Windows drop troubleshooting.
 

Here we go again...

I need to find out what I need to order to troubleshoot and fully resolve windows drop problem.

The symptoms are: sometimes they work, sometimes they do not.
There are days I pull the outside handle and the window drops, but when I release it - it goes up. Same from inside. It kind of like the door thinks it was not opened so the glass goes up. Most of the time - it will work OK on the drivers side. Passenger side - is the opposite. Only on very warm days it works, while on colder days it will not. Weird.

What I have tested so far are the switches in the door handles (both sides and both - inside and outside). The switches work just fine. No matter how little or how far I pull the handle - the circuit is interrupted correctly.

Windows opening and closing from the console switch works correctly. Automatically go up and down. No apparent problem there. Same with the roof - windows drop far to clear the roof operation.

They only do not go up after the procedure is finished. Is that also a problem?

I know there are more switches/microswitches, but I need to understand what else might be at fault.

I just want to order everything that possible might need to be replaced and replace what is really needed.

I have a '98 but assuming the 2003 is similar - the windows dropping when you pull a door latch indicates that the micro switches for those handles are working as expected. If the window doesn't stay down, that is an indication that the door latch is faulty (e.g. it isn't reporting the correct state of that door). So I believe you need to replace that door latch.

The windows dropping for roof operation and not going back up after the top is dropped is normal.

Door latch would be the best place to start. That little switch in the latch gets clogged or broken. Very hard to replace just the switch but I have done it before.

Thank you guys. That's a good start!!

Any other switches that can be there?

And then, the door latch - while the switch might be not easy replaceable, is it repairable?

There's a VW latch hack on here somewhere to replace the faulty door latch.

Sorry, can't remember the guy's handle but it looked like a relatively straightforward replacement.

I think the VW latch is only $30 bucks or so too.:cheers:

Jon has done a ton of innovative things like this and I believe he is the guy who's thread you are looking for. Search under the handle 78F350 and you should find the post somewhere. He may have even posted on youtube.

Yup...that's him! He's made some youtube videos, and updated his process too.

There are separate micro switches for each door handle (inner and outer) and then the door latch. Those are the main components within each door. BTW, you are getting good advice around 78F350's VW door hack. With this being the passenger door, you don't have to worry about the key functions working, so pretty straightforward.

Yeah, I found the part number: 8N1 837 016 and after a quick search I discovered they latch is common with VW, so not so expensive.

I will get to it and see what I can fix.

I don't think I still have that video on YouTube, but I can re-post it if it would be helpful to see the procedure. What I eventually found out with the VW latches is that not all of them have the correct circuitry for the door locks to function correctly. Most recently what I have done for repairs is to use the mechanical part of the new VW latch with the electronics of the old Porsche latch. Often the solder connections in the Porsche part are cracked, so it's good to re-flow the solder while you are in there.

Definitely might help.
Thanks a lot in advance.:cheers:

I found my original content and added info that the VW latches may not have the same electronic lock functions.
Here's the remove and install process:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_ny1gyKLQFc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And here's a very well made video of repairing the latch itself:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z5JJmBdztX0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

:cheers:

I was correcting some of the links to my old version of the video and found this post which may also be helpful.

78F350 - I can see in your photos the "plastic nut" that holds the blade into the key lock assembly. The fastener fell out on my car and I replaced it with a cotter pin, installed it and then found the missing fastener (I did keep the plastic nut and fastener - if I'm ever in there again).

Now that you have found your videos I want to buy the VW part and repair my original latches to have spares (as I have already bought new ones from Porsche).

You might have a look at this, it has some lessons from my experience.
http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/78235-door-window-not-dropping-properly-%96-troubleshooting-check-list.html
I have to open up the door again because the window is no longer dropping at all.

Driver Side window not dropping all the way with handle
 

Out of the blue I have the driver side window not wanting to move fully away from the top upon pulling the handle. The window moves or wants to but just budges and stops.

So would it be correct to assume something might be jamming or a linkage might be damaged such that it is not giving enough motion and contact to whatever mircoswitch that runs the window.

All other functions are fine.

If it moves when it should, but does not move enough it is most likely slack in the regulator cable or less likely play in the motor mechanism. There's some threads about it and some people have used bicycle cable adjusters to take the slack out.
I'd pull the door panel off and get a look at exactly what's happening before buying parts.

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/25704-window-regulator-permanent-fix-stretched-cable-4.html

Thanks, for the info! I will time the actuation noise against the passenger side to have some level of confidence it is a loss of motion on the window.......yeah I was really hoping there was something else not obvious that would eliminate door disassembly; really dont want to break anything or go in there with the airbag lurking. Are there any good disassembly guides.....I will go through and do a search on here.

Unfortunately the pictures for the fix are now gone from the thread....ugh!

Just finished power locks/latches on a Wrangler and it was fairly grueling due to the time pressure I had....I did brake a few clips...

Yeah seems pretty clear that the motor runs for the time it should but that is no longer translated to window motion.

This would mean a window regulating linkage problem to me......and door disassembly

Here's a link to the Tech Article for regulator replacement.
https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/77-BODY-Window_Regulator/77-BODY-Window_Regulator.htm

Thanks......I went with a URO regulator rather than a Porsche one. It was just so much easier to get; half the price and apparently has an improved ball bearing design over OEM. Just came today and looks to be of decent quality.

I was pretty confident in just ordering the part after pushing on the window from the top down and seeing the glass really move down a fair bit so there is a loss of control in there somewhere.

Not sure of what the procedure is to disable the air bag so hopefully it is in Pelican write up. I would think I can disconnect the battery and be alright, but not entirely sure. Anyway I have the regular interior pry tools found on Amazon...could not find anything that might kinder on the leather door card and will open it up with my head far away from that thing.

I will report back once I have the URO in...and running.

This thread and the links within it provided the information I was missing. The symptoms I was experiencing included:
1. Passenger window did not drop when I pulled the inside or outside handle.
2. The door lock would turn on and off at random while I drove.
3. When I locked the car using the key fob, I would hear a "double beep" but the car would lock.

My research pointed to the microswitch attached to the exterior door handle. I replace that microswitch yesterday. I reset the window by rolling it all the way up and all the way down and holding each position for 10 seconds. This solved the problem with the window failing to drop when I used the outside door handle. (For some reason that I cannot explain, I have not yet tested the inside handle.)

When I locked the car, I heard the "double beep" but it seemed to take longer to sound. I estimate that it required about 20 seconds.

When I was fumbling around inside the door, the window would drop and the car would beep when I touched the door latch mechanism. (The first time this happened was when I connected the cable from the door handle microswitch to the door latcch. Because I couldn't see exactly which part I was touching, I cannot tell what caused the window to drop.

My current thinking is that the microswitch in the door latch and possibly the solder joints in the door latch are the problem. I have the following questions:

1. Does this sound plausible?
2. If I take the assembly out, I'd like to replace the microswitch and reflow the solder in the possibly defective joints. Does this sound like a good tactic?
3. Does anyone know the part number for the door latch microswitch?
4. I cannot replace the microswitch and I need to replace the entire latch mechanism, does anyone know the part number for the passenger-side VW part?

Thanks again for posting this information and thanks in advance for any assistance.

You can purchase the micro switches for the inner and outer door handles but Porsche doesn't sell just the micro switch within the door latch. It does sound like you need a new door latch assembly. I bought genuine Porsche door latches but found this website that talks about combining the boards of your existing door latch with a VW door latch assembly - I personally have not tried this...
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/tech-tips/porsche-986-996-door-latch-replacement-with-vw-part/151397/page1/

Thanks for the response. I looked at that video earlier and unless I can find a replacement microswitch, it sounds like the VW part is the best option from a cost perspective. The video shows the process and part number for the driver's side mechanism. I have a problem on the passenger side. I've searched a few websites and I am not comfortable that I have identified the proper part for the passenger side. I will keep searching and if I find a part that looks promising I will post it here.

It appears that the part number for the driver's side on the VW is either 3D1837016A or 3D1837016AC

Maybe just start with tearing it down and floating new solder across the joints. I was surprised how flimsy the convertible top microswitch solder joints were when I did that.

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

I found the VW part for about $32 shipped. The seller accepts returns.

When I receive the part, I will take the door apart and determine whether I can repair the existing mechanism. If I can repair it, I will return the part for a refund.

If I cannot repair the existing mechanism, I will either swap in the replacement mechanism or use it as a source of replacement components.

Of course, there is always the possibility that this is not the correct part and I will be back where I started.

For now, this seems like a low risk/high reward strategy.

Good suggestion. I think that will be the first option I use. If it doesn't work, I will have the replacement part available so that I can move on to other options without the need to disassemble the door panel again.

Seems like the mechanism is put together with Torx screws. I would open that thing and inspect everything.

Your description sounds like the is a bad solder connection or a bad or corroded contact. So i would inspect the wiring, the contacts and the solder points. Of course it can also be a bad micro switch.

If you have Piwis or Durametric you can check the M535 for DTCs so you know exactly what causes the double beep of the alarm horn.

Thank you for the suggestion. I do have a Durametric. I should have thought to use that earlier.

My replacement door latch assembly won't arrive until Tuesday or Wednesday. In the interim, I am continuing to study the replacement procedure and I found this video of a 996 owner with a similar problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGbdWAljIJM

I hope that I can fix my problem for less money. Right now, I've spent about $7 or an 8mm triple square socket, $32 for the VW door latch assembly and $31 for the door-handle microswitch. (I'm wondering whether I wasted money on the microswitch.)

I haven't had time to work on my Boxster and don't expect to have time until next week. I was able to confirm that the window drops when I use both the inside and outside handle. I used a multimeter to check continuity in the door handle microswitch and it looks like it failed. (I'm not absolutely sure because the probe on my multimeter may be too thick to go far enough into the connector on the microswitch to make contact.)

I think the most likely scenario is that both the door microswitch and the door latch mechanism had faults. My VW door latch mechanism arrived in the mail and when I can set aside two or three hours I will check the system with my durametric. I will then most likely need to disassemble the door again and determine whether to replace or repair the door latch.

Fingers crossed. ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNlw5TzKwvo

At about the 18-minute mark of the video, the technician arrives at the same conclusion as 78F350 regarding the need to modify (what I assume is) the VW part to avoid interference with the inner door structure of the Boxster.

I have some observations and questions based on my experience attempting to diagnose and repair my problems. My original problem was actually two problems. The first problem was that the window on the passenger side would not drop when I opened the door from the inside or the outside. The second problem is that the alarm beeps twice about 20 seconds after I lock the car and the red light on the dashboard would illuminate at random times. I noticed the two problems at about the same time and I thought they were caused by the same fault. Now I think that the timing was a coincidence and that I have two separate faults. I base this conclusion on the fact that replacing the door handle microswitch solved the problem with the window drop.

I originally thought that the passenger door lock mechanism was causing the problem with the alarm. I jumped to this conclusion because I pressed against the wiring for the door module when I replaced the door-handle microswitch and it caused the window to drop and the alarm to beep.
Now I am not certain. I scanned the alarm system with my Durametric and the system does not show any fault codes.

Undeterred, I decided to replace the door latch assembly with a VW part. (See post #25.) This did not work at all. I think the electronic components in the VW part are different from those in the Porsche part even though the mechanical part is almost identical. (I note that Pelican sells an URO assembly that does not work on cars with the alarm system, and that may be the issue since my car has the alarm system. https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/8N1837016C.htm?pn=8N1-837-016-C-M253&bt=Y&fs=0&SVSVSI=1044

I did disassemble my lock module and checked for loose solder joints. Although the solder seemed in good condition, I resoldered the connections. I also replaced the microswitch on my original door latch with the microswitch from the VW part. After reinstalling the latch, everything works, but I'm still experiencing the double beep about 20 seconds after locking the door.

I am now expanding my search for the problem. Possibilities include the sensors on:

1. Both doors
2. Both trunks
3. The fuel filler door
4. The center console lid
5. The top latch

I suspect the problem could also be caused by the switch on the dash or the immobilizer itself.

If anyone has suggestions for further trouble shooting, please feel free to post them.

Thanks,

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/12094-horn-beeps-twice.html

This thread suggests that the problem may be caused by a wiring issue in the top latch.

I went down the same path - got everything working and still had the double beep (and the alarm would go off for no reason every once in a while). I replaced the ignition switch and the double beep went away and no faulty alarm every since. May want to replace it and cross it off the list. The Audi part is cheap - so why not?

Thanks for the suggestion. The fact that I don’t have any fault codes stored in the alarm system supports replacing the ignition switch as my next move. It is not my favorite job. (I replaced the switch a few years ago.). But, I am familiar with the procedure.

I replaced the ignition switch. As elav said, the part is relatively inexpensive. I have replaced it before and I must be learning from my experience. The job required about 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, I am still hearing two beeps about 15-20 seconds after I lock the door. My next step will be to check the top latch and see whether any of the wires have pulled loose. I will also scan the system again with my Durametric to see whether there are any codes.

On the plus side, the window on the passenger door drops when I pull the handle.

Yes, start checking all of the switches. If memory serves you need to check the front and rear trunks, gas flap door, radio, 2 micro switches for the convertible top, center console, door latch mechanisms and the micro switches for the inner and outer door handles. I think those are all of them - but going from memory.