Window regulator permanent fix for stretched cable - Page 4 - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

I finally got around to opening up the door panel to install my (hopefully) permanent fix for the problem of too much slack in the window regulator cable. The sympton of my problem was that the window would not drop enough to clear the top when I opened the passenger side door. The window would still roll up and down properly, it just wouldn't drop enough to clear the top. The window had excessive play in the cable system, which could be felt by rolling the window 1/2 way down and then pulling up and down on the glass. The window would easily move at least 1/2 inch up and down. (Update: I used to think it was because the cable stretched, but someone in this thread pointed out that there is a small plastic guide that breaks causing the cable to have excessive slack. - So I now believe this is truly a permament fix if done before the cable frays at the motor.) I used a $3.00 bicycle brake cable adjustment barrel to take up the slack and add some adjustability to the window regulator system. Hopefully this will be a permanent fix. It was pretty easy to install and did not require the window regulator to be removed from the door. I had to drill out the front lower corner bracket a small amount and I had to remove the original factory end from the cable housing. All of this was easily doable while installed in the door. This what the final fix looks like: You may remember my temporary fix from another thread:

Nice DIY. Thanks for the update.

Very, VERY, ingenious! You should patent this idea! Thanks for sharing. Regards, Maurice.

I can adjust the tension on the window regulator cable now by simply removing my aftermarket door speaker to gain access. Somebody shoulld send this thread to Porsche. Too bad for everyone that they didn't think of it.

Interesting idea, though not terribly convenient. Having to screw around with one adjustment in a rain storm after going through a toll both, for example, would really piss me off. Then again, if I couldn't (or refused to) spring for a new regulator I'd probably be figuring out ways to avoid using toll roads and bridges, because everyone know what a gouge they are.

The window operates perfectly, like new again. I don't expect to ever have to adjust this again, but just in case, it's now a very easy task. I suspect that if the cable stretches more, I'll have to bite the bullet and replace the regulator. It will be interesting to see how permanent the fix really is. For the time being I'm very happy with the way it worked out. Took less than an hour total time to do it, and I got the adjuster barrel for free from a friend who's into bicycles, so not much of an investment. Oh, and I'm not poor, just frugal ( - and not crazy frugal or I wouldn't own a Boxster in the first place). I thought I'd pass along this tip because of the huge number of these that fail early in the life of our Boxsters - mine had 20,000 miles on it. Why throw away $140-$200 when you don't need to, only to buy the same crappy part that will fail again in 20,000 miles?

I think that's a great mod Dave. Very clever and simple. Thanks for posting!

... stretch. There's a plastic guide inside the regulator that breaks (with age) and lets the cable have a bit of slack. That's why people tend to think that the cable has stretched. I love your inventiveness. I had done something similar with a ferrule cut to size, but it was not adjustable and it moved a bit. Thanks for sharing your solution. Happy Boxstering, Pedro

Now that makes a lot of sense as it seemed pretty odd to me that the cable would have actually stretched. I have only seen a couple of pictures of the regulator removed from the door. Any chance you might have an illustration where the plastic guide that fails is located? I'd like to learn more about the failure mode.

I've received a few PMs regarding this mod. Just thought I'd post that a year later (4k miles) it still is working fine. Admittedly I only drive the car on nice days, usually on the weekends, so it doesn't get that much use. My wife is usually with me, so the passenger door gets almost as much use as the driver's door. I have never been back into the door, so no adjustments have been required and it still works like the day I did this fix. I think ppbon is correct that the cable never stretched as I orginally thought. His post regarding a plastic guide that breaks causes the excessive slack in the window regulator seems right on the money. I wish I could change the title of this thread to read, "Permanent fix for window not dropping when door opens". Dave S.

Yes this does work, I did this to my driver's side regulator cable and it's holding-up fine. Although if I rememeber correctly I used tie wraps on just one end of the cable (one location).

Just one more example / reason I love this site so much!!

Thanks DaveS I just saw your post and I had the same problem with my window. I had a cable adjuster from a bike laying around and I just screwed it into the blue plastic piece and it works GREAT !!! I didn't need to even to adjust it plus I checked the cable tension and it is not too tight and just a little slack.What would we do without the internet?

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Glad you had the same results I did. Nice to fix for pennies as opposed to hundreds of $$.

was it hard to take off the door to access this cable?

Not too bad. I followed these instructions: Boxster Projects | Power Window Motor Repair

thanks Dave. any else try this mod? i called my local bike shop and going to pick up this brake cable piece tomm. im not very mechanically inclined though i did switch out the ignition switch yeah my problem also, when opening the door, window does not completely go down so than i push glass down, shut it and it goes up tight.

for now. before exit, i use button to lower the window slightly. when out, i use my key to turn the key to the left and it makes the window go up to seal. pain in the butt but ok for now.

Did this "fix" on Monday. $2 part at the local bike shop. Or, if you've got a good reputation with them, free! Or, you can buy an OEM replacement part from an eBayer for $108.99 shipped. From others on these forums, I hear it's a quality part: http://www.ebay.com/itm/150590554947?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

so those green pieces are the oem and you got rid of them ? did you have to wedge the brake piece into the housing?

In photo 1, you can see the green piece broke into two, and was binding on the pulley. Photo 2 shows the barrel adjuster. It's the perfect size to fit into the groove of the frame. Photo 3 shows the other end of the frame, with an intact green piece, just for reference, to see how it's supposed to fit when it doesn't break and look like photo 1.

thanks for explanation! that makes sense!!

when you take off the door, what position should you have the window ?

in my experience, if you're going to work on the regulator, anything butt the fully lowered postion. half way if i had a choice, makes getting to the regulator feet easier, as well as removing the speaker box.

When I did mine, I had the window fully open. But when I had to loosen the clamps that hold the glass, I fully closed it. When fully raised, there are openings that give you access to the clamps.

great thanks very much!!!

When I fixed mine, I left the window almost all the way up. I didn't remove the regulator or the glass, just added the barrel adjuster to the front lower pully by accessing through the opening in the door after removing the interior panel. It is really very easy to do

Lucky dog, Dave S. My regulator (and glass) had to come out because the part that broke was at the top/rear. Not accessible from the bottom of the door.

just bought two of them. will try it this weekend. thanks Dave for the innovation and others for guidance.

bar10. did you take off the circle adjustment in yours? i see it in the first but not the middle pic(installed)

I did. I found that the nut was not necessary. At least, in my installation. Others may have varying needs.

bar, w/o it, are you worried it might pop off cable?

No, there's plenty of tension on the line and the opening on the barrel is facing inwards.

bar, did you just cut open the green adapter? i have everything open. mine appeared in tact. or should i just add zip ties like chuck did.

ok i added three zip ties to tighten the cable at the top of the spring. like in chucks original temp. fix. do you guys think this will hold up? will wait for advice before sealing up the door panel. thanks in advance!

dave, how did you remove the green fact housing to keep the cable tension? just dremel it off? mine was intact.

ok i tried it with the zip ties. no diff. the tension was def. a lot tighter but it didnt seem to make a diff. do you guys think i have a diff problem?

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Yes, but only because mine was broken, as you can see in the first pic. Since appears yours are intact (by your posts) then you should not cut yours. In fact, the whole basis of this thread is to repair the broken green piece with a bike cable barrel adjuster. If all your green pieces are intact, your problem lies elsewhere. More troubleshooting would be required. Go back and search/read through a few of the threads that talk about the window not dropping properly and you'll see ways to check yours out. There are many sensors that can be at fault. Two in the door (outer/inner handles) one in the convertible top portion of the top center of the windshield, can't remember the rest right now. If your window isn't dropping when you open the door, is it the same with both the innner and the outer handles? Others will chime in, I'm sure, to try to help you out. However, since you've got the door apart and probably want to resolve this rather quickly so you can get the car back together, you may have to resort to just searching/reading older threads on your own to save yourself some time. Good luck! I know how much of a pain it is to have a car half apart just sitting in the driveway...

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The green end of the cable sleeve was intact on mine, but it didn't fit well with the barrel adjuster I was using, so I cut it off. I think I just used a plier-like cable cutter to break it up and get it off the cable. If it fits into the barrel adjuster you are using, you might want to leave it on there.

yeah thanks guys for your advice. i put it back together. yes window does not come down from the inside and outside. but if i push it down when im outside, and than close the door. it ll come back up. I'm thinking now it might be one of the sensors. but ill inquire in another thread. dave. so both your green adapters were intact also?

Dave, mine looks exactly like yours but the cable insulation is too big to fit into my brake barrel. how did you figure out that it was the problem? my window issue seems exactly like that is wrong with others on this thread. so guess the question is, should i just go ahead and cut the green adapter and put on mine? one thing i did notice was that the slimmer end of the green adapter slide into the metal housing. not sure if this is normal or not.

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Not only did my window not drop enough to clear the top, but if I rolled my window 1/2 way down and then lifted up on the glass, you could easily push it up and down at least a 1/2 inch with very little if any resistance. I found the cable to have excessive play and I don't remember if it had more slack when you lifted up the glass or pushed it down. I think it had the most slack when you lifted up the window a bit. With the slack in the cable I could pull the green end out of the corner piece that holds the corner roller at front corner at the bottom of the door. If you look at the last picture in my original post, I think you'll also see the adjustment I made where the cable goes into the bottom of the motor in the center of the door. I also had to clearance the metal piece in the corner to fit my barrel adapter. I did this by drilling it out slightly. I had to move the cable out of the way to do that of course, but still was able to do all that without removing the regulator from the door.

thanks Dave, ill try those things this week.

Maurice, Nice to know you are still helping 986 owners out. Followed you on Petes forum. My 1998 boxster was in storage for a couple of years. been changing out oil etc. Still have pax window down will not go up switch out drivers with pax switch. No go. 40,000 miles on car now engine lite on changed fuel cap still on. Can you help out?

Just did the same on the passenger size window. Great DIY Thanks this is what I ended up doing. when the window was up all the way, the slack in the cable was half an inch or more and the cable can be seen. but all the green end pieces were fine. so the pulley grove must be worn. by removing the hair clip like pin by the motor drive, I was able to take the green end piece off and take the cable out of the pulley using the notch cut out on the pulley fence. (used photo from member bar10dah's entry in this thread) purchased a bicycle adjuster with 1/4 inch barrel and similar size thread. filed off roughly 50% of the thread and with light application of Teflon oil, threaded the adjuster into the green piece. placed the green end (with the adjuster attached) into the window regulator and while compressing the spring by the motor, routed the cable back onto the pulley. put back the pin by the motor and then adjusted the adjuster. I did not have to take the regulator out of the door. cable tie solution seems to be problematic in that the green piece would no longer sit flat onto the housing and on the motor end, would extend the spring-loaded plunger too far out of the cylinder.

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Glad this is working for everyone that has tried it. My window still functions perfectly after all this time. I fixed the pictures at the beginning of this thread as I'm using a new free picture hosting service now.

Here is another approach that worked great for me. I recently sold my 2000 'S' and the gentleman accidentally put to much stress on the window (I didn't show him well enough how the doors open with the top up) and either the cable stretched or a piece broke. Well anyway he came over before leaving for Kentucky and we came up with the great fix. Using a bicycle cable barrel (yellow arrow) in the exact shape as the factory barrel (orange arrow), only smaller, we were able to pull up the 1/4 inch slack preventing the window from dropping far enough to open the door. It is kind of like stacking barrels. To do this we had to file down the area the factory barrel recesses into (see green arrow). This allowed us to snap the barrel back into place since it was not possible to pull the cable enough to get the barrel back into the hole it seats in. This fix would go very fast but while learning we dropped the cable off the pulley (red arrow). The cable is hard to get back on. There is a little notch in the pulley for getting it past the guide. Once back in though we were able to put the fix together. I'd like to thank everyone that posted here, this forum still rocks. Saved us big time.

Thanks Dave S for sharing this tip. used the bikecycle cable adjustment and it worked out fine, and i'll hope this will stay for a while...

My driver side window would not drop down enough when opening the door and it would also make a grinding noise while operating (and sometimes stop when in auto mode). My cable was loose, but it was because it had jumped the pulley at the top left. Once I got the cable back on the pulley and lubed the tracks, there was still a little slack (all the green guides were fine, though), so I added one of the bike cable barrels. Now everything works great... until the cable jumps the pulley again - probably when I open the door before waiting for the window to move enough.

Great DIY fixes. Props to the OP

Dave, Any idea what the cable size is for this DIY. I suspect it's 8mm, but want to be sure! Thanks!

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Oh HELL F*CK NO! Your OEM Motor will not fit on there properly. I had to make it fit. Not worth the saving!!!

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Sorry, I do not know what size it is. I was able to get an assortment of those cable adjusters from a bicycle mechanic friend of mine and I just picked the one that fit best. If you figure out what size works best, please post that in this thread.

Hi all, found this thread, tried the fix with the bike brake adjuster to fix the lack of window drop. Seems to have helped, but the window now needs to go up another 3 or 4 mm, and when it goes down it seems to go too far. It starts to twist the window guide when the window sits down on the down stop from the motor pull. Tried adjusting the upper stops, and tension with the brake adjuster. I'm worried I may in fact need a regulator ? Thoughts ?

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It still works fine after six month last post.....

I removed the regulator. It turns out the little bead that is crimped onto the cable came out of the slot on the window clamp. It was above the clamp and thus was jamming the window down too far. Re-set, lubed, re-installed, minor adjustment to window height with adjustment screw set, and all is well !

Anyone have an extra bike cable barrel they are willing to sell and mail to me? I know it sounds stupid.. I'm based in HK... I've gone to 3 bike shops and they don't sell them individually... only if I buy the whole brake and cable set!!!

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Not sure if this is the correct size or not, but it looks like it would work. You need to be sure to get a slotted one, so you can slip it over the cable: http://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-Mountain-Lever-Adjusting-Barrel/dp/B000O5SR4W/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0B8CMN1NZESGVW7VVS13

cheers mate. they dont ship to hk .. but lemme try to find similar on ebay. 7mm diameter is the way to go eh?

I took apart the right door today to get it fixed, definitely was a cable slack issue. As I was growing frustrated (damn heat), I zip-tied some space between the bracket and the teal cable grommet to tighten it up. It seemed to work, glass didn't catch on the roof so I buttoned it back up. Now it's intermittently catching - when the door handle (outside) is pulled enough to open the car, it'll grab but if it's pulled entirely it doesn't seem to. Also it's likely not enough tension on it, so I'll get back in there sometime soon and add the cable adjuster (which I procured today). "New" (used) regulator will stay in storage until needed. Now I realize I didn't add any zip-ties around the spring housing. D'oh!

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Success using this piece on my 03 Boxster, but I could have used a bit more thread length. This part gave me just enough window movement for the window to clear. Following this guide I did not know what he was talking about when he says removed the C-shaped piece of plastic. This piece is what he is talking about.

Funny this thread came back up. Last week the pass. regulator crunched out, seems my "temporary" (read: lazy) fix came undone and the cable got twisted and came off of the pulleys. Just replaced the regulator with a nice used example I bought from Woody, and all is well again.

I just tried this but I think I ended putting too much pressure on the line. It makes a cracking sound going up. Does anyone have a close up on how the line is suppose to fit back into the roller behind the speaker?

Facing the exact same issue. Both failed within one week of each other. Dave, since you had to drill to get the adjuster in place, I assume you had to disconnect the cable and move it out of the way. That would also allow you to remove the tip from the cable housing. Can you share how that is done? Chuck, since it looks as if you did not have to drill, can you tell me how you got the adjuster in place? Was there enough slack in the cable to get it in place? Thank for these tips. My mechanic wanted 1,200 to install two new OEM regulators!!!

I can't answer your question, but here's an eBay listing from a forum member: Porsche 996 99 05 986 Boxster 97 04 Right Passenger Side Window Regulator | eBay Woody probably has some too: http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-parts-sale-wanted/52469-parting-out-whole-lot-boxsters.html Swapping out the regulator isn't much harder than just doing the fix. I guess if the mechanic was buying a couple OEM regulators with full mark-up.... Did he offer to give it a fresh lube before putting it in?

Cole9900, I sell the window regulator/motor as one for $50. I'll gladly walk you through it if you come here. You wouldn't be the first person I've helped replace their regulator using my tools. It's real easy.

You are a stand up guy

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Why thanks and you too Helping each other out is what we do here right?

Old thread, but just wanted to say thanks... Just implemented this fix and it completely resolved my 'front of the window isn't dropping quite enough when I pull the handle' problem on my 996 Turbo.

This is obviously an old thread as previously stated but I wanted to say that the zip-tie fix worked for my passenger side window (2000 S); it would lower as normal but would not "close" when I shut the door. $3.89 in zip-ties and an afternoon for a newbie (me) made it worth it. Thank you, Dave S., for the effort and sharing.

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Hello Pedro - this is out of topic but just have a question and need your input. I leaving the country for 3 months, I thinking to drain some oil maybe 2 quarts from my boxster so the IMS bearing was not submerged in oil, then When I get it back will add the the oil again. Maybe you have some input. Is it bad for engine to be low on oil when not driving/using it anyway. Just to save the IMS bearing of engine oil/acid that might/will penetrate in there. thank you for your input.

Yes, the ties work amazingly. Mine was the one in front of door bottom. Works fine again. I give ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For this .05 cent repair.

I'm missing something here. 10 How did you determine which green plastic bushing to work on? does it matter? the one in the photo looks just like mine....not broken or damaged but the bottom one is accessible, the top not. 2( how did you get down to the bare wire cable? the cable has a thick plastic and metal housing it slides through. It seems that the cable is wrapped around a pulley that is covered on the outside and I don't see how to get to the bare cable to get the split clamp on it. Will the clamp simply thread itself into the green plastic bushing? What does the plastic tie do? I need some help please

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I have read the entire thread and I think I follow the instructions, but there seem to be some pictures missing from the 2010 posts. I know it is over 8 years but this thread seems to be worth piles of gold. I've got to dig into my issues which appear to be the same as everyone else's so before I go and buy new switches & regulators for almost $300 I'll be happy to try some zip ties and cable turnbuckles. If anyone can put together a step by step that would be awesome. cheers. Thom

Did the window regulator fix to my drivers side (left) door today. Front cable had a lot of slack. All green inserts ok, all cables are on their pulleys as far as I could tell. I carefully cut the green cable insert/holder off of the slack cable with a dremel. Should have left it on and added the bicycle adjuster behind it. Barely had enough adjustment to take out all the slack and leave enough of the adjuster to fit into the pulley assembly. Works like a champ! Thanks Dave S! The original green fitting pulled all the way out of the pulley fitting. That’s a lot of slack. The green fitting after I Dremeled it off. Done! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Sorry for the necro but can someone help me out with a specific size or confirmed model of barrel adjuster that works? Seems like there are a few different types

BEWARE! You have summoned the dead!

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I did the bicycle adjuster thing. It worked for about 3 weeks and then ate the cable. Did the whole thing again and replaced the regulator and it works like new. I got the URO updated regulator and honestly the quality compared to the OE unit was about the same. For the amount of work involved, I would just bite the bullet and replace the regulator. Otherwise you run the risk of having to do it again soon (and potentially break something in the process).

Ah gotcha. Yeah I expected the cost to be higher actually so maybe I’ll just do that then. Thanks