aeronautica86

When I go to turn on the air conditioning (ie push the little button) sometimes it will stick, and other times it will just depress and pop back out. Sometimes it just takes 1 or 2 tries, other times I can be sitting there pushing it in for a minute before it sticks.

Any ideas?

Yabo

Not sure. I had just bought a new AC switch, and soldered it in mine, but now im getting a new control unit, so you could probably desolder it and use it. I never have used it, since my AC doesnt work, and it was a brand new switch from 944racing.com. let me know, i'd give the whole control unit (missing air circulation button, and the two vent *****, and defroster doesnt seem to work right) for 25 bucks plus shipping. The switch was almost 50.00..

Let me know.

fezz

i put in a new TCU, a Hella unit i bought from 944racing.com - the AC switch either works fine, doesn't engage the first time i press it in, or doesn't release when i disengage it. I think the OEM Porsche unit is/was prodiced by Hella - i just think the current replacement is not manufactured as well or manufactured for the A/C switch to fail - i haven't figured it out yet.

When I work it, I push on it gently and am learning where to apply pressure on the switch so it works the first time, I'm also waiting for it to break.

dme

Get an official Porsche toothpick or match stick and press it between the button and the housing to make the button stay depressed. I can't take credit for this solution as it originally came from Don Istook.

washington951

generally its the switch that fails. you can remove the control unit, desolder the switch and solder in a new one. i did it on a previous 86 951 - not a bad little project. if you search the lists under 'snowflake' or 'snowflake switch' you should get some good info.

aeronautica86

So how hard is it too take off that section of the dash (just the little strip of plastic I suppose) and pull out the control unit? I'm at college away from home and thus have access only to basic tools.

So am I understanding this right...its just a problem with the plastic switch itself? I don't have some electrical issue do I?

yieldsign2, I may take you up on that offer, but I'd like to see if I can get the thing out and see if there's anything I can do to fix the one I've got. I'll let you know either way once I get some feedback as to how to get the thing out.

Bryan Welch

For a similar problem on an old Honda, I sprayed silicon (or maybe WD-40) on the switch and let it soak into the edges. That fixed it permanently.

alpenweissisnice

There is a "switch lube" that Radio Shack sells...Helped with my sticky window switch until I replaced it...

washington951

a lube of some sort may help, but i think this is the common problem where the mechanical function of the switch fails. my money is on the need for a total replacement of the snowflake switch. i did a search and didn't come up with the procedure (i'm surprised...) and didn't find it on clarks garage. hopefully someone will offer it up.

if you do start to dismantle the dash to get to the unit, just remember to go slow - these older plastic parts are brittle and can easily break.

from memory, once you get the facia off - its about 4 phillips head screws that come out and the unit pulls straight forward with two multi-pin connectors at the rear of the a/c unit.

after that, its self-explanatory when you see the back of the switch connections poking thru the PC board. just get a de-soldering tool, remove the switch, solder in the new one and re-install the unit.

PeteL

To remove the control unit you only need a phillips head screwdriver. There first you remove the slider ***** and pry off the A/C faceplate. That will reveal four screws, two on either side of the control. I think that will enable you to slide out the control unit.