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, it is of a similar design to the original switches and can be repaired as well. If the switch was sold under the URO brand and is now also Porsche-branded, with the two holes in the side of the switch case, sourced from Taiwan, these can be repaired similarly; however, they have an entirely different internal design and suffer from functional and 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 on the left above has body latch holes on the sides that, when released, open the switch housing by removing the housing's floor, which includes 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 occurs 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 engage properly, so the other switch cannot control the window until the bad switch is wiggled 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 02/27/2026:

URO has gone with a new design since I published this page on window switches.

The new style is opened by prying the bezel off the face of the switch,

URO's New Style
Switch

as with the original switches from Germany. It is not Bakeolite plastic like the original. It may address the functional and durability issues with the old style. I have not tested their new one to see if this is the case. The inferior old style's part number from URO ended in "00", whereas the new one, pictured, ends in "01" and is of a different construction.