Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

I have always been a bit miffed that the S2 does not have a delay on the interior light, so I set about trying to find a unit to add to do this. The problem with the aditional units is you have to get wiring to your original light unit and when this is in the roof lining is not always easy.

My RO Simon mentioned that the Mk2 Golf used the same Hella interior light as the 944 but came with a basic time delay activated when the door is closed, so I bought a secondhand unit off a Mk2 Golf GTI from eBay for £4.99 and it stayed in my garage until this weekend when I finally got round to fitting it.

I was a bit concerned it would not fit as the base is almost half as long again as the original because if the delay circuit, however with some fiddling and by turning the unit through 180deg so the switch is on the passenger side it fit in the original hole. The cabling was basically wire as original unit using the original connectors, so swap top wire for top on Golf unit and similar for bottom wire, the centre wire is the live feed which on the original goes to the none switch end of the lamp using a bigger crimp connector. So I just used a short connecting cable with a crimped male to fit into the original live feed female end and a small connector for the Golf unit (as all 3 connections are in the switch end).

Re-fitted my LED Festoon bulb in the lamp unit and put the whole thing back into the roof lining, job done 40minutes. Now have a time delay interior lamp and all for £4.99 and a few pence for crimp connectors and cable.

Great bit of modding, this sounds like a good article for All Torque.

Hi,

Nice mod and one I would like to do myself. +1 for getting that as a how to in the next All Torque.

Ben

I thought of putting this forward as an article, unfortunately this was after I had done the job and I do not really want to take it all out again to take photos, although I will if there is interest although probably when the weather warms up I want to change all the auxilliary dash lights for LEDs so could do it when the dashboard is in pieces.

The S2 does have a delay on the interior light - well mine does anyway and it hasn't had any mods done to it.

Getting in - open the door, light comes on, get in car, close door and light stays on until either:

a) the timer runs out, or
b) I turn the ignition on.

Getting out - open the door, light comes on, close door and light stays on until either:

a) the timer runs out, or
b) I lock the door.

Does yours have an alarm John?
I think that some alarms may have courtesy light delay built in.

Yes it has an alarm. It was fitted by Porsche shortly after the car was first registered. However I don't lock the car when it's at home so I don't know if it affects it or not. The light does the same if the car was locked or not.

Maybe there's a timer device, usually an electronic component, that's gone faulty on David's car.

I'm going to do some research now as it's interesting to know, probably useless, but interesting all the same.

Can't just be David's because it sounds as though Ben's is the same

Definitely no delay unit on my car just the lamp and three way switch fed directly from the fuse box for the live an earth and then the door switches linked together.

I know the 968 has a delay (theatre) style interior light but I do not think this is controlled at the light rather through the cars computer and if it isn't then it was easier and cheaper to get hold of a Golf unit than one for a 968.

Maybe your S2 is the latest one off the line do I remember right that yours had a bridge spoiler as standard or is it a 1992 J, I think the run out models got extras not originally in the S2 to help them sell and use up bits, mine is a 1991 H.

Mine also has a Porsche alarm and ultrasonic sensors but this did not interface with the interior light.

my 944S has an interior light delay, it also has an aftermarket clifford alarm fitted, so it could be this

Well it is an easy mod to do and if you have a 924 or 944 without time delay it is worth it for the small cost and effort to complete. It also delays the time off on the boot light because of the way the circuit is wired so pretty cool in my opinion, well at least if you don't already have the feature.

And for those purists out there the Golf lamp is the same make as the original Porsche one so although not sold with a Porsche lable it comes from the same manufacturer (or at least mine did).

My 220 as a clifford concept 5 alarm fitted it turns the interiior light on when you blip it to open.......................Niiissshhh !