Power rear windows?
 

Has anyone made their rear vent windows power? I like having them open, but it is a pain to open and close them by hand. I haven't put much thought into it because I figure it has already been done, but I couldn't find it anywhere on the forum. I would think that if a minivan can have power rear vents, an RX-8 could have them. If anyone has done this, could you let me know what parts you bought? Thanks.

i've seen this talked about but never seen it done here. it's gotta be relatively simple, find the proper motor from either a minivan or a ford expedition etc, hell even take all the wiring from it also and install.

that's a great wish list to add to for next year's model or the next gen. :)

if by power you mean reclining seat back and reaching to toggle the window open then yes.

if someone were really to do that, it would consider a big design change in that window area. space for the motor then springs and all the stuff it would be consealed in.

isn't there an air bag behind that panel?

to be honest, i've never once opened those windows and still dont really see the point

they're mainly for passengers in the back seats.

I don't ever open them unless someone is the back seat, in which case they can easily open it themselves. It would be a nice "extra" tho

The airbag might be an issue, I'll look into it some more. If it is feasible I will write something up. If I don't think I can do it, I'll just wait until someone else does it and then complain that they stole my idea... It really isn't my idea, but I'll still complain. It's the american way.

well i know i want this because the car looks better with those rear windows open:). its just a B*tch to open them when driving or somthing.

I always open them in good weather. They prevent the reverberations that can happen in the back when the front windows are open.

They also provide passive HVAC with the front windows closed (fan off, but the vacuum created by the open rear windows pulls fresh air through the HVAC system and the temperature adjustment still works.)

the only reason i open the rear window is to dry the spaces i cant reach when im drying my car...

you guys dont' think the car looks better with the windows open??? i love the 8 with the rear windows open!!!!

I'm glad to see there are other people like me. I am going to the junk yard this weekend to see if I can pull the motors off an old minivan. These seem to work off of just a small window mounted motor, but I haven't tried to take them off yet. I am also worried about taking the ones off of the 8's window, the more I look at it the less I think Iknow about this project.

Who carries passengers in the backseat , lol...slows the car down! Maybe a fetus????

^ wtf?

And yes, I would like power rear windows just so I can open them up for ventilation. But the airbags would be a concern.

Powered rears would be the sh****t...

I don't believe there are air bags in the rear door. There is nothing to pop off or open to allow this.

There are side curtain air bags that drop from the ceiling.

Before you start taking panels apart disconnect the negative battery cable. ;)

so, this got put on hold, due to a minor problem with the idiot driving the car (me) not stopping fast enough at a stop light... Need to replace front bumper first, then will move to windows.

The past week I experimented with driving the rx8 in open-rear window configuration. It's a free mod, so why not? The discoveries can be startling:

Pluses:

-better blind-spot driver side

-lets air through, not as much grocery bag ruffling at highway speeds

-relatively easy to switch from open-rear back to normal configuration; minimal time and tools required

Minuses:

-jarring physical appearance; distrupts the smooth transition ratio between back and side

-looks more boxy like a Mustang?

-forgetting to close them while shopping allows Worm Man(1) to crawl through and wreck havoc

Suggested modifications:

-consider installing Lambo style rear windows, driving in open-rear window configuration. The effect of this should be like a smiling beetle with little ears hangliding.

Definition footnote

1. A man shaped like a worm.

:rofl:

Lambo style windows.

The windows would be more prone to damage if they were suspended by a small mount and put to the mercy of the wind when driving.

the windows popped open looks alot better i think.

Anyone have any ideas on this? And I too think th windows open gives a wider stance from the back of the car.

what would one pay for this?

custom made window opener? a ton i would guess.

Anyone know where one could buy just the rear window & hinge? I kinda wanna play around with some ideas, but I'd like some room for error...

I would like to get the rear windows powered. I like having them open, and it is a pain to close the passenger side one while driving. Plus I think it would be a neat add on feature.

I talked to a guy at a car audio shop in town and he wasnt too sure it would work. I agreed, the travel on different motors would take a while to figure out which one/type would work the best.

Well, as soon as I get a weekend that isn't chock-full of crap to do I'm going to experiment with some things. Hopefully I'll get some results that will give the more experienced fabricators here a place to start.

All I know is that the first person to pull this off could made a damn killing selling it to everyone on these boards...

Well, since I just got finished replacing my rear driver door, I can tell you from experience that there are no airbags in it, and that it is fairly open inside to mount a small motor. I am sure an Expedition motor would be about the right travel as well...

imo, the motor travel distance would be negligible and any motor would work. the gap looks about the same as any generic chrysler minivan. im pretty sure you could easily install one of those motors in the place of the current opener-thing-y. :P

the only real problem i see would be the wiring. i think someone's best bet is to wire it behind the rear seats and through the center console. probably mount the buttons in that empty button array near the coin holder on the left side.

LMAO This is a funny

i opened the little window on the drivers side for the first time in 5 months yesterday.

it will be cool if you could put the windows down.....

I keep my back windows open all year. When it rains then I reach back and close them. I like them open. It makes the car look dif. But having them power would be cool. That and a power trunk like the caddys!

Well, I did some experimenting and I learned some neat things.

Somthing that I found to be interesting was where the hinge "defaults" the possition of the rear window. When you disconnect the elbow joint that lets you open and close the window, don't be suprized if it flings open as if it were trying to escape from the rest of the vehicle. When disconnected, the rear window will open about 50-60 degrees before you feel any resistance.

Getting a small motor or actuator to mount in place of the stock elbow joint is simple - the stock support is pretty thick and sturdy...



...however, finding a place to run the damn wire is proving to be more than my ass can fabricate a solution for :(

Thats what I was thinking. Where the hell would you run the wire? I looks like ass when its showing.:scratchhe

you'd have to take off the door panels and run it through the rubber wire holder thing. if there is one. i dunno if the back doors have them. i dont know if they have any electronics. if they do, you're in luck. then run it under the back seats to the center console. and under that. then under the dash to the empty button next to the DSC button.

maybe its possible to simply tap a power source and control it remotely?

ok i have a question. my friend has an 04 330ci and the rear windows are like ours but they are power. im not sure, but with the right configuration, it shouldn't b TOO hard to get the motor, actuator, wiring, and even the buttons on the windows from a totaled one or sumtin and install them on ours. i mean i dont kno a damn thing about customizing, but BMW has the setup we are "asking" for, just need sumone to put sum time in it.

Bump... it's been years since anyone has commented on this. Any success?