sleuthing door window microswitches

2001 996 My passenger side window is not jogging up and down when the door handles are actuated. This happens with both the inside and outside handles. I've read up on the posts here regarding this but it's still not clear to me if all the microswitches are in the same latch mechanism. The window regulator works fine on that side and I get no chime when I lock the car. However, most of the time, I get a double beep when I unlock the car. Sometimes, when it is hot outside and the car's been baking in the sun, the double beep does not occur upon unlock. I'm trying to do as much sleuthing as possible prior to taking the thing apart since it seems to be a bit of a pain to get the door handle and latch mechanism out and back in again. So, I'd like to make sure I have all the needed replacement parts ordered and on hand so I onlv have to do the disassembly/re-assembly once. Also, any hints on how to remove and the reposition that foam vapor barrier without destroying it and getting it back in place properly would be most appreciated. I've done this before on a Mercedes 190E and I know it can be a real pain.

Just a minor comment and something for you to check. On my 2000 C4 Cab I have had this problem on my drivers door in the past. Several Years ago I replaced the door latch mechanism with one I bought off eBay and that resolved the problem. But recently the problem started happening again, the window was not going down when opened and was catching on the roof when closing. I assumed that it was the latch mechanism again and after some research I decided to try a VW/Audi latch, aftermarket, that I bought for about $30. Then I read that sometimes it is the window regulator and to try and pull the window glass up a bit to see if it was secure. So I tried this and low and behold the window glass was moving as the regulator was going bad. So yesterday I installed a new regulator, I bought the URO version which was priced about $124 on Amazon (vs. the OEM at over $200 and some others like Dorman at around $650). The problem is solved and eh window, latch and micro switches work fine. So before you change out the latch try to see if the window glass moves up and down in the track. And is anyone interested in trying the VW/Audi latch I bought?

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...or-opened.html Read Post #9, it really helps

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Shouldn't be any beeps when locking/unlocking only flashes. Ours usually double beeps at unlock and sometimes properly flashes lights at lock/unlock, I closely observed over a week and couldn't find any correlation to time of day or shade or direct sun, and I suspect the door latch is intermittent. Other members of this forum have posted on this issue and I haven't yet seen the fix. If I replace ours I might get one of those inspection cameras that have the extension which can be inserted into tiny areas, and this might help getting the parts aligned.

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This is exactly the problem I am having w/the driver's side window on my 2000 C4 Cab. The dealer wants $920 for replace the window regulator. My indie shop wants about $775. Is this the URO regulator that you bought on Amazon? See: URO Porsche 996 Left Driver's Side Window Regulator See: URO Porsche 996 Left Driver's Side Window Regulator If so, I'll just ask my indie how much he wants for the labor to install it. It's just not a job that I'd want to tackle myself.

I checked my window. Indeed, it seems there is flashback in the regulator. If I raise the window, I find I can push it down a bit before it seats. If I lower it and stop before the glass withdraws into the door, I can pull it up a bit. It makes sense to me that this might prevent the jog from occurring. The window would have just been raised, so when the motor tries to pull the window down a smidge, the flashback prevents any motion. Does anybody know of a way to tighten this up? Or as Dharn55 suggests, is the only fix to replace the whole regulator?

[QUOTE=sgt1372;16106648]This is exactly the problem I am having w/the driver's side window on my 2000 C4 Cab. The dealer wants $920 for replace the window regulator. My indie shop wants about $775. Is this the URO regulator that you bought on Amazon? See: URO Porsche 996 Left Driver's Side Window Regulator See: URO Porsche 996 Left Driver's Side Window Regulator If so, I'll just ask my indie how much he wants for the labor to install it. It's just not a job that I'd want to tackle myself.[/QUOTE i was having the exact same problem 6 months ago. Bought the URO regulator on RockAuto. Went in great. Mine is not a daily driver, so.... first evening spent about 1hr taking door panel off second evening, removed / replaced window regulator third evening, buttoned everything up there are some good posts on Rennlist. I also followed this YouTube video, even though it�s for a Boxster. Still very helpful. You Tube

That is the regulator that I bought, though it was a bit less a week ago. Rockauto is less if you can wait a few days for delivery. It really is not a bad job to install. It took me 3+ hours but now that I have done one I could do it in 1-2 hours so an experienced technician should be able to do it in the same time, but most charge book time rather than actual time.

My indy replaced driver side window regulator with OEM parts for give or take $500-550. Of course few months later i now have passenger side regulator issue. At least passenger side is easier to delay fixing since it gets much less use on my 4s.

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Thanks for the confirmation. It's probably a job that I "could" do but I'm at a place in my life where I'd just rather not do certain jobs anymore, as long as I've got the $ to pay someone else to do it, which I do. I've removed some door panels and ruined some door panel clips in the process and it can be a very fiddly job that requires the replacement of parts (if broken) would have to be ordered. The regulator also looks kinda fiddly to install and electrical work (even just plugging stuff together) is generally stuff that I don't like to do because if something does "wrong" I do not have the skill/knowledge/experience to properly diagnose the problem, in which case I'd have to take it to the dealer or indie anyway. Will drive by the indie to ask what his labor charge for the install alone will be. If it's $500-550, as mentioned above, I'd order the part and have him install it.

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Agreed. I had a similar problem but the driver's side window was actually clipping the back window when the door was closed. I found I'd have to close the door hard by pushing directly on the handle area to get the driver's side window to seat properly under the weather stripping. I just changed the window regulator and I have no issues!

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UPDATE : Just had my indie install the window regulator specified above that I bought from Amazon for about $150 (including tax). My indie charged me $450 for the installation and it "fixed" the problem. The window now drops when the door is opened and rises when closed to avoid hanging up in the roof channel. However, the installation triggered the airbag warning light, which has never happened before and (as I read about last night) can be caused by minor voltage variations elsewhere in the car (but is normally associated w/the seat belt buckles). In any event, went back to the indie today and he did a quick OBD read of the error code (which came up as a low voltage problem) but was able to clear it and after starting & turning off the car on/off a couple of times the warning light did not come back on. So, both "problems" have been solved. Just something to note if anyone needs to install a new window regulator and gets an airbag warning light afterward.

I have found that Body shops are generally the best price balance on this kind of repair,, they do a lot of them.. Compared ot most mechanics. My local BMW dealer is a BMW certified body shop, they have done well for me in the past on a couple door issues..

Update: Well, I tried removing the regulator, cleaning it and lubing it. This did not fix the problem. I then removed the door lock mechanism and found that the the microswitch which gets actuated by the cam in the door that latches onto the body of the car when the door closes was worn. The throw on the plunger in this switch is only a couple of mm. So, a little wearing on that plunger makes it so that it no longer contacts firmly when actuated. Using an ohm meter, I found that there was still ~50 ohms of resistance when the switch was in the closed position. It's supposed to be a dead short in this position. This made the car think the door was always closed. This also caused the red light on the rocker switch controlling the door locks on the dashboard stay illuminated all the time. This little switch has the markings "Burgess" and 47/00 on it. I found that a company in Hong Kong called Johnson Controls makes this as a custom switch for Porsche and they won't sell you one or tell you any details. So, for want of a $2 switch, Porsche would like you to pay them several hundred dollars for a whole new assembly. I purchased another microswitch, cut it apart to get to the plunger, cut the end off the new plunger using an exacto knife, then epoxied this onto the OEM plunger. This extra couple of mm in length fixed the problem. I now get a nice window jog. The red light on the locking switch goes off when the doors are unlocked. And there's no more beeping when I lock the car. Happy days!