Interior lights - help

[Martin Perry]

Tried to sort inoperative interior lights this weekend.

It seems that there are 2 on my car (one in Targa bar, one in glovebox), and the clock on the same fuse.

With fuse in, lights turned off, all is well (i.e. clock works). Any attempt to connect the lights takes out the fuse. Also, testing the live wire to the Traga bar light with a meter, without it being connected to the light unit, will take out the fuse (getting through those 5A fuses by now!).

A mate is coming over next weekend to help, but I have one specific question. The manual refers to a luggage compartment light which looks from the photograph as if it's in the underside of the bonnet near the latch striker. There isn't one in my bonnet, or anywhere else that I can see. What I'm wondering therefore is whether some SC's dont have this light from new. If they all did, mine had been disconnected at some point (guess if bonnet replaced), and this might give a lead as to the location of faulty wiring on the circuit.

And if you haven't nodded off while reading this post I'd be grateful for any pointers.

Cheers

 

[bones]

Martin the boot light is turned on and off from a switch positioned close to the light. Have a look for the switch next to the light in the photo of my car below maybe someone has removed it, I can't find it listed as an optional extra so you should have one. The interior Targa bar mounted light comes on when the door is opened, if the rear portion of the Targa mounted light is depressed, it's off in the middle and permanently on when deperessed at the front. The glove box light should go on and off whether the door triggered light is working or not. Why your circuit is shorting is hard to say from here but carefully remove and inspect the door swithes in the A pillars. When you remove these after pulling of the protective (crap) grommet locate a 10mm ring spanner on the nut and as you turn make sure you have the black plastic central switch post held firmly but not too tightly with some grips to stop it turning. If you allow it to turn the single wire in there may twist off. Ask me how I know? Keep us posted

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: bones

the protective (crap) grommet

Amen to the gromet

You're putting some of us to shame with that pic mate, superb

 

[Martin Perry]

Bones - thanks, and useful photo.

My car has had inner wing repairs, and clearly not done to the highest standard because it doesn't look as though the light has been re-fitted. I guess it's a patch weld rather than a complete new panel - ho hum. Now I know where it might have been I can look for disconnected wiring with a bit more success, hopefully.

I will also try the a-pillar door switches.

Cheers

 

[bones]

John we apperently missed each other at the Reading Le Mans 'event' , I showed up in the afternoon but I became bored and left plus the screen wasn't visible due to sun glare, obviously in the evening as the wine flowed things sparked up. The cars were worth a look though especially the 917 and 956, I was dissapointed by the 935 though I thought it was going to be a 'real' one ie a race car, I'm sure the DP cars are fantastic performers especially some of the really hot ones ( I used to see them in Switzerland a lot , maybe that's where the real money lives/lived) but they are no substitiute for the ultimate flame thrower.
http://members.aol.com/apsf1/DP935/DP935.html
http://www.sloancars.com/recently_sold_2.htm
As to the carpet well that's a fairly easy job. I bought the carpet (not to everyone's taste) in Blackpool for a tenner whilst visiting my sister and got her to cut it to the original pattern. I bought the standard Porsche Turbo leather bindings from Southbound Trimmers for a fiver. It then cost me £35.00 for a local (BMW approved) upholsterer to sew the trim on. It fits perfectly and you can choose whatever type of carpet you want if you don't care about your car being original anymore.

 

[bones]

Do you have a wiring diagram?

 

[Martin Perry]

Yes thanks, Haynes Manual.

 

[Martin Perry]

If you allow it to turn the single wire in there may twist off. Ask me how I know? Keep us posted

Aaargh! Did this at the weekend. Had in mind something about it in a post from you, but wasn't near a PC and pressed on anyway. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Lost the wire in the A pillar. Located it under the end of the dash and have pulled it back through (couldn't get it by fishing through the hole in the A pillar).

Spent 40 minutes with coathanger/coaxial cable/garden wire trying to find the wire run from the A pillar back out to the underside of the dash, but without success.

Has anyone managed to re-wire this, and if so how?

 

[bones]

ahhh....you've done this too, I gave up but as you have the same problem maybe two heads are better then one. So you have managed to see that the wire runs back under the dash and through a grommet as I was told and can you confirm if it is brown as per wiring diagram? I guess one easy way to check the routing is to remove the other switch and see if it can be traced back , I' ll try that later today. Let us know if you have success.

 

[Martin Perry]

Wire is brown. Rest not so easy...

As far as I can see, there is no (useful) access into the A pillar whatsoever. There is a circular hole in the bulkhead below the dash about 2" dia. - not large enough to get more than three fingers into (steady!), and I can feel nothing but other wires - can't get far enough in to touch the inner edge of the A pillar.

If indeed, as you say, the wires pass through a small aperture in the side of the A pillar, possibly with a gromit fitted, it's going to be very difficult to fish a wire through because of the access problem.

I wonder at what stage of the original assembly these wires were fitted, or conversely how much has to be dismantled to allow the necessary access.

I will have a go with mirror and torch next to see if I can see what's going on inside under the dash.

 

[bones]

I've been there with the mirror, torch, coat hangers and patience and I didn't get anywhere. I PM'd John Walker's Workshop via Palican's 911 forum but he said the wire passes through a grommet at the end of the underside of the dash out to the A-pillar, I'm blowed if I can get a wire back into the A-pillar. I have since heared Porsche employed nanobots to drag the wire throughto the A-pillar, they are not on the parts list though! []