sccasey

OK, here's an update. I thought my driver's side window had broken in the door (see original post from a week or so ago), but it turns out the problem was far stranger, if easier to fix.

The loud "crack" I I had heard one day when the windw was near closing was the sound of a window regulator arm breaking off a piece of the insulation glued to the lower indside of the outer door skin. This stuff looks like it is asphalt-based, about 1/8 inch thick, six inches tall, stretches the full width of the door, and I'd guess it was put there for sound deadening.

The edges of this stuff had peeled away from the doorskin over time, curling out, until it interfered with the window regulator mehanism. Over the years, maybe it peeled away due to heat, but in any event, it was very hard and brittle, so that when the mechanism hit it, the piece that broke off gave way suddenly, with that loud snap. It was so brittle that as other pieces broke off they sounded like glass shards falling inside the door.

Bizarre.

Of course, the channel rail that the bottom of the door glass rides in was completely rusted (to the point where the front edge was rusted through in spots), so it got pretty seriously bent and twisted when it hit the insulation, making it sound like the glass would shatter every time I raised or lowered the window.

I straightened it all out and the window goes and up and down ok for now, but I'll be calling the local dealer to find out if can get replacement channels. And I'll probably replace both sides since the passenger window had a similar problem last year.

Anyway, I know others have had the rusty window rail problem, but wanted to share my experience with the insulation.

Steve C.

'96 993 C2 Coupe, black/tan, sound package (115k, my 4-season daily driver)
'89 325i convertible (wife's portable tanning salon)
'69 Montesa Scorpion (all-orginal, "barn find")
'66 Bultaco TSS replica cafe racer project (two-strokes rule)
'80 Honda CB750F Supersport
'89 Firebird (oldest kid's car)
'82 Yamaha XS400SJ Heritage Special (middle kid's bike)

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All, I have a '96 coupe that I'm afraid has a broken driver's window -- from a rusted rail/regulator mechanism. I'm looking for anyone with similar experiences and/or advice before I take the door panel off.

My passenger window stopped working when it came off the rail about 6 months ago, but after two or three tweaks to align the regulator arms and grease all the moving parts, it's been fine since. Then 4-5 weeks ago I was raising the driver's window when it made a loud bang just at it reached the top. And when I closed the door I could hear glass pieces falling. Nice. I keep expecting the thing to shatter when I close the door, but not yet.

I've been calling around to find a replacement window (new is around $300), but wanted to know what the procedure is. I assumed that once I had the bottom of the window off the rail I could angle it in a way to slide it out the top, and slide the new one in same way. Or do I have to take the door apart?

Add this to the high-mileage thread. The rest of the car is solid at 115k plus. In my 60k, did one major service (filters, ignition parts minus wires, wish I had done the wires then b/c mine are ready), valve cover gaskets, replaced the aux air valve and cleaned the air passages to clear the CEL, rotors, brake pads (how do I clear the brake warning light, btw, since the wear indicators are useless and just tied out the way?).

Thanks in advance. Rennlist member since it was PorscheList.

Steve C.
North of Boston