Electric Windows "on" with Key Off

[twright]

I recently got (another) 1994 Design Edition Touring. The difference with this one is that it has Electric front windows! I think this was pretty rare for Tourings. Here is the dilemma : The windows are able to be lowered with the key "off". You can tell when they are ready to be commanded to go up or down is when the switch is lit.

The other weird thing is that the window switches will light up (and stay lit) when I open the door. This means I can open the door and lower (or raise) the windows without putting the key in.

Here are my questions: How does it do this? Is there a special electric window computer that handles this? Do non-Tourings work like this also?

[twright]

Never mind. Look what I found:

[reelizmpro]

It's a euro feature called a Comfort relay.

[McGyver]

It's a euro feature called a Comfort relay.

That's super interesting I've never heard of it before. How is it supposed to work?

It could be neat to retrofit onto a US car for fun.

[reelizmpro]

I didn't know about it either until I got my 323i. It supplies +12v for a period of time after the ignition is turned off or when a door is open. So basically, once you open the door you can control the windows/sunroof without the ignition being ON. Useful, if you forget to close one of them. I guess the comfort part is not having to switch on the ignition for power. Not sure why E30's didn't get this feature in the US.

Supposedly, the relay is located by the accessory box under the dash. I doubt the wiring for this is there in the US cars but it shouldn't be too difficult to retrofit one. My ETM's are all US car based so I'd start with finding one for a euro spec car.