In this guide I will show you how to convert your mk3 non-illuminated electric window
switches in the centre console to the mk3.5 illuminated versions in the door pockets.
Why do it? Well its mainly because the old switches are not much cop really,
they don't light up and are at arms length, meaning that you are stretching and taking your mind off the road.
Another reason why they might be changed is to free up space in the centre console.
It's not as hard as it looks honest. and there is no gutting and cutting of the
original loom required, nice to know if you have an RS Turbo.
Tools Needed:
screwdrivers (Various)
Sharp Knife
Small drill bit
Files
Soldering Equipment
Wire Cutters/Strippers
Lighter
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Going up!
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It works
Press It!
Applies to:
All MK3's with the old
buttons in the center console
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What you need from a scrap yard or ebay and other sources:
A length or wiring loom with the plug still intact from a mk3.5 door
3 Mk3.5 electric Window Switches
Mk3.5 door pockets
Ford plugs and wire terminals (from mk3.5/4 wiring loom)
A top coin tray from the centre console.
Male and female blade terminals
Heatshrink 2 different sizes
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Making the Looms
Lets start with the passenger side door. You will need the wiring with just the BLUE plug on it.
It will have the following wires coming from it
| Passenger side plug |
| Pins |
Wire Colour |
Description |
| 1 |
Blue/Yellow |
To Motor |
| 2 |
Black/Yellow |
Power 12V+ |
| 3 |
Green/Yellow |
To drivers side passenger side switch |
| 4 |
Brown |
Earth |
| 5 |
Grey/Yellow |
Illumination |
| 6 |
Blue/Yellow |
To drivers side passenger side switch |
| 7 |
Green/Yellow |
To Motor |
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From all your scrap wires and plugs you need to identifiy a plug that will simply plug into the electric window motor,
luckily i had a scrap mk4 door loom that i could take the wires and plug from,
the plug will look like the pic below with no pins showing.
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Take the above plug and wires and solder it to the wires coming from pins 1 (Blue/yellow) and 7 (green/yellow)
making sure that the wire in the new plug on the flat side is connected to the green/yellow from pin 7.
Heatshirnk the wires to stop short circuits
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Now move onto the wires from pins 3 (Green/yellow) and 6 (Blue/yellow) these are
the wires that take the signal to the drivers side door switch.
Identifiy the type of plug needed from your spares box, or if you havn't got a
spares box you need to go out and get a set of Escort side repeaters as they have the pug you need.
It looks the same as above but there are pins showing.
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Solder the new plug onto the wires making sure that the wire from the flat side of
the plug is soldered to pin 3 (Green/yellow) same as above
Heatshirnk the wires to stop short circuits
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Now move onto the brown wire, this is the earth wire, it will need to be extended
so it can reach a mounting bolt on the electric window mechanism.
A rough guess would be about 5-6" of wire.
Terminate the end into a ring connector.
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How do the awitches light up i hear you cry!
This is where the next wire comes in, the Grey/Yellow Wire is the illumination
and it will need to be extended again about 6"
But wait, how will the switches get power? The black/Yellow wire will supply this,
yet again it needs to be extended 6" or so.
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Both these wires need to be teminated into plug in connectors,
Use 2 different types to avoid confusion.
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Well thats it for the passenger side wiring, next we will look at the drivers side.
The passenger side wiring should now look like this when its been insulated up all nice.
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Now the tricky side that has 2 plugs one black and one blue
They will have the following wires coming from it
| Drivers side plug (Black) |
| Pins |
Wire Colour |
Description |
| 1 |
Blue |
To Motor |
| 2 |
Black/Yellow |
Power 12V+ |
| 3 |
Brown |
Earth |
| 4 |
Brown |
Earth |
| 5 |
Grey/Yellow |
Illumination |
| 6 |
Brown |
Earth |
| 7 |
Green |
To Motor |
| Drivers side Passenger plug (Blue) |
| Pins |
Wire Colour |
Description |
| 1 |
Blue/Yellow |
To passenger side switch |
| 2 |
Black/Yellow |
Power 12V+ |
| 3 |
Brown |
Earth |
| 4 |
Brown |
Earth |
| 5 |
Grey/Yellow |
Illumination |
| 6 |
Brown |
Earth |
| 7 |
Green/Yellow |
To passenger side switch |
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Lets start with the drivers side plug, the black one.
Identify the wires from pins 1 (Blue) and 7 (Green) these need to be connected to the motor,
so look in the box again and find the plug below and solder it on remebering that the wire
that is on the flat side of the plug needs to be connected to the green wire.
Heatshirnk the wires to stop short circuits
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Now move onto the Earth wires, from this plug there are 3 of them which all need connecting together,
extending and terminating into a ring terminal.
Heatshirnk the wires to stop short circuits
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Lights on again!
This is where the next wire comes in, the Grey/Yellow Wire is the illumination
and it will need to be extended again about 6" and terminate with a spade connector
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The last wire to be extened in this plug is the first of the next plug!
Connect both black/Yellow wires together and extend them 6" or so and teminate the wire with a spade connector,
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Now thats the black plug done, now move onto the blue one,
we will start with the wires from pins 1 (Blue/yellow) and 7 (Green/yellow) to the passenger side switch.
You will need the connector with pins in again from the escort repeater, like below
Solder it on making sure the wire from the flat side is connected to the green/yellow on pin 7
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For the lights, simply solder this grey/yellow wire to the illumination wire that you extended previously
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Last but not least for this plug is the Earth wires, from this plug there are 3 of them which all need connecting together,
extending and terminating into a ring terminal.
Heatshirnk the wires to stop short circuits
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Here you have it the complete drivers side loom all wrapped up nice and tight.
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With both door looms complete, lets now focus on the car loom.
You will need 2 lengths of wire (Different colours) the width of the car
and a little more on each end so it can reach up into the doors via the rubber pipe.
In the middle of one of the wires you need to solder another length on so it will reach the centre console
Again the other wire needs another wire soldering on at the same place but long enough to reach behind the cig lighter.
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Crack on with the connections, the wire that you made long enough to reach behind
the cig lighter needs to be terminated into a piggy back connector.
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the last wire is the one that you made long enough for behind the centre console,
this needs to be terminated into a tube connector, from maplin, its a computer plug.
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I promise you this is the last of the loom making,
you need to get 2 lengths of wire about 6" long and terminate all the ends
into the tube connectors and insulate them as far to the end as possible without hitting the barbs.
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Fitting
Remove the door cards from both doors including all the door furniture, this is held on by various screws under the handles.
Pop out the old switches or even the whole plate with all the switches in from the centre console.
Disconnect the battery completely, making sure you know the radio code etc.
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With the switch plate removed, Take the two short lengths of wire with the tube connectors on the ends.
Push one end into the hole with the green wire in on the black plug
push the other end into the hole with the green/yellow wire on the red plug
With the other wire do the same but connect the blue wire on the black plug to the blue/yellow wire on the red plug.
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Lay the main loom into the car and drop the 2 wires from the middle of the loom down into the centre console
With The wire with the tube connector in your hand,
The connector should fit inside the original plug (either) in the hole with the black/yellow wire coming from it
This is the power to the switches,
Insulate any exposed metal and the plugs with tape and replace the new coin tray
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Now move onto the illumination wire that has the piggyback conector fitted.
The piggy back one needs to be connected to the grey/yellow behind the cig lighter.
Pull off the plug from the cig lighter and push it onto the piggyback and push the whole lot back on the cig lighter.
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Lay the loom under the dash and into the area of the A pillars.
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Now you need to release the rubber pipe from the door and A pillar,
this is done by pressing the tabs in at either sideand pulling away from the car.
Use a length of coathanger or stif tie wrap well lubricated and push it
through the pipe from inside the dooruntill it comes out of the end.
Tape ir tie wrap the loom to this and gently pull it through into the door.
Repeat for the other door.
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With all the interior loom laid down its time to look at the doors.
We will start with the passenger side door.
Unplug the electric window motor plug from the motor.
Plug this into the new loom(Pins) (will only fit one plug)
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Plug the other plug on the loom into the motor (No Pins)
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Earth the black wire with the ring on, to the electric window mounting bolt.
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move onto the other 2 wires on the loom terminated in spade connectors
The black is power and the other is illumination they will need to be connected
to the wires that you red through the door grommets/pipe
Crimp on the terminal that matches up to the wires in the door
and secure the wiring so it dosn't get caught in the motor
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To the drivers door now and Unplug the electric window motor plug.
Then Plug this into the new loom (Pins), this will be from the Blue plug.
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Now Plug the other plug (No Pins) on the loom into the motor
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Again the 2 black wires with the rings on, need to be earthed to the electric window mounting bolts (Use seperate bolts).
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Finally move onto the other 2 wires on the loom terminated in spade connectors
The black is power and the other is illumination they will need to be connected
to the wires that you red through the door grommets/pipe
Crimp on the terminal that matches up to the wires in the door
and secure the wiring so it dosn't get caught in the motor
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Last but not least, push the switches into the new plugs, reconnect the battery and turn the ignition on
Press the passenger side switch and the window should lower and rise again when pressed the opposite direction
Go to the drivers side now and press the passenger side button and again it should lower and rise.
finally press the drivers side switch and the drivers window should lower and rise.
If all works refit the door cards(You will need to cut a hole in the bottom for the wires) and rubber pipes Securely
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Hows it work then?
Ill tell you,
obviously the new loom takes a feed from the power and illumination from behind the center console.
Then with the 2 short lengths of wire from one original plug to the other, simply bridges the gap between the doors
and as you connect the new looms into the doors, it connects the passenger side switch to the
drivers side switch via the bridge to complete the circuit.
To accompany this guide and to finish off the mk3.5 conversion
there is also the guide on converting the old type boot popper
switch to the more up to date mk3.5 one in the interior guides section.
There you have it, The end of a long guide but as you can see, a well worth while guide to keep you safe on the road.
Hope this guide is of some help.
One last thing is a big thanks to Clark(Knuckles) for being my guinee pig
on this guide, without him it would not have got written.
Guide Written and © On 21 July 2006 by Andrew Whiteman (AW3K)
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