[K2BIO]

I modified my '04 Ody so that the power windows are always operable i.e. you don't need the key. This, at least, makes it so that at the end of the day I can close things up without going back in the house to get the key. According to the Electrical Troubleshooting Manual (ETM) this should work the same on 99-04 models.
Essentially what I did was to put a jumper across the Power Window Relay normally-open contact pins. This lets the windows operate normally in every way, except you don't need a key.
Attached is a partial schematic from p120-5 of the ETM showing the relay. The little curved line I've drawn indicates the added jumper. Note that the pin numbers on the ETM are incorrect. The pins that get the jumper are numbered 3 & 5 on the relay.
More details in the accompanying posts.

This thread is provided only as information as to what I did, not as a recommendation for others to do likewise. Any consequences, direct or indirect, are at your own risk.
Regards,
Don
CA

 

[K2BIO]

addendum #1

You'll find the Power Window Relay on the back side of the Passenger's Under Dash Fuse/Relay box. This is down by the passenger's right foot. You have to remove the triangular trim panel (always the hardest part of any mod!). On the '04, there is a mushroom-head nut that can be unscrewed, or just pried off. There is one "poke-in" fitting, and a couple edge hooks.
The Fuse/Relay panel is held on with two screws (10mm). The bottom one is easy, the top less so.
There is enough slack in the cables to be able to muscle the unit around to reach the Window Relay on the back. Fortunately it is the one closest. The attached photo shows the empty socket from which the relay was unplugged. The toughest part is holding the 2 retainer clips back while trying to pull out the relay. I used pliers to pull while pushing the clips back with a small screwdriver.

 

[K2BIO]

addendum #2

Once you have the relay out the rest easy, except for replacing that Trim Panel.
I used a piece of solid 20 gauge wire, and bent it so that it shorts pin 3 to pin 5. These are the contacts of the relay. If you're adept, you could do a little soldering. I didn't. Plug the relay back in and you can test the mod immediately. If you don't like it, it's easy to undo.
You'll find that the windows work exactly as before except for the key reqirement. The on/off switch and auto functions are not affected.
Last night was my first trial. It was nice to reach in the driver's window, press the lock switch, then close the passenger & rear windows. After that I hit the auto-up button and pulled my arm out.
As I said earlier, this is informational only, not a recommendation. Who knows - this could wreck your transmission!
Regards,
Don
CA

 

[Tom Y]

Thanks for the "how to"! If I have time I'll try it this weekend.

 

[rlpenny]

Thanks for the info. However, I just power up my windows when I pull into the garage.

 

[pvandegriff]

Re: addendum #2

Who knows - this could wreck your transmission!

Don, I think the engineers took care of that for all of us already!

Great idea! I'll be doing it ASAP. I hate having to use the key to power the windows.

 

[sueandroy]

missing something?

Am I missing something,as don't the 99-04 Ody's all have always powered windows? Our 01 does and assumed that they all were.

 

[pvandegriff]

They are always powered when you have the ignition switch turned on. They also maintain power for a certain amount of time after the ignition is turned off.

 

[Cars R Tools]

Always on

Couldn't this be dangerous with kids alone in car in garage where no one can hear if something goes wrong. Strictly assumption, of course. I have no kids.
If there is way to put a switch inline to this mod. it will be nice. Just so it won't drain battery and also instant disconnect of power if needs arise.

 

[K2BIO]

This has already been discussed at length in General Discussion Forum.
Like I said, this isn't a recommendation, just relating a story of what I did.
YMMV
Regards,
Don

 

[Mel]

Nice, very nice!

Another alternative, although probably no better, would be to pull the relay out completely and install a jumper between the two pin sockets. I doubt that the controller would notice that you had an "open relay coil." I suspect that a jumper made from a couple of 3/16" or ¼" male spade connectors and a short piece of wire would work.

Nice work. I think I know what I'm doing for part of tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks,
Mel

 

[sueandroy]

Regarding always powered windows. I was doing some work on a 91 Accord yesterday, and noticed that the power windows on this car worked without the ignition on. Just like the Ody. Also only worked for about 3 minutes after the ignition was off and only worked one time.

 

[donlibes]

I believe the "works for a minute or so" is also qualified by "as long as you don't open the door." What were those engineers smoking?

Sometimes I yearn for the olden days of hand cranks and no interlocks and no 'safety' logic that has to be defeated and ...

 

[sueandroy]

Our windows on our 01 Ody do work when the door is opened.

 

[donlibes]

Our windows on our 01 Ody do work when the door is opened.

Right but is that still true if the key is not in the ignition?

 

[sueandroy]

Yes you are quite correct. The windows work with door closed, but when door is opened, the window does not work. What was I smoking?

 

[donlibes]

I modified my '04 Ody so that the power windows are always operable i.e. you don't need the key. This, at least, makes it so that at the end of the day I can close things up without going back in the house to get the key.

I can now declare that this mod works on an '02 Ody as well.

Because it was so cramped, I figured I'd experiment and went in through the back of my glove compartment. Total waste of time. I ended up doing it exactly the way K2BIO originally described.

A few observations:

• Upon removing the bottom bolt, I came across the jumper of <a href="http://www.odyclub.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8658&highlight=sliding+door+mod">ckonarske's sliding door mod</a> and had to think for a few minutes why there was an obviously after-market jumper going to the bolt! Maybe it's time I start labelling all my jumpers!
  
• For the hell of it (and to show brash confidence in K2BIO's guidance), I soldered in the jumper without even testing it. I started to wonder though after I took the relay out of the vise and it was burning hot. But I guess the components survived my "heat treatment." Or maybe they all fused together inside. Doesn't matter, I suppose.
  
• The hardest part was getting the topmost 10mm bolt back in. It turns out there is another hole nearby and due to the angle, it's almost impossible to see that so I spent 5 minutes trying to thread the bolt in to the wrong hole.

But once I popped the relay back in, I was able to try it out immediately. Ah, bliss! Thank you K2BIO!

 

[donlibes]

I modified my '04 Ody so that the power windows are always operable i.e. you don't need the key. This, at least, makes it so that at the end of the day I can close things up without going back in the house to get the key.

In the past week, I've found this handy for a number of other reasons: If it starts raining and I've left the windows open. If it's really hot and I want to open the windows a crack to ventilate. So I can leave my kid in the car and she can open or close the windows while she waits. When I told my daughter about the mod, she said "About time, dad!"

Of course, this mod isn't complete without a hidden exterior key (or the exterior keypad mod). That way, if you're working outside and it's getting hot and you want to vent the car, you don't have to go back inside (in grubby gardening or painting clothes, etc) to look for the key.

 

[sueandroy]

Nice, very nice!

Another alternative, although probably no better, would be to pull the relay out completely and install a jumper between the two pin sockets. I doubt that the controller would notice that you had an "open relay coil." I suspect that a jumper made from a couple of 3/16" or ¼" male spade connectors and a short piece of wire would work.

Nice work. I think I know what I'm doing for part of tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks,
Mel

Yes, jumper wire worked perfectly. I used this method as it was easy and I had the materials on hand.

At the same time I installed a glove box light/switch assembly from a wrecked 87 Accord. Used the Accord wiring harness and connector and tapped into the wires for the storage bin light wiring (a bit of a pain finding the wires from the bin). The colours of the wires from the 87 Accord were even the same as the ones for the Ody. How cool is that. I used the instructions from the Tech section and the light works perfecty. Many thanks to the forum writers for these mods. They are great to have and make the van that much sweeter to operate.

 

[msgBldr]

Has anyone made this work on an 05+?

I have an 08 ex-l and found the relay that controls power to the windows, #22 on the driver's fuse/relay panel. Doesn't seem to have the same effect.

With the relay out and the ign on the drivers window works and the other windows do not, you can hear the relays at the switch click but that's it.

I don't see anything on the ckt diagram that controls this except the door micu.