I just purchased a 2009 CS (my
intro thread here
). As with any 15 year old vehicle, it has some issues. One of which is the known issues with the driver door window rolling down, and then immediately back up even though the door is open. This is really annoying because it makes it difficult to close the door without doing bad things to the glass and the seal. You basically have to use one hand to hold the door handle open, a second hand to pull the door tight and hold it, and then release the handle. Very annoying.
I searched in these and other forums several times and thought it was either the interior handle issue, or the exterior handle switch, so I purchased a new switch for the exterior handle. After taking apart the door and trying the new switch I found that neither of those was the actual problem. I did additional diagnosis and thought I would share that here.
In my particular case, the issue turned out to be the plastic node inside the door latch (see pics). The switch that the node pushes was still in working order, but the plastic node itself was falling apart and did not always push against the switch.
I am currently waiting for the new door latch (Febi brand, part 3D1-837-015-C). I'll comment on this post and let you know how it goes.
This is the door latch or door lock mechanism (depending on what part site you are on. The box is drawn around the problem area that is zoomed in the following pictures.
This is what the switch and node look like. The retaining clip is removed because it blocks any useful picture.
And here is what my messed up node looks like under the switch
BTW, if you want to know how to get the door lock mechanism or the rest out, of your door, there are some great YouTube videos. I can link them here if you can't find them, but they do a lot better job showing what you need to do than I could post here.
Sure. We love videos here.. and nice job on the pics!
Success! Replacing the door latch/lock unit fixed my window issues and my car and I are both very happy now.
Getting the latch out and the new one were tricky. I should have videoed the process, but I just wanted it back together again.
Best reference video I found - for a 996, but relatively the same
Here are some of my biggest tips for after you have the door cards removed.
Disassembly:
You have to take the outer handle off. Just do it.
Unbolt and unhook everything inside the door before undoing the wiring. The wiring clips are a pain where they are clipped to the door, but if you pull all that out they become MUCH easier.
The outer handle goes out at the bottom, then comes out GENTLY at an angle
Use curved needle nose if you have them to unhook the outer handle from the door latch. See 4:40 in the video linked above. His just slides down off the screw, ours has a pinch clip before it will slide.
Assembly:
Put the door lock from the door cup into the latch mechanism, then slide the entire thing into the door frame. I found that was much easier than trying to put the latch in, then get the door lock to slip into place.
Once inside the door, move the latch into place and start the bolts. This holds things in place while you get the outer handle on.
Get the outer handle into the cup and get the nuts on it with the latch connection screw just sticking through, then reach from the INSIDE of the door and attach the screw into the slot (4:40 in the video above) and close it. You have to do it mostly blind, but its still much easier.
Some videos I found useful
*
** His 996 is easier than our 987s. 996 appears to have more space and better access. But due to that, his video gets some good views on how things go together, because that part is the same.
** This one is a little tedious, but is directly about our 987s and goes through the whole process.
