A very common 993 windscreen issue as illustrated by a frustrated owner via email:
“I was hoping you might be able to help me out. I am in Australia at the moment and just had a new original front window installed in my Porsche 993 (the windscreen was an insurance claim and the car was being repainted at the same time so no issue with the surface as it was all freshly painted and all new seals etc and original Porsche parts).”
A freshly painted 993 and a new windscreen. Sounds like a good start, however…
“The window creaks (both at highway speed and at lower speeds around town). I supplied the Porsche tape with the car and the guys installing tell me they had done plenty of 993s without problem. Since the window was installed and creaks started they tell me they did not use the tape and mine is the first window they have ever had problems with. They are telling me to live with it at this stage which naturally I am not overly pleased with.”
The installer’s defence of the ‘first window they have ever had problems with’ is quite ambiguous; it could mean:
- they have been getting away with it thus far;
- none of their previous customers kept the car for any period after the windscreen was replaced, therefore, a new owner somewhere else inherited the problem with the purchase;
- the previous 993 windscreen installs were better than this one. The fact that they say this car is the first one they’ve had problems with is pretty much an admission that they have encountered (or are about to encounter) an undeniable problem with the job;
- or that the car owner is being overly fussy about something that they don’t identify as a problem.
“They tell me if they reinstall it there is a high likelihood that they will damage the antenna ribbon and then another new windscreen will be required.”
This. Is. A. Fallacy. An utterly mistaken belief, based on an unsound claim. The same can be said about most ‘the glass might break on removal’ caveats. The point in question here is that it is a customer complaint. If the ribbon (cable) is damaged, it is entirely at the installer’s risk: you damage it – you replace it; it’s your problem to fix. Furthermore, this ‘the glass might break on removal’ is a cop-out. If the glass breaks it’s because you broke it, is it not? A good installer will identify a problem before it arises. Yes, there is a realistic chance that it could break but when with the benefit of experience, skill along with the virtue of patience, the failure rate is less than 1%. If the ribbon cable (or antenna which, on the 993, is embedded in the glass and threaded through into the cabin behind the clock) was a casualty the last time you attempted to remove the windscreen, hmm, here’s a thought: try doing it a different way? Experience is knowing the pitfalls of your trade and more importantly, how to avoid them.
“I read your blog again but still had a few questions…”
Time for some concise answers…
“If the window is creaking it is moving and the issue needs to be fixed ?”
Correct. It hasn’t been fitted correctly and needs to be remedied.
“Should the tape be used ?”
No. Nein. Nie.
The VIN number is slightly obscured by the window (to be fair you could not see it at all with the last window so it is better but I read somewhere this is an indication that the install alignment is not good enough) ?
Yes. Sometimes the plate can be misalligned, and the silkprint can also be out on the glass. The combination of the two can obscure some of the VIN (horizontally). There is some scope to adjust by a few milimeters (more vertically) but in any case, all of this can be seen before bonding the windscreen in. Dry fit it. Test fit it. Simples.