Window Drop Saga - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

husker boxster · 11-09-2024, 03:30 PM

The driver's window on my Cayman would drop when I opened the door, but rather than staying down would pop back up with the door still open. Obviously no good as it would hit the drip molding when trying to close the door. This started late fall 2023.

Did some research and found there was an 'easy' microswitch to replace. Ordered it up and waited until Christmas to change it while I was at my brother's (he has a heated garage in KC). Hate taking the door card off but got it off w/o breaking anything. The replacement process was a bit fiddly but got it completed. Have to put everything back together in order to test it. Unfortunately, I still had the problem. Crap.

Do more research and find there's a 2nd microswitch in the system and based on what's written I'm certain it's the one that needs replacing. However, it's part of the door latch mechanism. Can't just buy the microswitch, have to purchase the whole latch mechanism. Find out I can fool the system by cracking the door handle partially open so the window stays down while I close the door. Since I have a workaround, decide to wait until spring to fix it.

Spring rolls around and time to buy the part. Various online Porsche dealers and Pelican have it for $250. Ouch. Frank Charles Paul Euro have a Chineseum version for half price. Let's give it a try.

Find an excellent YT video on the replacement procedure. There's a plastic cable that comes from the door lock that inserts into the mechanism, and that looks a bit difficult. The cable from the door handle also looks potentially troublesome. Get the mechanism out with very little drama. But both the plastic cable and door pull wire don't want to go back in quietly. Spend over an hr trying but FINALLY get them in place. Vid said to test your key in the door before putting the door card on. It's a bit stiff but appears to work (the battery is disconnected).

Put everything back together and hook up the battery. Open the door, the window drops, I release the door handle and the window stays down. Close the door and the window goes up. Fixed!

A cpl days later when I'm out with my Cayman, I go to lock it and I get a single beep. The driver's door isn't locked but the rest of the car is. Hmmm... Not in the mood to tear back into it so I leave it unlocked where ever I go.

Winter is approaching and I need a soln. Is it my cheap Chinese part? Decide to bite the bullet and buy the OEM supplied part from Pelican. Have to tear everything apart again, which I do this w/e. Get mechanism #2 out. Get mechanism #3 in on the 1st try - cable and wire. Button everything back up and hook the battery up. Open and close the door - the window works as intended. Try locking the door with the key. It beeps once. Crap.

Then I remember the hood is latched but not down completely. That's why the beep. Fully latch the hood and try again. It locks w/ the key! Unlock it and try locking it with the fob. It locks. The cheap part was indeed the issue. Hopefully 3rd time is finally the charm.

Here's the factory original on the left and Chinese version on the right.

It's been a year-long endeavor but hopefully it's finally done.

BruceH · 11-10-2024, 06:15 AM

UGH! As I get older, more and more stuff goes to the "professionals". I invariably break something else when I am trying to fix something or I chase my tail because of something as simple as not latching the hood. I am also always tempted by the cheaper part which turns out to be more expensive in the long run. Thanks for my morning chuckle since I can obviously relate. Glad you got it sorted out.

sljob · 12-29-2024, 11:33 PM

It's like that one simple thing snowballs into a bigger project, and suddenly, we're elbow-deep in a job we didn’t sign up for. And then there's the classic temptation to go for that cheaper part... which usually ends up costing twice as much in the end. It's a rite of passage, really.