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DefenDer winDow winder designs changed with the advent of steel doors in the mid-Noughties and with them came a new type of electric window winder mechanism. Both types fit to a bolt-on sub frame. But while the later-type of subframe is the same for both manual and electric windows, the earlier type is not. So, if you’re converting the earlier type, you’ll also need replacement sub frames. However, I’m told it is possible to get away with a bit of cutting and fabrication work with these earlier vehicles, though it’s not something I’ve tried or seen done.

by Lindsay PorterTECHNOFILE workshopLRM

Picture 2 He’d previously removed winder and door pull handles as well as the door lock surround but it’s always a slightly delicate business removing the door card just in case any of those trim catches are hanging in there.

Picture 3 The waterproof seal is designed to keep moisture inside the door where it can (in theory) drain away safely but it’s a pig to remove without damaging it.

Picture 4 Using cardboard to protect the paintwork from its adhesive, Ian wrapped duct tape over the top of the door with the window wound up so that later, the glass would be held in place without dropping.

Picture 5 Ian removed the screws holding the door latch in place…

Picture 6 started on the bolts holding the winder mechanism to the door frame.

Picture 7 My doors have aftermarket central locking solenoids (fitted in a similar way to factory ones) and Ian unscrewed

in association with IRB Developments

Whichever type you’re playing with, you’ll also need a pair of window switches. In those cases where the dash has provision for them, you’ll be able to use genuine Land Rover switches. You’ll need the wiring loom, or be prepared to make up your own from the correct grade of cable, and you’ll need the correct door-to-A-post grommets where the cable passes from one to the other.

The best way of identifying what’s needed for your particular Landy is by consulting a Land Rover Parts Catalogue and an official workshop manual. Obviously, I can’t recommend or condone downloading such things from the anarchic ‘interweb’ – but many people do. Or so I’m told….

Picture 1 When removing the door card, Ian took great care not to damage trim clips. Using a proper trim removal tool helps considerably while a screwdriver is almost certain to cause damage.

Lindsay became fed up of not being able to wind down the passenger window when he’s left his telescopic arms at home, so ian Baughan at irB, with assistance from Tim Consolante of MCL, shows how relatively straightforward it is to convert your Defender’s ‘keep fit’ windows to electric ones.

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Landy ‘Leccy WindoWs

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these from the door frame…

Picture 8 …before starting to unscrew the frame fixing bolts…

Picture 9 ...working all around the frame until all were removed.

Picture 10 He eased the frame forward to gain access to…

Picture 11 ...the door latch operating rod which fits in a clip on the inside of the frame.

Picture 12 After fiddling the latch handle free…

Picture 13 …it was passed through the hole in the frame, allowing the frame to come free while the latch operating rod and latch handle stayed attached to the door.

Picture 14 Next, Ian slackened the bolts holding the winder mechanism to the channel bonded to the bottom of the window glass. Now you can see why the glass was taped up earlier.

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LAND ROVER monthly September 2011 83 82 September 2011 LAND ROVER monthly

by Lindsay PorterTECHNOFILE workshopLRM

in association with IRB Developments

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Picture 15 And here’s why you only need to slacken, not remove the screws: keyhole slots enable you to slide the mechanism free from the glass channel.

Picture 16 In its place, Ian offered up the new electric window mechanism that I’d bought previously…

Picture 17 …slotted it onto the screws on the glass channel…

Picture 18 …and tightened them up.

Picture 19 In its delivered state, the electrically operated mechanism is almost certainly going to be aligned incorrectly. The only way of moving it is by powering the motor.

Picture 20 Ian used his power probe connected to the vehicle battery to wind the mechanism…

Picture 21 …until it reached this position which would enable it to be fitted to the door subframe. It’s easy enough to offer up the subframe and, if you don’t get the location right the first time, simply power up the motor to adjust the position of the mechanism.

Picture 22 Here, as the subframe and winder mechanism are being bolted together, it’s easy enough to see how the later subframe was designed to accept both types of winder. Ian bolted the mechanism to the subframe having lightly

hung it in place on a couple of its bolts…

Picture 23 …then fitted the remaining bolts without tightening them up.

Picture 24 That’s because of this little lad, which is fitted with a nut and washer and isn’t tightened yet because it’s not just a fixing point; it’s an all-important glass angle adjuster. And not everyone knows that.

Picture 25 You slide the adjuster up and down to adjust the angle of the glass until its top edge is parallel with the top of the door. Then, you tighten the adjuster nut, followed by tightening up all of the mechanism fixing bolts.

Picture 26 Meanwhile, as Ian was busy with the mechanical side of things, Tim Consolante from MCL had been working on the switch wiring. Among his range of Land Rover electrical goodies, Tim supplies very high quality Carling switches and also the correct connector blocks so that the wiring can just be plugged in, in the style of all modern manufacturer’s wiring systems.

Picture 27 The Carling electric window switches were mounted with others on my centre console via a Raptor Dash switch mounting plate that Phil ‘Raptor’ Proctor can make to your chosen dimensions.

Picture 28 To reach the centre console from the A-post, the best route was through

the engine bay, so Ian and Tim used a stiff fish wire, passed down the side of the bulkhead, attached the electrical wire to it and fed the electrical wire through the maze. Here’s how:

Picture 29 Inside the door pillar, Ian removed the courtesy light switch to improve access…

Picture 30 …fished for the end of the fish wire and pulled it through the purpose-made hole already in the A-post.

Picture 31 Up in the engine bay, the electrical wires were taped to the other end of the fish wire…

Picture 32 …and pulled through until they appeared through the wiring access hole.

Picture 33 Ian had also previously purchased some Defender wiring grommets for me through which the wires were now passed.

Picture 34 At the other end, the grommet

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84 September 2011 LAND ROVER monthly

IRB Developments. ian Baughan, Unit C, Middleton House fm, Middleton, B78 2BD Tel: 0121 342 6460, Mob: 0773 092 0431 www.irbdevelopments.com

mCl (moBIle CentRe lImIteD), for all electrical components shown here. Tim Consolante, Po Box 222, evesham, wr11 4wT Tel: 0844 578 1000 www.mobilecentre.co.uk

CONTACT

by Lindsay PorterTECHNOFILE

in association with IRB Developments

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workshopLRM

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it is designed to clip into the door subframe. Normally, factory-built electric windows are fitted with purpose-made Defender door cards – which we weren’t using. We’ll look later at what needs to be done.

Picture 35 Once in position, the cables could be cut to length and the correct terminals were fitted to them for attachment to the electric window winder motor.

Picture 36 And this is how it looks with the wiring and grommet in place. Now the electrical wires are properly protected and have even been cable tied to the door subframe to retain them neatly in position.

Picture 37 As well as taking the wiring through to the switches (normally on the dashboard but in my case, on the centre console) there needs, of course, to be a power feed.

On most Defenders, the fuse box is below the dash but on my vehicle, MCL have fitted a rather splendid separate accessory fuse box in the battery compartment and it was from this that Tim took the power feed.

Picture 38 The standard door card differs from the electric window door card in just two ways. One is the hole in the standard door card where the manual window winder shaft protrudes through. I managed to find some grommets that were a perfect fit for blanking off the holes. The other is clearance for the wiring as it passes through the door card. It’s a simple matter to file a suitable rounded slot that is impossible to spot as a modification.

So, that’s the front door windows sorted. Fortunately, the standard Land Rover components shown here are readily available and produce better results, surely, than could be obtained from an aftermarket conversion. Next, we’re going to see if it’s possible to make up a conversion kit for Station Wagon rear door windows. The second-hand electric winder parts I bought on eBay, for us to experiment with, arrived about an hour ago. I’ll let you know how it goes. LRM