When They Change the Wiring ...

[lkchris]

So, decided to replace the plastic cowling around the windshield wiper shafts on my '01, since the original was fairly sun faded and just generally biodegrading as the Germans intend.

 

A fairly large PITA job as there's lots to disconnect and the cowl piece doesn't exactly drop into place.

 

Do it right, I thought, so also ordered new windshield washer sprayers, as they're black plastic, too.

 

It's yet another lesson on how methodical one must be in doing this stuff, as it turns out Porsche has changed the electrical connectors (for heating) on the sprayers you get these days and they won't mate up with the existing harness connectors.

 

Was fairly far along into reassembly before I noticed this, but knowing PET (the parts system) lists "repair kit, wire harness," I finished the whole thing, with just wires disconnected.

 

Yes, PET calls for two repair kits if needed and that looked like what I needed to do.  Well, price for a kit is $67.97/$43.88 (list/sale) for each kit, so maybe the kit is more than just a pair of wires with a connector on each end.  (997 612 976 00)  And more complicated.  Anybody familiar with the kit?

 

So, looks like I get to disassemble it all again and either just reinstall the old sprayers or splice the old connectors on the new ones.

 

As it always is with DIY, the second time through should be easier and quicker and possibly a Porsche pro knows to check things like wiring connector changes.  Ain't DIY grand?

 

PS:  One post I read somewhere recommended some tape on the windshield to mark how to get the wipers back in the same position.  On this later version of the cowl ('01-on) at least that's not so critical as the plastic is molded in such a way that you just mount the wiper arms so they parallel the molding when parked and you're good.  It wouldn't look good not parallel and that's your clue.