To all the anoraks out there - here comes a challenge:

Routing around in the driver side door to replace the white plastic window guides I found this: a loose black hard rubber piece about 80 x 60 mm (a bit larger than 3"x 2") and 5 mm thick with a "U"-shaped cut out in the middle (see pic).

Anyone know what this is and where it goes? Any pointers appreciated !

Kurt
90S4

 

might that part be placed at the bottom of the central tube so the window has something to sit on when its down

 

you mean the tube runs through it and holds it in place? Could be correct even though the shape of the cut-out seems odd for that position.

I can't find any such rubber piece mentioned in PET or the WSM. The rubber itself shows no signs of wear or impressions indicating its use - which it shouldn't if it does what you suggest as I rarely leave the window fully opened for longer time.

Kurt

 

Here is where you would find it in a 91 S4 with 24k miles on the odo. I believe there should be a third one on top of the battery cover.

 

Nicole, many thanks for clearing this up!

I had a vague feeling that I had seen that rubber before but now it's clear!
Checked it and - yep, there they are on my car, too. And all three of them.
Now the bigger question: how did this get into the door??????

Greetings from the snowy homeland!
Kurt

 

Goes around the (vertical) window guide as Stan said. When the window is lowered all the way down, it rests on this rubber piece.

 

Thanks Tom, that explains its whereabouts!

Kurt

 

Nicole thanks for posting that picture,
from what I have seen the parts in the tire well are usually solid squares,
I have never seen them with cutouts in the well,
That said others are now posting that they do infact have these mounted in the tire well,
so who knows?
Maybe these pads are used in the doors and the tire well

 

The ones I have in the rear tire well have no holes.

 

It could be that they used different rubber parts in the spare tire area, depending on the model year. And it could well be that they used a cheap part from somewhere else on the car, rather than making a special one...

 

PET shows quantity 4 of "deskpad for emergency wheel" and it has a 911 part code (911 201 259 00). In the 911 listing it is shown as a cushion in the fuel system, as well as for the emergency wheel, so they are certainly used elsewhere. There are deskpads for a number of other things (e.g. door hinges) but I can't see the one with the cutout.