FRUNKenstein

OK, I realize this is kind of a sissy question since I'm not asking about reconfiguring my DME or dropping the engine or some other suitably complicated item. Feel free to make fun of me for asking, but. . . my passenger side door won't unlock. The lock button will move, the circular **** will turn, but the door won't open. I've had lots of other brands of cars, but just got my first Porsche in March. I figure that if I pull off the passenger side door panel, one part of the door latch linkage probably just got reversed and needs to be put back in place. In a couple of previous cars, though, I've taken off a door panel only to never get it to properly reattach due to some inadvertant fastener damage in the removal. Mine doesn't look like its ever been removed. Any words of advice or warnings to heed in the interior door panel removal, or is it pretty straightforward?

Jeff Curtis

Kcattorney, first of all, my best suggestion is to search the archives...as I recall, someone wrote up a nice procedure to remove the doorpanel without carnage.

It is a straightforward procedure, but there are a few "tricks" that take the mystery out of it.

Basically you remove the screws around the door pocket, remove the quick clip to your interior release handle and pull the pin, this gives you access to the two 5mm allen bolts that hold the door handle (interior again) area of your door panel to the door.

You pop off the small black cover that covers the phillip's head screw that holds your door lock **** on.

Unscrew your door lock buttons and take out the screw that holds the cover for the upper door panel piece to reveal the two phillip's head screws underneath that.

Then remove the small plug that hides yet another phillip's head screw towards the rear of the upper door panel piece.

Carefully remove this upper piece because the "blink-blink" of your door lock buttons are controlled by an inductor inside the upper panel piece, disconnect the white connector...careful, it's a bit stubborn EVERY time I do it! <img border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" title="" src="graemlins/cussing.gif" />

Now you're about halfway done.

remove the allen bolts that hold the upper end of your door closing handle and pry the edges of the doorpanel so that plastic connectors pop off...I believe there are 4 of them, maybe 5?? 3 on the front of the door panel, another 2 at the rearward section.

I cannot recall if your mid-bass speakers screw into the door steel or not??

Anyway, make sure you disconnect the wiring to the mid-bass speaker, unscrew the cover to your tweeter and find the three phillip's head screws to remove the tweeter and disconnect the wiring.

***This is where you gain access to close or open your electric windows manually, with the factory tool if ever needed!!*** (behind the tweeter)

Pull back the door panel just enough to disconnect the power window button connector and that should be just about it.

Being that I assume you're an attorney (Kcattorney)...neither I nor Rennlist accept responsibility for fits of rage, the need for prozac or anything else associated with the tedious job of removing a 964 doorpanel!! <img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" />

Hope I didn't miss anything...if I did...SUE ME!

robmug

Only one thing to add - the 993 door panel description that you'll find on the archives is accurate, but the 993 doesn't have the rotary **** - the outer surround unscrews (took me a while to figure!)

The door handle has 2 5mm hex bolts behind it, everything else is cross-head screws.

...and there's no shame in asking this type of question! There's nothing more rewarding that DIY, and there's nothing more reassurin than knowing the pitfalls in advance.

BYW, when you have the door panel off, the soleniods etc are behind a plastic cover inside the door, with I think 4 screws holding it in place.

Hope you get it fixed.

Randall G.

KC,

You'll likely find one of the plastic connector pieces has broken. I had a similar problem about 2 years ago, but in my case the passenger door wouldn't lock automatically using the central locking button (it would lock manually using the ****). A small plastic piece had failed.

FRUNKenstein

Thanks for the great advice. After Jeff Curtis' response, I don't feel so bad for asking. BTW, I'm a harmless bankruptcy attorney (the kind that doesn't sue anybody, think of me as a "nurse shark" among great whites). Thanks again and I'll let you how bad I mutilate the doors!

Jeff Curtis

Okay Mr. "Nurse Shark".

Just having fun w/you...good to see you took it in good humor. Us "Engineer types" gotta have somebody to make fun of!

Good luck on fixing your door lock problem, and do keep us apprised of what you found...it'll be helpful to keep in the archives.