After 13 years the German polymer plastic barrel style fittings on the vanity mirror blade failed. An internal replacement unit ready to go is about $130. However, the fit is exceptionally tight and tab failure of the outer frame and distortion of the visor itself is a real potential. If that happens, you're looking at $680.00 a pair for an entirely new visor. My internal pivot posts in the frame were excellent as were the clips so I took a chance on Ebay blades. When said blades arrive, they direct you to fit them with the press fit sleeves and screws in figure 2. Don't, instead fit the screws and pull out the entire assembly including the press fit sleeves with needle nose pliers. You can always go the radical route the manufacturer recommends later without penalty for doing this first. With my solution you get plastic against plastic, as the good engineers at Zuffenhausen intended and factory look and function. Seat the left pivot first, make sure to center the retainer C clip around the new plastic barrel. Next seat the center switch into the spring, have the blade almost open to maximum for the easiest fitment. Once it's seated, carefully bend the right-side blade while pressing the entire unit left, it will snap right in then reseat the same metal clip around the barrel with a micro flat blade.
Wish I knew about this 2 years ago,
@Boristhespyder
-- Very cool! Do you have a link to the eBay listings?
Boris - I rarely say this here - but we need bigger pictures and an explanation of what each one shows..
It is so small that even close up settings were inadequate, and the broken parts are gone now. All anyone really needs to know facing the same repair is to remove the metal sleeves pressed into the new units. In the most radical case, they recommend vanity frame removal, drilling holes in the vanity frame and using screws replace the factory plastic pivot posts. I would never do that, it would work but change the factory look. If needed, at that point I'd replace the visor center module complete with new blade and pivots. Anyhow, again I think metal against plastic would fail and you'd see those sleeves laterally visually upon close inspection so remove them, it works perfect, looks factory and could last another decade. Knowing a full "cheat" to the left seated pin and a gentle right blade bend will yield to fitment is also valuable, sorry the photos are poor quality.
Here ya go Food, this might make a decent visual as well.
Sun Visor Mirror Cover Black For Porsche 911 996/997 Boxster Cayman 986/987 | eBay
This is the second line of defense before complete visor replacement, as previously stated the fit is incredibly tight, having worked with many visors across many brands in my life I know they are quite easy to blemish so avoiding this is cheaper and lessens the chances to distort the entire assembly.
Sun Visor Mirror : Suncoast Porsche Parts & Accessories (suncoastparts.com)
Then lastly, if you just fail but learn, there's this. ( we can always soothe ourselves with the healing salve of "free labor, no appointment, no drop off")
The numbers are for older units, I saw 987.2 replacements and I think they were +50 bucks each.
Replacement Sun Visor : Suncoast Porsche Parts & Accessories (suncoastparts.com)
PS Heads up, I changed the serpentine belt last week and noticed the seats forward and tilted can touch these visor covers, that needs consideration when working in the cabin.
Got it - I misunderstood. Looks like these are for the mirrors themselves, and not the actual visors flapping up/down. Good for the next person, though!
