ELECTRIC WINDOW CABLE ELAN S3/S4

[tonycharente]

Very surprised I couldn't find a previous post on this....... I'm trying to replace the window cable (FHC S4) following the factory Service Manual, but the cable keeps running off one or both edges of the drive pulley, where it then gets caught and jams up. The new cable is one from Paul Matty's, looks to be of good quality, seems slightly thicker than the old one that was on the car. I can't see anything wrong with the pulley (and in any case it's not currently available from PM's), nor with its mounting nor with anything else. All hints, comments and suggestions welcome, please. Thanks, Tony.

[SADLOTUS]

Wow! How to explain this!? I hope you'll get a few answers - add them all up and try them. It's beeen along time since i've done this but here's my ten cents.

The way i do it is with the window frame out and your spare hand ready - obviously! - put the glass at the top or bottom of its run, route the cable through all the small pullies and back to the big pully - with the knot (i think there's a knot) inside the big pully.

Check which way the big pulley will rotate to wind down the window, only wind onto half of it.

You should have half the cable coming from the hole in the centre of the grooves in the pully, making its way around the glass.

The other half will be wound around the pully - to the edge - or nearly - then making its way round the glass to meet the other end of the cable under the squasher bolt thingy.


as the window drops, the pulley should rotate and wind the cable from one side of the big pully to the other. i've found in the past that sometimes the cables have been too long (as a poor person/cheapskate/student i've used bicycle cables) so i've taped them to the window (after threading them through the nut/bolt/squasher thingys). only cutting the cable when i can make the window go up and down smoothly.

I think there are metal bits that guide/stop the cable from derailing. check they're ok.

Even if you're conviced it'll never work, try using less winds around the big pully, i've surprised myself by this sometimes.

Use mole grips to tension the cable as you tighten those squashyboltthingys - carefully - I smashed a window when i was tweny one and they were NOT available.

Good luck, i hope i'm not saying the obvious and you're raising your eyebrows thinking yeah,yeah, i've done all that. I'm also sure there are people out there who have their own way too.

My windows will be coming out next week, if you're still desperate, i can email you some pics.

[marcfuller]

In replacing my window cables, I found that any slack in the cable or looseness in the clamp nuts on the window or slack in the knot in the drive pulley would allow it to jump off the routing pulleys.

I also initially used cables (very long bicycle deraileur cables) which were a little thicker and stiffer than the original cable and this also jumped the routing pulley some times. And, I found it difficult to get a tight knot in the drive pulley and finally used clamps to draw the knot tight.

When I finally gave up and changed to what looks like a 21 strand cable that is the same thickness as the original and perhaps even more flexible, it quit jumping the routing pulleys. The routing pulleys are a relatively small radius, so a smaller, more flexible cable will fit much better. (Of course the better cable cost about $20 rather than the $3 bike cable) But the expensive cables also came pre-configured for an Elan with metal "nuts" already swedged onto the cable in the correct place so knots are not needed and the cable ends are tinned.

[mac5777]

I just replaced my cable on one door. After 39 years the darn thing just broke. Sadlotus has said it all. I bought cable at the local hardware store (a little thicker than the original but works just fine for a few bucks). I started with the knot on the big pulley, leaving enough cable to reach each end, and wrapped it and taped it, as it kept unwinding. I wrapped the pulley, I think 3 maybe 4 times with the other end of the knot at the end, then backed it off 1/4 turn. Then ran the cable through all of the small pulleys with the window in the full up position. and had a buddy snuggly pull with pliers both ends and I lightly tighten the locking nut where both ends met. That kept tension on the big pulley. Then I made sure the window was up and even, then pulled both ends of the cable tight to spec and tightened. then locked down the other nut on the other side of the window frame. Make sure you lay out the cables as I had to keep re-stringing them putting them over instead of under etc. etc. more than once. Verbalizing the process is not as easy as I thought. But once you have done it, you feel good, but not until it is done. So take your time and have fun!!

Sarto

[reb53]

Tightening those clamping bolts sure makes you sweat as you wait for the window to explode! And if the cables ever come loose you can't thread them back up again because the ends have been trimmed off to prevent them snagging.
I gave up on the official cable routing plan years ago and haven't had to do them again since. With a bit of thinking and experimenting with some string you can change the configuration so that the cable terminates at one end of the longest diagonal run. You join the ends together with copper sleeves/crimps that you use to make small loops in the cable ends.
This system has some real advantages. You can pull the cable really tight before hammering the last crimp flat without any danger of the cable pulling out of that clamp/bolt system and once it is nice and tight you can adjust the glass up and down to where it works and seals best. Then a gentle tightening of the clamp is sufficient to hold it as you no longer have to hold the cable ends together as well.
Few things to check/remember:-
Don't forget to thread the cable through the clamps b4 crimping up the cable!
Check operation thoroughly to ensure crimped ends don't snag on other diagonal run as they pass. A little work with a file sorted mine out.
The cable and crimps came from a marine/fishing tackle shop where it's used to make up really heavy duty fishing traces. Sorry, I know that's not much help to most people!
As an aside, having really tight cables stops all that jerking and snatching when you open/close windows.

[reb53]

Oops !! Posted twice......

[saildrive2001]

Go to a marine supplier & get stainless steel cable, it comes in many different diameters & won't rust.
Keith Marshall
69 S4 SE

[tonycharente]

Just wanted to say thank you all for the hints and encouragement! I bought two 2-metre bike d?railleur cables, as these were as thin as the original cable, or perhaps thinner still, and each having a small nipple on one end they could just be slid into the drive pulley holes, so no knot needed. I found it much easier (although certainly not easy) to assemble with these than with the thicker cable I had bought, and today it was all back together and working very smoothly. Obviously I now have a doubt about longevity, with the thinner cable, but I have saved my sanity (well, I think so.....) and certainly feel relieved and contented to have got an impossible job done! I'll report back if the cables break soon! Thanks again, Tony.