2014 Honda Civic Rear Window Motor Encoders

As some of you may know, I’m currently working on a project to make all four windows in my 2014 Civic one-touch automatic up/down. Currently, I have automatic up/down on the driver’s window, and the other windows are power but not one-touch.

Two major things need to happen for this to work. First, the non-automatic windows need incremental encoders. The driver’s window has four additional wires for this, two for power, one for signal output. This is to let the controllers inside the window switches know whether the window is moving and where the window is (so if the window stops before it has fully closed, i.e. if there is a blockage, the controller knows to open the window further). This should be relatively straightforward on the front passenger window, the driver’s window motor (which contains an encoder) should fit. For the back windows, however, I have had to get creative.

Honda does not make a window motor in the same form factor that has an encoder. Originally I wanted to 3D print my own and have it sandwich between the motor and regulator (which the motor turns to move the window up and down). Ultimately, the designs I 3D printed did not fit together well, possibly due to warping, and didn’t fit the existing hardware at all. I got to thinking, there must be an easier way to do this.

And that’s where I need some help. I already have the rotary encoder itself, and I need to find a way to integrate it with my stock window motor. How would you suggest I proceed? Get more accurate measurements and create another design to 3D print? Try to put the encoder somewhere else?

Let me know if anything needs clarification or further details.

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Have you considered buying a different car?