and probably will always have, a bad habit of putting my keys in my pocket before I put up my top and roll up my windows. So that is the reason behind this mod.
I can now roll up my windows without the key, as long as my drivers door is open. I did this last summer, but added a mod to it recently to only work within the 20 minute (I think it is 20 minutes) window of opportunity provided by the "hey you left something on and your battery will die so I turned off the power" feature. I call this "Timed Power" because I don't know the official name. Any new event will trigger the timed power to start over. So if I run out to roll up the windows in the rain, when I open the door, a new event has happened, and I can roll up the windows.
I used two relays for this, one relay is operated when the RAP power is feeding (this is the power feed that lets me listen to the radio and use my windows after I shut off the car before I open the door). I named it the "RAP" relay. RAP power feeds the Power Window Fuse # 29 in the footwell fusebox. This is a square fuse, looks different from the rest. The other relay operates through the normal contacts of the RAP relay when the drivers door is opened and allows power from the battery to feed the power window circuit directly. I named it the "DDO" relay. So if the car is running, the DDO relay can't operate and the windows get power from the stock source.
The DDO relay I had laying around. I think I got it from Parts Express a few years back. It is one of those square relays that are used for Aux Lighting systems, except it has 5 spades sticking out instead of 4. The extra spade is for the normal contact. The contacts are rated at 40 amps.
The RAP relay I purchased at Radio Shack, Part # 275-248 this is a mini relay for circuit boards, I just soldered on some leads to do my connections.
I put these two relays and the fuse I pulled out of position # 29 in a project box I also got at Radio Shack and stuffed it up above the passenger footwell.
Here is a drawing I made up. Here is an explanation: I worked for a company that used what is called "Detached Contact Drawings". So an "X" is the contact that is conducting when the relay is charged, or operated. A "|" is the contact that is conducting when the relay is normal or released. A rectangle is the relay coil or winding. Next to each symbol is its name. And the laid back S is a fuse.
The leads:
1. To ground. I found a body ground under the passenger doorsill. All this ground is carrying is the RAP relay winding, didn't need a heavy wire.
2. To Power Window Fuse Socket Power Side. I believe this is the right or passenger side of the two spades. This will be carrying the load of the windows, I used a heavier wire.
3. To Power Window Fuse Socket Load Side. I believe this is the left or drivers side of the two spades. This will also be carrying the load of the windows, I used a heavier wire.
4. To +12Volts From Battery. I tapped into the power feed for my power amp, which comes direct from the battery, and is fused at 30 amps. The amp is located behind the drivers seat. The way the amp is wired, it won't be on when the windows are drawing power from this source. If conditions allow for the amp to be on, the windows will be drawing power from their stock source.
5. To Timed Power (I don't know the official name). This is a blue w/white stripe wire found in the footwell fusebox area. It feeds the interior lighting.
6. To Drivers Door Open Sensor. This is a gray w/black stripe wire found in the footwell fusebox area.
Here are some pics of the fusebox.
Notice two wires coming out of where the Power Window Fuse once was:
This is the plug where the Door Open Sensors wires originate:
This is the plug where the Timed Power for the interior lights originate:
This is where I stuffed the project box. It can't be seen, it is above the plastic shield that lives below the glove box. You can see the black wire conduit that goes to it:
NOTES:
1. I should have put a small fuse in front of the RAP relay winding, and one in front of the DDO relay winding, in case one of the windings shorted out, but I didn't.
2. When the car is running, and I open the door, I don't get any hesitation because the mod only changes power feeds when the RAP voltage is off.
3. If I leave the door open for an extended period of time, the windows won't operate until I trigger an event, like closing and opening the door or opening the trunk. I did this so the DDO relay doesn't drain the battery if the drivers door is ajar for an extended period of time.
