Porsche 991 911 Rear Side Window Removal And Installation

I had an opportunity not long ago to assist in the removal and installation of a rear side window on a 2013 Porsche 991 Carrera. More recently, a 6Speedonline / Rennlist forum friend reminded me that I never posted the step-by-step online. So here we go, I'm finally getting-around to it! Following are the steps required for removing the rear side window and installing a new unit. While this was a replacement, if for some reason you needed to remove an undamaged window, the steps are the same and you can simply re-install the existing window unit. The lower trim moulding around the side window is not removable from the glass assembly. To remove the glass assembly from the car, you will have to remove the roof trim moulding along the upper-edge of the window, as well as the B-Pillar interior trim panel. I will describe those in the steps below.

Be very careful with the roof trim moulding, as it is very easy to bend, kink, and scratch. Otherwise, have a new part ready to replace the one you mangled! When installing the glass assembly, you will have to adjust the window glass so that it is aligned perfectly on the x-and-y axes of the forward window panel. This is a bit tricky but take your time and it will look great. You need to get the side window glass flush at the surface plane but also the gap between the rear and front glass panels must be perfect or the window looks a bit crooked. Hint: Get a measurement of the gap between the two BEFORE you remove, and keep that handy. Start on the exterior of the car. With the door shut and window fully raised, you should get a measurement of the gap between the front and rear side windows.

You don't have to do this, but later in this DIY when you install the new window it will help you with the alignment of the rear side window. To create a gap tool, take a piece of cardboard, or something similar, and hold it flat to the gap. Take a pen and mark the the edge of front and rear windows. Slide the template down along the gap to check consistency of the gap. Once you have the measurement, you can notch the template so that you have a simple "tool" to check the gap. More on that later. You need to remove the roof trim moulding that runs from the windshield back to the rear window. This is a single piece. 1. Pull rubber door seal from the areas indicated in the next picture. The rubber seal comes away from the frame very easily -- no adhesives or anything to worry about.

You need to pull it down and out of the way, and completely off if you want to protect it. 2. Get a Torx tool with T-20 tip. Along the front section of the moulding that you just exposed by pulling the rubber door gasket down there are 8 small clamps that you need to turn 90 degrees to release the moulding. Small plastic fasteners are easy to break -- gently turn them 90 degrees. After pulling rubber door gasket down, the moulding fasteners are along edge inside the gap. There are a total of 8 small plastic fasteners for just the front section of moulding. The moulding is stiff. 4. At the rear section of the trim, there are (3) three larger clamps. You need to release these to get the trim fully removed. They are like hangar-clips that the trim piece snaps down onto. Starting at the B-pillar, begin pulling the trim free of the clamps, at the same time sliding it forwards, away from the joint where the upper trim connects to the lower part. Circled the joint in the trim where front section separates from trim fixed to window.

Be careful with the trim piece as you pull it away from the car entirely, as it is somewhat flimsy. Find a safe, soft place to put it, and perhaps even cover it with a nice comfy blanket or something! The B-pillar interior trim panel must be removed to access the release / alignment bolts. 2. Pull the belt collar trim (the small plastic part with a slot where the belt disappears into the trim) away from the B-pillar trim. The belt "collar" comes off easily and you can slide it down to the floor out of the way. 3. Pulling from top and bottom (interior trim tools work best), pop the B-pillar trim / cover away from the pillar. There are 3 small pins that snap into the pillar - one at the top and two at the bottom. But in the middle, just above the opening for the belt collar, there is a clamp that must be released by poking it from "inside" the B-pillar. Porsche has a special tool for this, which is just a handle with a metal shaft bent at the end. I found a picture of the tool shown above.