Cab - Driver's Window Auto Droop

[Kim]

I have seen many discussions here of various window-not-drooping-properly issues with 996 Cabs. My specific issue was not one I had seen, so a while back I posted a query to get some help with trouble shooting.

When opening the driver's door from the inside, the window droop worked as advertised: drooped 1/2" & stayed down until door was closed.

When opening the driver's door from the outside, the window drooped .... but popped right back up as soon as I released the outside door handle. Thus it was not in a position to allow the door to close. Further experimentation showed that it drooped right back to "door open" position if I very lightly touched the door latch in the rear facing edge of the door. By "lightly", I mean I barely touched the small piece in the bottom of the latch receiver. Then, when I closed the door, the window would pop up as expected.

Reading on RennTech, I skipped over the discussions of the microswitch associated with the inside door handle. Mine worked fine. That left 2 associated with opening the door from the outside:

996-613-125-00 - the microswitch triggered by the outside handle: $20.55 from Sunset

8N1-837-015-C - the entire door latch with microswitch built in: $116.20 from Sunset

I was sure it was the door latch's internal microswitch, but .... with the other microswitch relatively cheap, it made no sense to go to all the trouble to expose the door interior without changing them both.

I started with Loren's excellent DIY for removing the door panel. Here are a few addenda taking that all the way to door latch replacement:

Comments on Door panel removal:

* first, raise the driver's window before you disconnect the battery.

1. screws under the door handle that Loren mentions in step 1. are Torx 27.

2. don't miss the small phillips screw exposed only by pulling on the inside door handle. Hex under Airbag plate is 4mm.

3. I had to remove the plastic friction fastener in the middle of my door pocket before going further

4. I found it easier to lift off the door panel after I removed the triangular trim piece just inboard of the mirror.

5. I found a long razor knife very handy for breaking the sticky seal of the foam door liner without damaging the liner.

6. for this job, you need loosen only about a third of the door liner, then tape it out of the way.

7. finish Loren's DIY, then proceed.

*********

Now for the door latch removal:

1. you must remove the bright metal plate that blocks the only access hole to the latch: 4 10mm bolts

2. reach in and remove the large electrical plug on the lower, forward corner of the latch assy.

3. screws in rear door edge holding latch are 8mm Triple Square (looks like many pointed torx)

4. gradually work latch out of hole, then remove bowden cable at latch end. Note how it attaches so you can place it properly on new latch unit. Also, remove the black plastic receiver on the exterior side of the old latch. Note how it attaches to the latch mechanism.

5 what you did not see as you removed the latch assy were the two connections between the exterior door handle / lock and the exterior side of the latch assy.

6. look through the hole and remove the 2 10mm nuts on the back side of the exterior handle

7. pull the metal retainer plate back out through the access hole in the door

8. release the 2 plastic catches on the bottom of the ext. handle assy and remove it to the outside of the car.

9. remove the microswitch on for forward side of the ext handle if you're going to replace it. Disconnect it inside the door, also.

10. attach the bowden cable, black plastic receiver (step 4) & electrical plug to the new latch unit, and wiggle the latch into position

11. insert the 2 Triple Square screws in the rear door edge .... as loosely as possible

12. attached to the metal retainer plate (step 7), you will see the exterior key lock and a short, flat bladed, semi flexible blade. This blade must to into a female slot on the outside surface of the latch

13. with the exterior door handle assy out of the way, work the retainer plate into position while watching from the outside through the hole left by removing the handle .... and reaching around the door to the inside access hole to maneuver the retainer plate. Guide the lock cylinder blade into the female slot on the latch.

14. while still holding the retainer plate in approx. position, reinsert the exterior door handle after attaching new microswitch.

15. continue to hold the retainer plate in place while you come back to the inside of the door and replace the 2 10mm nuts that fasten the retainer plate to the screws on the inside of the door handle assy.

16. plug in the loose end of the new microswitch to the car harness in the bottom of the door. Route with clips just as the old one was.

17. tighten the 2 Triple Square screws in the rear door edge to secure new latch. One more hard part to go

18. There is a short threaded shaft that is attached to the back side of the exterior door handle assy. This shaft will snap into the black plastic receiver attached to the new latch in step 10. The plastic receiver (mounted right next to the vertical slot in the picture in step 12, but not present in that picture) is open on the bottom side of its tube. The threaded rod from the exterior door handle simply snaps into this open slot (aligned lengthwise) with finger pressure. This is how the exterior handle opens the door.

19. only trick remaining .... while following Loren's reassembly instructions .... is to leave one of the mounting holes for the bright metal plate (step 1) empty .... as an airbag screw will go there. You can see in the picture in step 1 that I messed up and placed a screw in the upper-right hole. Should have left that one for the airbag and moved my screw down and slightly right. Don't wait until you've resealed the door liner to find that out.

Edited March 8, 2009 by Kim

[wross996TT]

Nicely done Kim...I am sure many will appreciate this.

[silver7even]

Kim Thanks for the effort, I had the same issue and the latch replacement fixed it. I also found by pushing on the latch hook a bit the window retracted as normal, thus narrowing it down to the latch assy. I would add to step 4 that you need to disconnect the latch from the exterior door handle by pulling down on the plastic sliding clip which surrounds the linkage.

Edited June 17, 2009 by silver7even

[sikorskys70]

Hi guys,

I pulled out my seat last week, turned on the car and tripped my airbag light and now the window won't stay down when i open the passenger side door. Before I order the microswitch I wanted to ask you or Loren if the seat and door microswitch are related somehow. Maybe i didn't plug the seat connectors back in all the way? Any ideas? It just seems to coincidental the microswitch failed at the same time the airbag light came on.

The passneger side window rolls down when I open the door from either the inside or outside door handle but then immediately rolls back up. If I hold the handles down it will stay down.

Any ideas? When I had the airbag light reset the dealer took a look at door and said I need a new door latch, 750.00 dollars total repair.

Thanks for your help in advance...

[doublesnaggle]

And a resolution?