Most of the time it's the external microswitch (Burgess) that's attached by two wires. There's a plastic covered cam inside the latch that drives that switch. When the plastic layer peels off, it takes out the switch too.

I had that problem on the left door and just replaced mine with a used genuine unit 8N1837015C from ebay for $35 shipped. The symptom was the window won't stay down for 1/2" when the door is opened. The window will go down for 1/2" when the outside or inside handle was pulled. I disassembled the whole switch and tested all the microswitches and the motor. I'm lucky that I got a good unit. Lubed up everything and installed it. Works like a charm.

All the other 3 (cherry) microswitches inside the lock on the circuit board seldom fail. Maybe cold solder joints but mechanically those don't seem to fail.

You may also want to consider 3D1837015, which is the 997 version. Looks very similar and have 9 pins. I was gonna try that if the used one from ebay didn't work out. This geniune one can be had for $50 used and $150 new.

Look for 1837016 if you need the right side latch.

 

Another useful thread on this topic.

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...witches-3.html

 

Try these numbers on ebay. The parts look correct. I haven't tried them so not 100% sure.

3bd998785 (for left door)
3bd998786 (for right door)

 

This looks like the 997 style. Looks very similar to the 996 latch. The video also show the problematic external microswitch got replaced with an improved version.

 

Hi Ahsai, thanks for all the links! I've ordered the right door microswitch, 3bd998786 (for right door) as well as the C&K switches I mentioned earlier. Hopefully they are the correct fit. I'll post back with results when i replace the switches.

Cheers,
Dave

 

Look forward to seeing what you find. I think the more troubling failure is the cam that drives that switch. Once the plastic coat on the cam is ripped, no easy ways to pair that and a new latch is needed (at least the mechainical part).

 

So I've finally got all the parts in for the door locking mechanism rebuild and found time to take apart the door.

The switches I bought were the ones listed at the beginning of the thread and the ebay switch listed.

C&K ZMSH03130P00LLC

C&K ZMSH03130P00RRC

bd998786 from ebay

I took apart the locking mechanism and found that the internal switches were in excellent shape and the exterior switch that is normally the problem also seemed to be in decent shape, there was some wear on the button but the rubber seal was still intact and the insides of the switch was clean. After some trouble shooting, I found that it was the solder joint for the ground connection that had failed and was intermittent. I resoldered the joint and everything now works fine.
I did replace the external switch due to the fact that the button was wearing down and the new switch I bought had a metal tab which should last much longer. With a bit maneuvering it fit perfectly in place of the old switch and functioned correctly.

 

Glad that bd998786 switch works. The solder joints look pretty bad in your photo. The one on the upper left looks cracked.

 

Yep, the solder joint you pointed out, upper left of the photo, was cracked. I reflowed all the solder joints and made sure there was a good connection before putting it back together. I'll probably end up doing the driver door lock soon as I'm sure that the exterior switch is much more worn than on the passenger side.

 

For intermittent issues, I am wondering if it is the switch or if it is cold solder joints. I dont know if I should buy the parts first or pull it apart first.

 

Sometimes it's a mechanical issue with the door latch, not always due to the micro switch.

 

It ended up being Cold Solder Joints. I saw the cracked joint. I removed all the older solder and re-flowed fresh solder on all the joints and switches. My micro-switches looked like they were in good condition. I cleaned up everything, so hopefully I dont have any issues with the passenger door lock anytime soon.

I ordered 2 microswitches from Mouser.com. They ended up being cheapest there. Cost $15.03 shipped for 2. These switches go bad from time to time, so I now have the parts for whenever they go bad. Very cheap compared to the cost of the entire lock. I would feel comfortable replacing any of the micro switches. I stripped the electrical section of the lock all the way down to its core.

 

These general issues are on numerous threads but it takes some searching and lots of reading to find them. In the meantime I have found an amazing video, 51 minutes long, about taking apart, inspecting, and reassembling a VW door lock mechanism that is very similar to the 996's. If you are at all considering doing this work, this video is a must. Key points from my PoV:

• 22:00 - detail of inside of electrical half of the unit
• 26:40 - worm slide and what it does
• 38:00 - reassembly of the unit from all separate pieces into the whole, and how to test at each stage

 

There are many things worth the time and effort to rebuild, but out of all the locking assemblies I've worked on, replacement is the best course of action IMHO.

 

I agree.

At least with my experience I had at least one, likely two failed microswitches and so replacing the entire unit just made more sense.