944 headlight switch (and indicator stalk repair)

[Pastry]

hi, not been on forums a while, returning with a gremlin [][8|]

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. :shock: 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

 

[Eldavo]

I had something similar with the headlights and it turned out to be a blown fuse. Lights would go up and cycle down if you turned the knob so I figured it wasn't the fuse - but it was!

 

[924nutter]

did you refit the little plastic cone over the braiding or the contact where it can short out on the top plate? A new switch cost me £150 a few years ago.

 

[Pastry]

its a late 944 with a rotary switch didnt see a plastic cone or any braiding, are you talking about an early 92/44?

anyhow i think ive located the culprit. self-inflicted as usual. [][]in repairing the indicator stalk it seems ive dislodged something in the main beam toggle switch.

i'd previously performed the mod to stop the lights popping up when only the sidelights are on; ( https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/tm.asp?m=606203 )

because of this the headlamp motor was taking its 12v supply from the light switch circuit (ie position 2 only rather than position 1 as detailed on all the wiring diagrams and troubleshooting guides). when i replaced the original headlamp relay in the fuse box the lights popped up (but didnt illuminate).

so the earlier switch problems were a red herring, probably due to a loose switch connector. now i just need to take it all to bits again and put it back together properly.

edit;

fixed now. beware the instrument stalk unit if you ever take it apart, its a jack-in-the-box. there are two adhesive pads stuck to it that if you remove you can wedge something in the holes they reveal to prevent the spring loaded brass contact strips from trying to regurgitate the whole mechanism every time you attempt to put the top plate back on.