nowata

Has anyone found or created a different window switch like a Carling rocker switch? I'm getting tired of faulty window switches.

such as:

https://www.carlingtech.com/rocker-switches

my driver switch frequently gets stuck in the down position so i have to jimmy it around to sit centered. then my sunroof won't always respond to the switch unless i jack around my window switches. is this due to the switches or could it be a relay or resettable breaker something? it seems like everything runs thru the driver window switch before it hits the actual device.

Jay777

Make sure you pick one rated to switch DC. Most of those Carling's are not. AC loads are easy on contacts because the arc across them extinguishes quickly when the signal passes through 0. DC-rated switches (and relays) have longer lasting arcs and have contacts designed to hold up better. In a pinch you might be able to get by with an AC-rated switch if the currents are low, but the right way is to substitute a switch designed for the purpose (DC).

TheOtherEric

My driver's side was flaky for a long time until I finally realized that the switch wasn't the problem -- the motor was failing. Simple diagnosis -- buy a new switch, if it's still flaky then it's a motor problem. Not a fun fix, but do-able. 6 hours, difficulty 5/10.

pp000830

There are two types of aftermarket switches, the ones made like the original ones internally that seem reasonably reliable and the poorly designed ones that are completely different in internal construction.
The originally installed switches lased as much as 15+ years so in my opinion look up the switch pivot fix here on Rennlist. Once the bezel is pried off a failed original switch it becomes clear that the rocker contacts in the original switch are symmetrical, one side showing literally no electrical wear at all. Once the pivot is fixed the rocker can be flopped resulting in a new-like internal contact point being used. I see no reason why a switch serviced this way will not last another 15 years.
Andy

TheOtherEric

Ha ha that's a bit of a stretch, but I guess some make it that far due to the bell curve effect .... apparently you were on the lucky side of it! I agree that it's worth trying to fix a genuine Porsche switch. I've done it a few times.

pp000830

My experience although not a Six Sigma statistically significant has some validity beyond anecdotal.
My '86 911, My 924s and my 993 were all well over 15 years old before I had to replace an original switch. Some of the aftermarket replacements lasted a year or so some a few years but none as long as the originals or the pivot repaired originals on my car today. Some of the aftermarket switches are so bad new-out-of-the-box that they need to be jiggled so the three-way function for the passenger window switch on the driver door works. really bad quality. When you pry them open it is really clear the design is third rate.
Andy

tstafford

Preparing for the future: how does one get the switch out of the door? Does it just pop out of the door using a flathead/pry tool?

nowata

i pried mine out with a penny today and just pulled it out of the door panel. switch pulls right off the harness with some tugging. maybe have to pry them apart as well. the driver side switch doesn't have much slack in the harness so don't let it fall into the door.

TheOtherEric

And I was on the other side of the bell curve, replacing switches in my first 993 back in 2003-4 (7 yr old car). Plenty of Rennlist threads from 2003 of guys having multiple 993 switch failures.

TheOtherEric

Don't worry, after enough failures/removals/re-installs, you'll be able to just grab the switch and pull it out by hand.

Knight

Just bumping this old thread, curious if there are any good aftermarket ones out there? My brief reading tells me stick with the OEM Porsche part even if it seems premium price for literally a switch.

Railmaster.

Do you live in a hot climate and frequently park the car in the sun?

My 1994 northern Europe garage queen are still on the original switches! No help, just a question!

Stewart

The problem with one of my switches (years ago) was that one of the [plastic] pins that allows the switch to rock, was broken - it then doesn't rock properly and gets stuck. I simply took the switch apart cut off the remaining plastic pin on the rocker part, drilled through both sides where the pins were and slid in a nail - point and head removed and cut to a suitable length so that it stuck out either side replicating the original pins.

I've not had a problem with the contacts in the switch itself.

chsu74

Buy OEM. They last 20+ years. Others, at half price, last only a few years.

Also, I no longer use the lever to use the switch. Instead, I press above and under the lever to move the window. That action is more "wear" friendly.

A potential mod is to change it to the 928 style which is a press action like I described. Those do not fail much but its not a plug and play mod.

Ivan J

As chsu74 and Stewart alluded, the design of the switch makes it all too easy to apply enough force to break the plastic pivot point. Its just one of those quirks that we have to learn to deal with.

If one is mindful enough to minimize the force that is applied to the switches, they should last for a very long time.

I drove my 81 SC for 15 years without needing to replace a window switch. I believe that my 993 still has the original switches as well.