I have been lurking on this post for the past 3 years (and no, I'm not a rennlist member yet - please don't flame me for that) and now need to post for some help.
I have a 97-911 Cab with 14,000 miles on it - yes, she's a garage queen. I purchased the car in 2002 (with 12,000mi)in San Diego, and had the 15,000mi service with replacement of power steering column at Black Forest Service and they were absolutely wonderful. Kind, friendly, courteous, and helpful, even helping with shipping the car to me in Missouri.
Flash forward to 2005. I received the A502-Warranty card and phone-interviewed service people at 2 local Porsche Dealers (I'm in St. Louis) re: the warranty work, a "two-year service", and an adjustment of the driver's side window (it was catching on the back corner of the weather-strip).
I went with Plaza Porsche as they charged $20 less per hour for the window service and they had the parts for the warranty work in stock (or so they said). Major mistake!
First, they kept my car an extra 2 days as they didn't have some "pins" in stock. Then, when I picked up my car, I sat down to have water pour off the driver's sunvisor onto my leg. This car has NEVER leaked water - I wash it religiously and NEVER have had water on the interior. Then, driving at speeds over 40mph I noticed a very loud wind-leak on the drivers side. Looking behind me, the window was gapped open. Then I heard a sucking sound from the gap - water that had collected in the area between the window and the top (I noticed this after I stopped) was sucking out from the gap and dispersing along the side of the top canvas.
I immediately drove back to Plaza, got out and noticed that part of the door panel appeared to have the leather pulling out from the edge.
Since then, I have been given the run-around. Service manager has stated:
1) The door panel was like that and the leather is going to "shrink" in a car of that age and look like that eventually
2) The roof now leaks, even though "they tightened it down as tight as it can be done" (what?), and it is up to me to pay to get a new front seal at the top of the windshield.
3) The window is "fine" and if I have a problem with it I need to pay for a new seal on the driver's side.
He has also stated that, contrary to what I have personally experienced, the windows on that year car do not raise once the door is closed. I totally recall the window doing that since I have owned it. Anyone care to comment?

Sorry for such a long post, but I need help.
Any suggestions?
Do I need to contact Porsche USA?
Any people in Saint Louis, MO able to give more specific help?

I hope I did not violate any rules with this post and would be happy to post the specific names of the Service Manager who has been a complete rude jerk to me. (And that's toning down the language I want to use to discribe him!)

Please feel free to post a response here, IM me, or email me.

 

As far as your #3 goes, the windows on my car do 'pop up' once the door is closed.

 

What the? Windows don't raise once the door is closed? I have a 97 cab and have no idea what this guy is talking about. Try PCNA if the service other management won't help you out. This is totally unacceptable.

 

Windows DO NOT "pop up" on the 993 Cabs. However, I can relate to your "stealer" (aka dealer) issues from past experience. You NEED to get in touch with PCNA and let them know how you feel. The dealerships are now on a program whereas they get paid bonuses based on customer satisfaction surveys and they will not be happy to hear about your experience. I've had similar issues with a dealership that I patronized for over 10 years here in NJ (Englewood NJ to be exact without saying any names...) and will never step foot in there again. It's all a matter of the management and talent that they have on staff and if they don't have it...run, don't walk! Oh and if they have the talent and not Management...it's only a matter of time before the talent heads to the competition (which is exactly what happened here in NJ).

Good Luck and keep us posted on your progress.

 

#3 - are you refering to "window indexing" like you see on Mercedes and BMW convertible - if so that would be news to me on the 993s.. The only pop I get is when the window catches the seal - this is an alignment issue and PITA.

 

Thanks so far, but:

1) PITA?

2) Do I go pick up my car now, try to yell at the Service Manager? Ask to talk to the highest up in the Porsche area?
"Force" them to do the work? Accept the current status and try to get the work done elsewhere? If so, where else in Saint Louis, MO?

3) How do I contact PCNA?

 

PITA = Pain in the ***

 

Here's the various info I have:
PCNA
980 Hammond Dr., Ste. 1000
Atlanta, GA 30328 (Map)
Phone: 770-290-3500
Fax: 770-290-3700
Toll Free: 800-545-8039

Good Luck!!

 

I have never dealt with the Porsche guys directly, but the BMW guys at Plaza tried to screw me when I ordered a 3 series for my wife. They sold it to someone else!!! They are CROOKS!!! Try Parktown Porsche Audi or Reid Vann - both in the Kirkwood/Rock Hill area. John @ Reid Vann was exceptional to work with when I had to have a top end rebuild just after purchasing my car - even taking photos and agreeing to testify in court against the Dealership I am in litigation with. Feel free to email if I can help in any way.

 

Can't help you with Plaza, since I represent Parktown Porsche Audi, the other St. Louis dealer. However, there are always at least 2 (biased) versions of every dealer/vender/repair story & what we are hearing is obviously just one.

While I prefer Parktown's service dept, Plaza is a reputable facility & many local PCA members have been very satisfied there. Have you brought your complaint to the GM of the Porsche store - in a polite, coherant, fact based manner? If not, you should, but don't try to embellish as you have here.

Claiming that "[the Service Manager] has also stated that, contrary to what I have personally experienced, the windows on that year car do not raise once the door is closed. I totally recall the window doing that since I have owned it. when that is just not true doesn't help your credibility here and certainly not w/the dealer.

I know you're not a Rennlist member, but are you a PCA member? Both Plaza & Parktown management have very good, close relationships with the St. Louis Region of PCA. In my experience local PCA membership makes a difference at both stores.

 

I would outline, in a nicely written letter, to them your current problems, which were not there before and explain why the dealer needs to address these. Send it to the service manager and state that you have deferred PCNA's follow-up service quality and customer satisfaction survey. In other words, give them one more shot at making things right, before you get PCNA involved.

FWIW.. (for what its worth)

 

Wow, 2k miles in 3 years.

 

I am not a member of either PCA nor Rennlist.
I originally lived in Columbia, MO (about 120miles from Saint Louis) and when I originally purchased the car and sent the paperwork to PCA it was returned to me with a statement that "Sorry, but there is no local chapter." I still have this letter if anyone doubts that. I just moved to Saint Louis and have not yet looked into local PCA.
What I really do not understand is why I (and obviously 2 other 993 Cab owners who have posted on this message string) have had the sensation/ witnessed directly and visibly/ however you want to discribe it, of the window making a short "jump" with audible noise when the door is closed. I am willing to accept that this is not inherent in the design of this series of car, but I am certainly not embellishing on the story.
I have been very pleased with the service I have received for my 2002 330CiC BMW (yeah, those windows also move up when the door is closed), at Plaza and I am not trying to jump on any "I hate XXXX dealership" line.
I am not used to being treated like I have been.
Whatever happened to "The customer is always right."? Is it right for any service provider to claim that a problem was "there before" when I know for a fact that it was not?

I notice no one has commented on the roof issue nor the door panel issue.

 

So from what your saying the pop, or it really sounds like a thud, is actually an alignment issue? Dam, I thought it was a feature not a problem.
Great, one more thing to get fixed...

 

Okay, here's the dillieo....when you close the door with the window fully rolled up, the top edge of the glass contacts the seal at the sides of the cab top and "pop" under...there is no built-in mechanism that raises the glass to do this - it is due to the momentum and pressure of the door/window against the rest of the car. Assuming your door and windows are properly adjusted and aligned, this "pop" is almost instantaneous and you will not hear the "pop" sound (as it is muffled by the sound of the door closing); and you will not see this happen because it looks like it is an integral part of the closing action (which it is).

If the door/window is slighly out of alignment, then when the door is closed the window will not slide under the roof seal right away (if it is way out of alignment, the window will not pop under at all). There is a split second before it "pops" under and there will be an audible noise from the friction of the glass against the rubber seal and possibly the air going past; you will also be able to physically see it happen. I have two cabs, so have four windows...one of my passenger windows is slightly out of alignment so I get this "pop" every once in a while...say once out of every 15 or 20 closings. It never happens if the door or window on the oppsosite side is open as there is less air resistance to prevent the glass from sliding under the seal. I haven't bothered to fix this as right now it's not intrusive...eventually I will get around to adjusting this.

A window that "pop" on a regular basis is not part of the car's design ans is not something you want.