Hi All,

My 1998 S70 just started to have an issue with both of the rear windows.

The driver's master controller operates the front two windows no issues at all, but it only now controls the rear driver side window. It does nothing for the rear passenger side window. On top of this, when trying to operate the rear windows from the back seat, there is no response at all from either of the two local switches on the driver and passenger side -- nothing at all.

If I understand it right, there are just a few items in the 1998 S70:

- the driver side master window controller
- an auto-down relay in the center console
- the left and right local controllers in the rear
- motors
- some kind of circuit breaker of sorts in the under the hood fuse / relay box (the 11C/37 slot being for the power windows)

I am planning to see what kind of breaker/fuse is in the 11C/37 slot and replace it, but I am wondering if the driver's side master controller is likely bad. It's just 2-1/4 years old and the car is barely used once per week on average. Nothing in the master controller should be "worn out" from use.

Anyone have any ideas -- or have had bad luck with the durability of the Volvo master window controller being so poor on quality control?

Thanks for any thoughts,

Tom

 

Tom,
First off, make sure that the child lockout switch on the drivers side master control is not pushed in. The purpose of that switch is to disable the power window switches on the back seat. If that is not pushed in you should be able to control the rear windows from the rear seat. But if you still get no power to both rear power windows from the rear seat, then you most likely have a bad fuse in the fuse box, or both window motors are bad (highly unlikely, but possible).

Second, if you can control the rear passenger window from the rear seat but not the front, then the window motor is fine and the master control in the drivers door has an issue. But if you cannot control the rear passenger window from the front or the rear, then you most likely have either a wiring/fuse issues with that window, or the motor is bad.

Hope this helps, keep us posted on how it goes!

 

I trust you have the rear windows turned on in the master switch -

And I would swap left and right rear switches (on the rear doors) to see what happens

On some Volvos both switches (master and slave) have to be good for the window to work - can't remember if a s70 is one of those that does.

 

If you have your cars available to you, like in your garage or parked outside right now, you have one up on me. As mine is in a parking garage and is somewhat innacessable and is parked by the guys there, so you never know what happens to it when it's away from you.

But I do remember from using it yesterday:

- on the driver master window controller the rear most toggle switch said, 'off.' which I thought would mean child safety, 'off.' I may have been very wrong on that and if so I appologise. if that means, 'rear power window power off' then it totally explains why the two rears don't work from the rear. my exuse so far: i have no kids and i would not touch that toggle switch on my own.

even if that is in the child safety mode that is restricting the window switches from being operated from the rear seats, i am not sure why my driver side master controller was only able to control one of the rear windows (the left one and not the right one). that was the moment of, 'something is wrong' with my windows.

maybe the master controller somehow has a flaw just as it relates to that one window on the 'down" function. if that is the case, i should still be able to raise that window by using the rear window controller once the child safety toggle says 'on'

this is puzzling that the master is genuine volvo and only two years old -- and on a rarely used car. are these windows controllers more of a headache than in other brands or models?

could the fuse under the hood (location 11C/37) be an issue if there is power moving the rear left window when operated from the driver master controller? i did have control over that from the driver master controller when i had the car out yesterday.

thanks for thoughts...

 

Attached is the power window wiring schematic.