Update: '89 Spider power windows died

[Ron King <eking@domain.elided>]

Hello all,

First, thanks to all who provided suggestions for diagnosing the 
recalcitrant windows on my '89 Spider. I was finally able to take some time 
and dig around with a multi-tester. Both fuses and the relay seem to be OK, 
and there seems to be 12v through each.

The switch, however, is a different matter. One of the reasons it took me 
so long to get around to the diagnostics was that I was doing homework -- 
on the wiring diagram for the power windows. [By the way, if anyone would 
like a nice color-coded Illustrator drawing of just the parts pertaining to 
the windows -- I deleted all the bells, buzzers, and whistles -- let me know]

But when I took my nice new wiring diagram to the car, I ran into a slight 
problem. Theory (the diagram) didn't match reality (my car). Two problems: 
1) the placement of wires to the connections at the back of the switch 
didn't match the actual locations in my car, and 2) the diagram of the 
internal connections within the switch didn't even match the diagram of the 
external connections right next to it. In other words, the diagram says 
terminal 4 is connected to terminal 6 when button Left/Down is pressed, but 
there isn't anything *at* terminal 6 in the diagram of the coupler (nor in 
my car).

I think I understand what's supposed to happen, though: There are two wires 
going to each motor. Each of these is connected to either a red or black 
(power and ground?) wire for up, and to the opposite for down. Close? Maybe 
close isn't good enough in electronics, either. I've tried to figure out 
why there needs to be still a third connection even when the switch is off, 
but that makes my brain hurt, so I've given up.

I hope I've given you all a nice chuckle at my advanced use of such 
technical terms as "wires" and "connections". When you're through, could 
someone answer the following two questions?

1) Am I correct in assuming that sometimes the wiring diagrams are simply 
wrong?, and

2) I have a new switch on order, and I hope that will fix things. If it 
doesn't, are my assumptions correct about the switch, and does anyone have 
a correct diagram of the way it should work internally?

Thanks for bearing with me. I know these are exceedingly elementary 
questions, hardly worthy of such an esteemed group, but it's kind of fun to 
try and figure this stuff out.

- -- Ron King

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