Disco 6pin window switch connections

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cowasaki

Well-Known Member
Posts
1,517
Location
North West England
I've just stuck some new doors on my 94 defender and need to connect up the electric windows. I have them working with some generic 5 pin window switches but I've been given a discovery window control panel (I think it is a disco2) complete with 4x 6pin switches. Two of those switches would fit much better into my defender but not sure on the wiring.

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Using the meter I get the following connections:


....n/p...down...up
1.. 3....... 3..... 46
2.. 5....... 46.... 5
3.. 1....... 1..... x
4.. 6....... 26.... 16
5.. 2....... x..... 2
6.. 4....... 24.... 41

I'm sure I could work it out eventually but anyone got any ideas ???

ie number is

GND
12v
out1
out2

There doesn't seem to be a light on these switches so wondering why there are so many connections. The 5 pin switches are overkill as 2 and 4 are ground so these 6 pin seem even more over kill.
 
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The Haynes manual for the pre'95 D1 shows switches with five terminals.

The disco window switching is a bit involved as it has four switches plus an isolation switch for the rear, but for the basic two front door window switches the terminals numbers for each switch are as follows.

2 & 4 ground
1 & 5 motor
3 supply from the relay ignition controlled relay

Later D1s 1995 on have a sixth terminal for the switch illumination.

4 ground
1 & 2 motor
3 & 5 supply from window ECU
6 illumination

The front switches are connected via the ECU not direct to a window motor.
 
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what i can say is that this switch pack is not from a D2 as on the D2 the terminals of the switches are all in one "row", not in two as here
 
I did buzz the switch out but didn't know anything about it such as it being illuminated.

....n/p...down...up
1.. 3....... 3..... 46
2.. 5....... 46.... 5
3.. 1....... 1..... x
4.. 6....... 26.... 16
5.. 2....... x..... 2
6.. 4....... 24.... 41

What is the point of the ECU ?

so using my map & your pin outs .........

if I connect:

4 ground
1 & 2 motor
3 & 5 12v
6 side light circuit

With side lights on - the switch illuminates
With side lights off - the switch is not illuminated

then

With nothing pressed - nothing happens
With up pressed 1 is connected to 4 (GND) and 2 is connected to 5 (12v) so motor turns one way
With down pressed 1 is connected to 3 (12V) and 2 is connected to 4 (GND) so motor turns the other way

So that makes it a negatively switched window switch ie it's got positive all the time and switched by the GND


I'll have to change the wiring on the window roll up module but that will sort it


Thanks.
 
I did buzz the switch out but didn't know anything about it such as it being illuminated.

....n/p...down...up
1.. 3....... 3..... 46
2.. 5....... 46.... 5
3.. 1....... 1..... x
4.. 6....... 26.... 16
5.. 2....... x..... 2
6.. 4....... 24.... 41

What is the point of the ECU ?

so using my map & your pin outs .........

if I connect:

4 ground
1 & 2 motor
3 & 5 12v
6 side light circuit

With side lights on - the switch illuminates
With side lights off - the switch is not illuminated

then

With nothing pressed - nothing happens
With up pressed 1 is connected to 4 (GND) and 2 is connected to 5 (12v) so motor turns one way
With down pressed 1 is connected to 3 (12V) and 2 is connected to 4 (GND) so motor turns the other way

So that makes it a negatively switched window switch ie it's got positive all the time and switched by the GND


I'll have to change the wiring on the window roll up module but that will sort it


Thanks.

No, not neg switched. All it is doing is reversing the polarity the the motor, so you have 2 wires on your motor,

1 and 2 we will call them

So when you press up it powers the motor and makes;
1 - gnd
2 - 12v

When you press down it powers the motor and makes;
1 - 12v
2 - gnd

It's a double pole switch
 
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No, not neg switched. All it is doing is reversing the polarity the the motor, so you have 2 wires on your motor,

1 and 2 we will call them

So when you press up it powers the motor and makes;
1 - gnd
2 - 12v

When you press down it powers the motor and makes;
1 - 12v
2 - gnd

It's a double pole switch


No I understand it's a double pole switch but at rest it is getting two 12v connections and when the switch is activated it is a neg that is added. If you are using a roll up module that is how they are referred to.
 
That's it reversing polarity the motor turns one way then the other, if you have a wiring diagram the circuit may be clearer I know there are generic drawings on the www, somewhere.

ECU, the ecu is there to cut the power when the glass reaches the end of it's travel if you still had your finger on the button then there would be a bit of damage within the door, also the disco has a single touch descending drivers door window the ecu looks after that also.
 
That's it reversing polarity the motor turns one way then the other, if you have a wiring diagram the circuit may be clearer I know there are generic drawings on the www, somewhere.

ECU, the ecu is there to cut the power when the glass reaches the end of it's travel if you still had your finger on the button then there would be a bit of damage within the door, also the disco has a single touch descending drivers door window the ecu looks after that also.

I completely understand the entire window winding circuit diagram to be honest. Normally though the motor will cut out if it reaches the top, reaches the bottom or if the torque goes over a certain level thereby cutting out if you get your hand in there. The ECU just seemed a little overkill to me (especially as they seem to be a weak point). At the moment I already have the windows working with older disco 5 pin switches. I'm then using a roll up module so they close with the alarm. I'm just deciding if i want to switch to the 6 pin switches as they would fit better into the replacement dash and have illumination. I happened to wire the windows with two gnd connections and the switch effectively changing one of these to 12v. The roll up module is wired to that effect so if I use the 6 pin switches I either have to supply the power the other way round with the illumination connection to gnd which would mean that the light would be permanently on with the ignition, like that but using a relay to create a neg switch from the side light live or wired as normal and rewire the roll up. To be honest having the switches lighting up whenever the ignition is on isn't a problem so i might just do that as it is easiest.

Thanks everyone. This thread should be useful to anyone messing with the windows now.
 
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So here we are, my thoughts on the best way to wire up electric windows with the 6 pin switch and totally ignoring the window ECU....

Connect

5 Ignition live
1 & 2 motor
3, 5 & 6 GND

This makes the windows have a permanent GND and the up/down is done by the addition of a 12v from the ignition live i.e.

1 12v & 2 GND goes one way
2 GND & 2 12v goes the other way

The switch illumination will be on with the ignition (see below).

Doing it this way means that the windows only operate when the ignition is on.

Doing it this way means that you can easily connect a window roll up module for an alarm: disconnect one wire from the window motor and connect to 12v....... If doing that rolls the window up then you've got the right one otherwise do the same for the other wire. Once you've found out which wire sends the window up that is the break wire from the roll up interface. IF you connect the windows with 5 as GND and 3,5 as 12v and 6 as illumination then the window roll up will be FAR more complicated because when the ignition is off You will not have a 12v or reliable GND.

The only disadvantage of this setup is the illumination is on all the time that the ignition is on. If you really want it to only light with the side lights then grab one relay and connect the side light circuit to 85, GND to 86 & 30 and then 87 to the illumination connection.
 
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Well done, as I can see the setup works if term 4 is used.

So what cuts the power if your finger is still on the button as the end of the window travel, the motors u have themselves.
Another function of the D1s ECU is the window circuits remain live after the ignition is switched off to allow an open widow to be closed, as long as a door hasn't been opened.
Although I have never put this function to the test as I very rarely open my windows.
 
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Well done, as I can see the setup works if term 4 is used.

So what cuts the power if your finger is still on the button as the end of the window travel, the motors u have themselves.
Another function of the D1s ECU is the window circuits remain live after the ignition is switched off to allow an open widow to be closed, as long as a door hasn't been opened.
Although I have never put this function to the test as I very rarely open my windows.

You WILL loose some functionality, that's obviously what the ECU is for and Landrover are hardly going to pay out for something that has no use. You loose the feature where you can open/close whilst ignition is off BUT you could get that back by replacing the IGN live with PERM live but I wouldn't do that as it affects the security.

HOWEVER a window rollup interface like this one: Rightclick will give you an additional feature..... If you connect that module into your car and connect the total closure wire to the ignition then everything works as normal but as soon as you turn off the ignition the windows will close themselves. The window ECU is a very problematic little box so this at least shows how you can bin it.

My motors cut out if you try and close them on your hands as do the aftermarket ones that I fit. I'm going to be doing a complete tutorial on how to fit a total closure remote alarm system as soon as I've finished writing it. It will be based on fitting it to a defender but if someone in here gives me a circuit diagram for the disco then I'll include changes for that.

This is the current circuit diagram for the alarm, central locking and windows but there are several changes that I need to make to it:

** I will include options for 5 & 6 wire window buttons **


alarm_diag90.png
 
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