VNTGSPD

So, I am in the middle of a minor cosmetic upgrade to the 993 which included a new rear spoiler. That necessitated a high mounted brake light. Upon installation, I had my son push the brake to test the circuit. I saw smoke and then BANG! Broken window.

So, in retrospect I should have routed new wires as the existing wires were obviously damaged. I will do this when the new window is installed.

Has anyone out there bought a rear window lately? I'm curious as to the cost from a glass supplier, wrecking yard, dealer, etc.

Also, I think this is glued in, right? I am typically a do it yourself-er but I may not be able to effectively do this one right if I need to remove glue, install and re-glue - all without breaking the window.

berni29

Hi There

People end with rear window surround rust when the fitter scrapes the old sealant off (usually with a sharp tool) and does not repaint properly.

If you have someone do it for you make sure they know what they are doing and have experience with 993's

Berni

VNTGSPD

Thanks Berni. I was thinking of that when I pulled the outer seal off and looked at the pristine paintwork underneath!

I hate having someone I do not know work on the 993!

993James993

Your insurance should cover this. With luck you have a zero deductible replacement policy for glass. I would take it to the dealer and express your concerns about future rust. Good luck.

chris walrod

Shoot Dave, this sucks!

Since glass is most vulnerable at its edges, would excessive resistance at this third brake light connection near the edge of the glass create enough heat to break the glass?

Wonder if this is the culprit behind all of these rear window explosions?

black ice

States with zero deductibles on glass typically only apply to the front windshield.

I've never looked for a used one, but if you are somehow able to find one, ensure the bonded plastic edge is undamaged (holds the outer seal) and that the part number is correct. There's at least one difference between models - the number of wires coming from the defroster elements.


dave

fineito

I had a recent rear window seal issue (cracked channel surrounding the window). My independent body repair shop quoted me $1600 to replace the rear window on my 1996 C2, labor included. Not inexpensive by any means. I found an alternative solution where I kept the original glass to effect the repair.

VNTGSPD

Quite possibly. I had to splice the plugs onto the ends of the window wire leads. I soldered them but maybe did not complete the circuit well enough. Expensive lesson learned, for sure.

Jeff96-993

My back window exploded a year or so ago, but in 1999 I had the third brake light go out, so I fished the wires through the sealant. Then I resealed the wires, never had a leak.

Ten years later, it explodes. My experience suggests it's unrelated to the third brake light connection.

VNTGSPD

I have to concur based on my read of the many posts on this topic. I actually mis-spoke in an earlier post regarding the smoke and then broken window. What actually happened was a test of the light that did not illuminate but instead emanated smoke from the rear headliner. I then disconnected the leads and tried again to see if smoke persisted. There was no smoke, but then the window shattered within 5 seconds. So, I think that the heat ultimately triggered the failure, but am not exactly sure absolute root cause.

I will be running new wires through the seal like others have done as a precaution.

BTW, to contribute another data point - Safelite is coming out today to install the new window. Cost is $450. It is a non OEM window but is guaranteed for quality and clarity for life so I'm good with that. The used window from the wrecking yard is $500, not including any of the installation costs. New window from dealer is $990 (not Sunset). UPDATE: Safelite had wrong glass, see post below.

Thanks for the tips.

George from MD

Porsche had a lot of problems with this initially. They never issued a recall however they did fix affected windows. The glue they used evidently would not allow the windows to expand with heat. I think there's even a service bulletin soemwhere.

If you have this happen to you ENSURE you remove the rear seats, the package shelf and pull down any carpet or insulation to vacuum up EVERY piece of glass. It can work it's way into the main wiring harness (esp. on the right/US passenger side) and cause your car to catch fire. At the least it could precipitate expensive wiring harness repairs.

Don't ask me how I know.

VNTGSPD

I saw your post on this when searching - thanks. Fortunately, the window is still intact so we are trying to keep the glass out entirely.

Unfortunately, Safelite spec'd the wrong glass from a 964. So, I'm back to my previous plan of picking up glass from the wrecking yard today for $500 and having the glass guys do the install for $60. I'll update the thread when done.