btv38

Helo all...first thank you for the help in my last post, I was able to get the correct decal for the rear and it looks great.
I have a 1985 928 S. I've searched some topics and can't seem to find one close to mine.

I'm going crazy. There are 2 scenarios I'm experiencing now.

1. All dash gauges (speed, tach, gas, etc.) are working but not illuminated, blower only works on High only on Defroster only, and cig lighter is not working.

2. If I press in the cig lighter, it still does not "pop" or get hot but stays pressed in, but then ALL speeds and methods work on the blower, dash is now illuminated, but Tach stops working.

I've checked all fuses/relays. Any suggestions are appreciated. I'm tired of throwing tools out of frustration. Thanks.

MainePorsche

Your tachometer and dash illumination (pod switches are probably not illuminating too) have as their common ground point MP IV. The cig lighter is tied into to 2 ground points, MP IV and MP V (probably one ground for illumination and the other for the cig lighter). MP V is the ground point for the Blower Relay. Illumination for dash, pod switches, and center console bulbs get there power from the Black/Blue wiring system.

When you push in the cig lighter things change. As a start I would remove the passenger side center console carpet panel and look to see if at the cigarette lighter you have an inadvertent contacting of the Black/Blue - Brown (brown wires are always ground wires) - and Black/Yellow (power to cig lighter). They are pretty close together, and something may have shaken loose.

Start there. I would.

Landseer

Exactly^^
Open the right side of the console.
Also pull out the ashtray.
I bet money you have mouse damage under the radio, on-towards the ashtray.
The illuminat light black/purple wire runs right under the ashtray area.
Good chance of a fried brown wire, related, that will run in the loom back towards CE panel.
Seen 6 like this now.

Bjbpe

Good ol' Mickey. He cost me thousands. In addition to Mr. Landseer's recommendations I suggest a few mouse bates at strategic points in and around the car. Also in a number of places in your garage as it is just about impossible to keep the little buggers out of garages, especially here in Wyoming. Craig, your analysis is great. How do you know so much about our favorite car?

MainePorsche

You know what is really good to keep mice from wanting to hang around your garage - peppermint oil. All the rustic folk up here use it, and for the last two years I put it out (especially when winter is going to set in and they want a place to call home) and haven't seen a critter. Before that I used to see a critter(s).

Barney, I've always been a technical fix it, build it, kind of guy since I was a kid. A lot of this car's maintenance/preservation is diagnostics primarily, and then the fix once the problem is known. It's a binary algorithmic, approach to diagnosing - I do this at work on the frontline where it matters most when an unknown is dragged in - I'm an Emergency Medicine Trauma physician. I'm the guy the nurses say 'let's give this one to 'Doc' and the other can go to... I'm the one the other docs say 'hey Craig can you have a look at this'. You may think I know a lot about the 928, but I feel like I am on the upslope of my learning curve. In Emergency Medicine though, I am the Alan or Greg of that subject. I like fixing things to the rightest they can be. I like doing this at work and at home with my 'hobby'. I learned how to interpret the Wiring Diagrams, and I read a lot of what the Masters say on mechanical matters in this Forum. Basically I enjoy working on the car as much as I enjoy piloting it.

Bjbpe

Craig:

Are you a skier? My son graduated from Colby and we would go up for a weekend, watch his hockey game on Saturday and ski at one or another of the ski areas. Sunday River was a favorite. Sorry to hijack the thread btv38 but Craig has pretty well answered your question.

MainePorsche

Barney,
Whole family skis. We have a hill up here called Big Rock in Mars Hill. Is 10 mins from the house and it's fun. My daughter just graduated high school and did Varsity Alpine and Nordic ski. She would qualify and go to States every year and twice they were held at Sunday River. Your son is a hockey guy - so is mine - he's just finished his freshman year in high school - he skated at Colby for some pre season games this year. Small world...

Bjbpe

Craig:

Our son, now almost fifty years old, was captain of Lacrosse and Hockey teams at Colby. Played pro in Europe until he came to realize that he was not going to make NHL. He's now a VP at Yale-New Haven Hospital. I played hockey in the upper peninsula of Michigan and coached hockey for 35 years in Connecticut and Laramie.

My wife and I moved out to Wyoming sixteen years ago; got tired of skiing on ice. We both taught skiing at the Snowy Range ski area, just ten minutes from our home, until age caught up with us. We still ski but at a somewhat reduced pace. We both have had hip replacements - too many moguls.

Barney