Non-Functional Window Switches

Window up/down switch non-functional - Switch number 964.613.621.00 is slightly different from the older model 911 switches.

The original switch, as mounted
When your car was assembled.

They have a connector for a dedicated wire plug, unlike the older cars that had generic connections on the switch's back. For this reason, the replacement switches are dedicated to 964 & 993 and so are expensive at $50 +/- each.

In most cases, when they fail, the pivot on one side of the rocker paddle has sheared off, causing the switch to malfunction. It turns out you can pry off the switch bezel from the originally installed switch's body and gain access to the paddle handle. I drilled a hole halfway through the paddle at the missing pivot point and inserted a nylon rod in the hole to recreate the pivot. I got the nylon rod from an Edible Arrangements basket, where it is used to hold the fruit in place. Some use a small Allen set screw or a segment clipped from a nail shank to create the pivot, and it seems to work equally well.

The internal electrical switch rockers are only exposed to wear from electrical use on one side. When reassembling the switch, they can be turned around, bringing the unused contacts into use. Seeing that the original switches can last 15 years or longer vs. the aftermarket switches that seem to last just a few years, the above fix should last a long time.

If you have already replaced some of the original switches and discarded the originals, and the now failed replacement switch was made in Germany, they are of a similar design to the original switches and can be repaired as well. If the switch was sold under the URO brand, and now Porsche-branded branded sourced out of Taiwan, these can be repaired similarly; however, they have an entirely different design internally and suffer other durability problems. For this reason, I wouldn't bother trying to repair them.

How to tell the good quality rebuildable switch from the inferior ones:

Inferior New Style Replacement Switch                         Superior Original Switch

The inferiorly designed switch above on the left has body latch holes on the sides that, when released, open the switch housing by removing the housing's floor with the wiring harness connections. The vastly more durable style on the right is the original design, where the switch is opened by prying off the bezel from the front of the switch housing. These original style switches are the ones worth repairing, and once repaired, should continue to function for many years.

Some of the inferior new-style switches are bad when new, right out of the package. The failure presents when two switches are used in series for the passenger-side window. When the switch returns to the center position, the internal contacts do not work properly, so the other switch can not control the window without wiggling the bad switch until the internal contacts make a connection. I had this problem with two URO-supplied switches purchased several years apart, and now it looks like Porsche uses the same design.

It is always a good idea to keep an extra functional switch with the junk in your frunk, as you never know when you may need a fresh switch to close the window during a rainstorm.

UPDATE 12/2025.. There now appears to be a third style of inferior switch that is opened from the top. If the switch is opened by completely removing the bezel frame and the body seems to be made from a hard Bakelite-like plastic identical to the one pictured on the right above, you have the original switch worth repairing.