Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

hi, not been on forums a while, returning with a gremlin

a while ago i had a problem with the lights not retracting after a drive. I fiddled about with the manual winder to no avail then pulled the headlamp knob off and stuck it back on again and the lights worked.

recently the indicator stalk broke so I took most of the dash apart to attempt ot repair it. didnt realize the stlaks are part of one integrated unit that's riveted together. Anyway I dremelled the rivets off and found one of the return spring guides had snapped off and was wedged in the mechanism. The other was cracked but friction with the spring was holding it in place so i reseated the broken bit put the spring back on (fiddly) then heat welded it in place with a soldering iron. Put it back together (fiddly) then soldered the copper horn contact plate onto its switch pin (as i had dremelled the rivited end off) and bolted the unit together using the holes for the dremmeled out rivets. Indicators worked, as does everything else. Apart from the headlights.

Sideligts and fogs come on ok but headlights dont pop up or illuminate. If I wind them up a bit manually then put the key in position 2 they pop up then down into the off position. They illuminate as this happens before switching off when they have reset themselves to the off position. So this tells me power is gettign to the lights and motor and both are working (ie this isnt a fuse problem)

I've reseated the relay and molex on the headlamp motor after spraying them with contact cleaner, and reseated the headlamp switch in its connector after spraying it with contact cleaner. Ive done some basic continuity testing of some of the switch pins id expect to be shorted when the lights are on and they seem to check out. (56/56k to X, 58/58t/r to 30)

So 2 questions;

1 anyone got a step by step guide or any suggestions on troubleshooting in this situation. I've looked at clarks garage and a few other guides but most seem to concern malfunction of the motor mechanism. I'n thinking either the switch or perhaps the loom further down the cabling form the switch. Is there another connector buried back there?

2 anyone got a spare headlamp switch and reasonably local to glasgow? It's still my main suspect given the previous problem and the fact it was working before i took the dash to bits.

cheers

Do you need the 944 or the 928 part number stalk? I have a 928 part number one which should suit a late model 944. Check your part number.

Stuart

Traced it back to the main beam switch, headlight switch checked out fine. need to pull it all apart again. Cheers for the offer tho