S3 Door Question

PostPost by: Terry Posma » Mon May 29, 2017 10:27 am

Hello All,

My S3 came to me as a basket case and a dogs breakfast and the parts list and workshop manual cannot help me come to the bottom of a dilemma. It is highly likely this is one of the many owners mods to stop some other problem.

Attached to the inner panel of the both doors and over the top of the window lift motor cylinder there is a steel plate with a rectangular hole which fits over the cylinder. I think it is there to keep the cylinder from moving around when the motor is in operation as the beam which the motor is bolted on is pretty thin and could flex.

Alternatively it could have been installed to stop it moving to much and cracking said beam when the door is slammed closed.

Is this standard on early S3s? Can the door go without as they do weigh a bit?
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PostPost by: Elan45 » Mon May 29, 2017 1:52 pm

My early coupe 36-55xx has these plates and I will re-install them as it goes back together from its current restoration. My S3-SS 45-73xx does not. I do know that in the later car, there is a kind of a twang sound when slaming the doors, I believe from the motor and mounting vibrating, but never noticed any ever time.

Its been over 30 years since I've driven the coupe, so I can't remember if it makes the same noise or not. Neither installation shows any fatigue cracks around the window motor mounts

Roger
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PostPost by: Terry Posma » Tue Jun 06, 2017 1:27 am

A follow up to the first question.

So I tried installing the plate and found that it did not touch the motor. Can I assume that there was some pad or something that was wrapped around the motor and kept in place by the plate?

If not, I can see no useful purpose other than perhaps stiffening the door in that area.

Any thoughts?
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PostPost by: billwill » Tue Jun 06, 2017 11:29 am

I'm afraid I can't grasp what you are talking about without photos.

Does this help? http://www.lotuselan.net/wiki/BH_-_Body ... er_Windows

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36/6725 S3 Coupe OGU108E Yellow over Black.
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PostPost by: peweNL » Tue Jun 06, 2017 8:08 pm

About a year ago I had a door frame of 36/6622 disassembled . I can?t remember the details of the window motor mounting but took attached pictures. Hope they are of help.
Attachments
wp_20160327_12_31_24_pro.jpg and
wp_20160327_12_34_43_pro.jpg and
Elan S3 FHC 36/6622
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PostPost by: Terry Posma » Wed Jun 07, 2017 4:31 pm

Stopped being lazy and attached a photo. You can see the screw locators on the door.

The hole in the plate is larger than the motor. The plate looks quite new as I had it zinc plated for corrosion resistance.

You can also see where i have squeezed a couple of pieces of Eva foam above and below the motor. This does seem to do a good job of stopping the motor from shaking when you close the door.
Attachments
img_0752.jpg and
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PostPost by: jimj » Wed Jun 07, 2017 10:10 pm

Yes that plate is non-original and superfluous, I`d say. Just bin it.
Jim
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PostPost by: Pastapesto » Thu Jun 08, 2017 7:07 am

Terry

Jim is wrong I am afraid (although he is normally spot on), that plate is original as I have the same on my very early S3 coupe. It does go there but I am afraid I cannot remember exactly how it fitted as I took it off around 2003 & didn't take any pics (stupidly). It does go there so don't bin it. It may have given some additional support to the motor perhaps with some sound deadening felt around the motor. Don't think it is on later cars so it probably was a crap idea that didn't really work. Good luck with getting it to fit & if you do.....please post a pic for the rest of us to refer to!

All the best

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