Passenger door sticking -- window alignment issue, not regulator

[Silver_TT]

If anyone has any suggestions on the following I would be very grateful:

When both opening and closing the passenger side door of my 996 C4S it is "sticking" -- or more accurately the passenger glass window is hitting the glass that it sits up against (the small stationary backseat glass window).

This doesn't appear to me to be an issue with the regulator or door locks as I can see that when I pull the door handle the window lowers as it should, and when the door is closed the window raises as it should. Since my driver's side door functions without a problem I decided to look more closely at what appears to be the difference between this working door and the sticking passenger door.

I have attached 2 photos showing my driver side door (opens/closes with no problem) and my passenger side door (sticks). As you can see from the photos, when the doors are closed....on my driver's side there is a much wider gap between the two pieces of glass as opposed to the passenger side door. I've come to the conclusion that the reason the passenger door is sticking is because this gap isn't big enough.. and this is verified in that I can see when opening the passenger door handle and the glass lowers it's hitting up against the backseat glass window. On the driver's side when the door is opened and the window lowers, there's still a decent size gap giving plenty of room for the door to open without hitting/sticking.

Is there a way to adjust the position of the glass window in the door? The door wasn't sticking previously so it appears that somehow the window got out of alignment

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[Dennis C]

You can adjust the gap. On the underside of the door, there are rubber caps that you can remove to access the adjustment screws. You can only reach them when the window is down. I don't recall the socket size that you need to fit them - I think it's 5mm or something close to that. You'll need to adjust the fore and aft screws to get it right.

Edited April 8, 2012 by Dennis C

[Dennis C]

You can adjust the gap. On the underside of the door, there are rubber caps that you can remove to access the adjustment screws. You can only reach them when the window is down. I don't recall the socket size that you need to fit them - I think it's 5mm or something close to that. You'll need to adjust the fore and aft screws to get it right.

[white99c2]

I have a related issue on the drivers side. The seam of the front and rear windows is tighter at the top of the window than the bottom. I'm gtting wind noise so I adjusted both of the settings on the front and rear of the underside of the door to all the way in. They both seem to adjust tilt for a tighter seal against the weather strip.

I need to know as the poster requested where is the adjuster for the seam (left/right) between the 2 windows, it is not either one of the adjusters under the door..

[Silver_TT]

First off, Dennis, thanks for the response. Second,as a follow-up to Dennis' instructions I played with the door today using the two adjustments on the front and rear of the underside of the passenger door -- Dennis was correct that this is 5mm socket size. However, as "white99c2" posted above, this also doesn't appear to adjust the gap between the passenger door window and the passenger rear window (see my pics in original post).

From playing around with it today:

- It seemed that the innermost adjustment (the one closest to the front of the car) tilts the left part of the window up/down. For example, when turning the socket many revolutions clockwise this left a big vertical gap between the top of the window and the door seal when the door is shut -- conversely when turning the socket counterclockwise the window did not go down a few millimeters when opening the closed door after lifting the latch. Turning this socket either way didn't seem to have a meaningful impact on the size of the gap, which I believe is too small on the door that's "sticking".

- It seemed that the outermost adjustment (the one closest to the back of the car) made my window roll down automatically after shutting the car door. When the window is up and I close the door, normally it pushes the window up a few mm after it's shut. However in this case it actually rolled the window down many inches.

Are these two adjustments truely what I need to increase the gap between the two windows??? If so am I just using the wrong combination or not being precice enough with my adjustments? I spent over an hour on this today and wasn't able to make any meaningful progress in increasing this gap between the windows and getting my passenger door to stop "sticking". I need to get this fixed ASAP since it's scraping each time I open/close to passenger door....definitely not good.

Thanks.

[1schoir]

There are three possible adjustments to the position of the windows: 1) inboard/outboard, 2) up and down at the front of the window and at the back of the window, and 3) forward and backward.

The access holes on the underside of the door are two near the front edge of the door and two near the rear edge of the door.

The ones closest to the front edge and rear edge of the door are for accessing the adjustment for 2) above.

The ones furthest from the front edge and rear edge of the door are for accessing the adjustment for 1) above.

To perform the adjustment for 3) above, you must remove the door panel to get access to the window regulator glass clamps.

Here is a photo that will help you visualize what you are dealing with (click to enlarge):

Note that this is the forward leg of the window regulator for the driver's side door (left side) from a 986, but it's the same setup for a 996.

1) The yellow arrow points to the very edge of the access hole black rubber plug for adjustment 1) [inboard/outboard]. That adjustment is accomplished by loosening the 10mm nut that is on the opposite side of the stud whose flattened head can be seen at the foot of the regulator leg. When you loosen the nut, the stud can be moved inboard and outboard and that affects the inboard/outboard position of the window when it is closed.

2) The red arrow points to the access hole black rubber plug for adjustment 2) (up and down final position of window when it is closed). To make that adjustment, pull off the rubber plug and insert a socket with an extension to turn the torx head screw to which the green arrow is pointing. Clockwise will lower that side of the window, CCW will raise that side of the window. You can raise or lower the front of the window with the torx screw in this photo, and raise or lower the rear of the window with the torx screw that is on the rear leg of the window regulator. Even though it's a torx bolt, a 5 mm socket will work.

3) The white arrow points to the screw that tightens the rubber-lined metal clamp that holds the glass window onto the window regulator. There is one metal clamp on each of the two window regulator legs. In order to perform adjustment 3) [forward/aft], you must remove the door panel to get access to that screw on each of the two clamps. Once you loosen each of the two screws, you can move the glass forward and backward, enough to fix the problem described in the first post. Be careful not to overtighten the clamp because it is squeezing the glass through the rubber pads.

Here is a closeup of the window regulator torx screw and window clamp to help you get oriented:

Regards, Maurice.

Edited April 9, 2012 by 1schoir

[Silver_TT]

To follow-up on this for people with the same issue in the future, the correct solution to my problem would be 1schoir's, above...(thanks Maurice).... this is adjustment #3 that he lists "3) forward and backward". It's also much more complicated in my 996 than performing adjustment #1 or #2.

I was able to get my 996's door panel off pretty easily but that's when things started to get complicated. The foam barrier (that's there presumably to keep water out?) that's under the door panel glued to the door is a major obstacle. I was going to have to remove this and my adhesive is too old so I would need to get some when I need to get it back on. I'm also not sure I can get it off without tearing/stretching it. So I opted to cut a small area into this (and taped shut after). I had my battery disconnected because it's proper procedure when working on electronics, I didn't want to trip the airbag light (which I believe you need a computer to reset if you do), and not to mention that I didn't want the airbag exploding in my face. However, part of my problem is that the car needs to be on so the window could to be adjusted up/down for me to work on it. The window should be down to loosen these clamps....but when the window is all the way down I couldn't get my torx wrench in there so it needs to be inched up a bit where the torx can get in. To even further complicate things, the previous owner of the car upgraded the stereo and the speaker in the passenger side door are custom and looks like it's going to be a pain to get out....getting it out will be necessary because the other innermost window clamp (there are two) is behind it.

So..that being said, I have been able to do quite a few DIYs but I think this one is over my head and I'm going to let my mechanic do it. He's an indy that's been working on Porsches for decades and can fix this in a fraction of the time it would take me to get it all adjusted and working properly (not to mentioned breaking a lot less in the process too I'm sure). It's quite possible, if not probable, that these adjustments would have taken me many iterations to get the window working right. I was just being greedy trying to save some cash and 45 minutes each way to get to his shop. But I guess I have a nice drive on Friday afternoon ahead of me....hope there is no traffic :)

Thanks again to everyone that contributed to this post.

Edited April 10, 2012 by ferrugia

[1schoir]

Thanks for posting the update.

If you change your mind and decide to tackle it yourself after all, you can get the foam barrier off by using a heat gun to soften the adhesive. When you want to reinstall, you can heat it up again and it will stick and make a waterproof barrier again.

That will give you better access to the two bolts to loosen the two clamps. You are correct in that if you trigger the airbag light, it can only be turned off with a PST2, PIWIS or Durametric, but you can avoid triggering the light by pre-positioning the window so that you can reach the bolts.

Regards, maurice.

[Silver_TT]

Thanks!

I don't mean to belabor this thread but I just had one last question: Do you know what it is that trips the airbag light? In other words, specifically how does the computer know when the airbag cover is off?

The reason I ask is because it seems to me that it would be difficult to pre-position the window exactly where it needs to be before disconnecting the battery and taking the door off where I can see the inside of the door. This is annoying because it means each time I need to make a small adjustment up/down with the window (or even to test after making the adjustment for that matter), I need to put the door panel back on, screw everything in, re-connect the battery, make the up/down window adjustment, disconnect the battery, unscrew everything, and then finally take off the door panel again.

Thanks again.

[1schoir]

If the little electrical plug from the airbag is disconnected from the wiring harness and the ignition is turned to the "on" position, that breaks the circuit and it trips the airbag light.

Regards, Maurice.

[Loren]

Just to add to what 1schoir said - you do not need to turn the ignition on -- just the key in the ignition activates the airbag circuit.

[1schoir]

Loren:

Thanks for the further clarification.

Regards, Maurice.

[Silver_TT]

To follow-up...I took my car in yesterday and my indy fixed it in about 45 mins. Unfortunately I didn't get to watch him do it but we talked for a few minutes after he finished because I wanted to know what he did. It actually doesn't sound like he did any of the above: He said he didn't adjust any of the torx screws that you can access under the door, and he also said that he didn't have to adjust the window position by loosening the 2 clamps that hold it in place on the track. What he told me was that you will have to remove the door panel (easy) but do not have to remove the gray foam barrier that's attached to the door using adhesive. He told me that once the door panel is off there are some adjustments above the gray foam barrier near the top part of the door that you can use to adjust the window on the track. My door is now closing without the window hitting anymore. Next time I have the door panel off I will take a closer look at what he was talking about but I hope this information can help anyone with the same problem in the future avoid a trip to their mechanic. Either way, I wasn't disappointed I had to drive it to the shop since I took the afternoon off and it was 65 and sunny yesterday....and there was no traffic either way. Rolled down the windows and, man, the thing is just a beast on the open highway. The sound of the boxer engine at full thrust with the sport exhaust is amazing. Buying this car was one of the best decisions I ever made....but I digress....

Edited April 19, 2012 by ferrugia

[1schoir]

ferrugia:

Thanks for posting the update.

There are two bolts that hold the upper part of each of the two legs of the window regulator, and those two can be accessed by removing the door panel. Those must be where he made the adjustment. Here is a photo of the location of the access holes for the two bolts, indicated by the two red arrows, just above where the foam liner would be if it were glued on:

By loosening the two bolts, you can shift the window further towards the front or further towards the back, but that adjustment also tilts the orientation of the legs of the window regulator. I guess it must have been sufficient in your case as perhaps those two bolts came loose and thus allowed the legs to shift at their upper ends. If the window goes out of alignment again, you would be wise to check that the window clamps are not the ones that got loose and allowed the window to shift out of position.

Glad that you got it fixed, and even better that you enjoyed the ride!

Regards, Maurice.

Edited April 19, 2012 by 1schoir

[bar10dah]

Ref post #6 above,

If I adjust #1, will that alleviate some pressure between the glass and the outer weatherstrip? Appears when the window goes down, it pulls on the weatherstrip enough to make it flex inwards, and makes an awful rubbing sound. So, sliding the lower regulator attachments outwards, I can reduce the angle of the glass and pressure on the outer weather strip?

Edited August 28, 2012 by bar10dah

[1schoir]

Ref post #6 above,

If I adjust #1, will that alleviate some pressure between the glass and the outer weatherstrip? Appears when the window goes down, it pulls on the weatherstrip enough to make it flex inwards, and makes an awful rubbing sound. So, sliding the lower regulator attachments outwards, I can reduce the angle of the glass and pressure on the outer weather strip?

Yes, that would alleviate some pressure between the glass and the outer weatherstrip, but if your window is now otherwise properly aligned you may throw things out of adjustment.

Instead, you can first try to treat the weatherstrip with "gummipflege" or a similar product. That works well for solving the problem your are describing.

Regards, Maurice.

[bar10dah]

Okay, will try that first. Hope I can find it in a local auto parts store.

[CBRacerX]

I just performed an adjustment on my 2002 996 where the rear of the window was touching the quarter window. I was successful, but along the way I learned more about how the window adjustments work. Some of this will slightly contradict information above.

MOST important, the adjustments found above the door inner cover are not the upper window rail attachments. They are the window glass CLAMPS as described above, and are only available when the window is fully raised:

Here are the bottom of door adjustments:

[1schoir]

I just performed an adjustment on my 2002 996 where the rear of the window was touching the quarter window.  I was successful, but along the way I learned more about how the window adjustments work.  Some of this will slightly contradict information above.

 

MOST important, the adjustments found above the door inner cover are not the upper window rail attachments.  They are the window glass CLAMPS as described above, and are only available when the window is fully raised:

 

 

 

 

Here are the bottom of door adjustments:

 

 

 

 

This is helpful information.  It may be different on 996's than on early 986's.  I don't remember a torx screw in those positions, but I'll have to check the next time I take off a door panel.

 

Regards, Maurice.

Edited September 24, 2015 by 1schoir

[Kdgiv]

I am having the me window to window contact, but for my driver side door. It appears to be a door alignment issue instead of a window issue. The seam at the top of the door is a little lower than the top of the back panel and the door is harder to close than my passenger door. Any advise on how to get the door adjusted?

[Loren]

13 minutes ago, Kdgiv said:

I am having the me window to window contact, but for my driver side door. It appears to be a door alignment issue instead of a window issue. The seam at the top of the door is a little lower than the top of the back panel and the door is harder to close than my passenger door. Any advise on how to get the door adjusted?

 

[Kdgiv]

Awesome... Thank you. I will take a look...

[Kdgiv]

1 hour ago, Kdgiv said:

Awesome... Thank you. I will take a look...

After further investigation, the door alignment is fine. It looks more like alignment of the window. The top rear edge of the window is tighter than the bottom edge. I also noticed a gap at the front edge where the glass goes into the rubber channel. I am confused in what adjustment to make.

[Kdgiv]

1 hour ago, Kdgiv said:

Awesome... Thank you. I will take a look...

After further investigation, the door alignment is fine. It looks more like alignment of the window. The top rear edge of the window is tighter than the bottom edge. I also noticed a gap at the front edge where the glass goes into the rubber channel. I am confused in what adjustment to make.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Kdgiv
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