My 83 944 headlights just started malfunctioning for the first time during the two years I've owned the car. I push the switch to the one position and the amber lights come on but the headlights do not. I turn off the lights all together and then they come up and then go back down. In order to get them to stay up I must turn them on then off then on again really quickly. While I do that there is a bizarre buzzing noise come from inside the dash behind the gauges above the DME. I'm thinking that there is some kind of wiring problem. When I try and put them down they either don't go down so I have to get out and push on them or they'll go down about a minute later. I can't drive at night anymore...well unless I wan to use my fog lights.



A few other questions:

Where early 944s assembled by hand?

Is indischrot M3A (Indian-Red) the same as guards red?

 

I'll start with the last first. India Red (Indisch Rot) is the same as guards.

944's were assembly built.

Buy a new switch and headlight motor relay. (About 40$) If this fails to resolve the issue clean the ground bunldles behind the headlight buckets.

Sounds likeyou have some electrical gremlins, suspect oxidized grounds first.

 

I think I'm gonna try a new motor from ebay or a near by salvage yard. Mid america wants $60. for the switch.

 

Keith:

All "pre-1990" 924/944's were built on an assembly line in Nekarsulm at the Audi/NSU factory, 30min north of stuttgart. The cars were on an assembly line, but there was very little work done by robots. I have some 944 assembly line photos and you can see how the workers stand by the assembly line moving pieces into postion and bolting parts in by hand. You can even see how body panels were welded and grinded by hand on the assembly line before paint.

Only 1990/1 and later 951s/S2s/968s were actually built in Stuttgart at the porsche factory.

India Red is indeed exactly the same colour as Guards Red.

 

Thanks Chris and Rich. I was looking at some of the body work under the rear carpet and some of the panels looked hand assembled.

 

1: shop around for prices on switches.

2: Look at Clark's Garage for help on diagnosing.

3: The most likely component to fail is the mechanical/electrical switch. NOT sure its your problem, butt, if it is, and a lot of us have had this failure, it CAN and will do some very nasty, nasty things to the wiring, and fuse/relay box underneath your dash! DO NOT delay in finding, and repairing the problem. This is not an area of "throw parts at it, and see what works for ya" type thing. Find out, whats causing it.......now. IMHO, of course! That "buzzing" noise, is warning ya, to do something....NOW. Good luck!

 

I found the part under my dash!! But what is it and where can i get a new one?

 

Thats whats buzzing?

 

i have my dash completely out rightnow if you need better pics of things for explanation purposes. those llok like relays that are behind where the ac control is on the drivers side. about level with the ignition switch. i can get a part number off of mine for you if you want, and that can lead other people closer to a diagnosis when they know what part it is.

 

Keith, there is a good salvage yard up near Sacramento (I'm pretty sure they are called Silver Star Recycling) for Porsches. I got a headlight motor in good condition from them for like, 15 bucks last week for my Cabrio... Still gotta put that sucka in!

 

That would be great if you could give me the number. Was it a complete pain to take the dash out? I have some gauge problems too. I've heard that it is really difficult and time consuming.

 

its not really all that bad. my a pillar trim had "hidden" screws, and i wondered why i couldnt get them off. the top screw goes at a different angle, so they burry themselves under the vinyl. other than that, maybe the speedo cable is difficult to get to. the trim around the ignition switch was hard for me to get off, and was keeping me from getting the gauge cluster out/gettign the dash out. ill head out now to get the number.

 

Not real sure here, butt those look like the pwr window and fog lamp relays.
fog lamp relay should be part number 944 615 223 00, and pwr window relay should be 321 919 505.

I'd still worry about that headlight switch also. Mechanical switches are my most suspected culprit, followed closely by relays, then, bad grounds, burnt wiring, on and on from there.

The relay on the headlight motor itself, could be the problem also, butt, if you remove these relays and test 'em, you should find out if they are good or not, without having to go the R&R testing routine.

Good luck!

 

your double relay thinger has numbers: 944.615.223.00 and on the left side says r601.328 also on the left side but lower: 12v 2x55w


here is one that im wondering about though if someone can help me out: 944.615.915.01 also says 12v and 89 83 39. the relay is mounted in the center drivers side and doesnt have wires goign to it.

 

HERE IS MORE PICTURES





I'm going to test again.