What Can It Be Now?
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 868
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From: NEW YORK
What Can It Be Now?
So there I was, kinda stoked at the prospect of finally getting the dash and pod reinstalled finally after the two year build. When I put the battery cable back on, my left side running (front), side marker (front and rear), and tail lamp are lit without the light switch being turned on. When I turn on the lights, the housings cycle up and down without the lights lighting. When assembling the interior, I wondered if it made a difference which way the wires on the under-pod thumb-turns were installed. I also noticed the black connector to the VDO box under the dead pedal was disconnected for some reason (I dont remember doing it) so I reconnected it. I now see that my alternator is not showing a charge (and I adjusted it before taking the pod apart) and the fuel gauge not showing anything (although I have fuel in the tank).
WHAT CAN IT BE NOW?
By the way, what is the purpose of the right hand thumb turn? Im too tuckered right now to look it up in the manuals.
THANK YOU ALL THAT MIGHT HAVE AN IDEA!
WHAT CAN IT BE NOW?
By the way, what is the purpose of the right hand thumb turn? Im too tuckered right now to look it up in the manuals.
THANK YOU ALL THAT MIGHT HAVE AN IDEA!
Nordschleife Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 5,234
Likes: 437
From: Thousand Oaks California
The lights on the left side of your car lighting up are most likely because your turn signal stalk isn't centered and is switched to where it is indicating the car is turning left. Or simply, pressed down.
It's a European legislation thing and is there to indicate to other drivers at night that your car is parked there on a street. Porsche was too lazy ( really too broke) to remove it from their NA market 928s.
The housings cycling up and down is most likely because of the motor contacts being dirty or worn out. Remove the motor and open it up to see what it looks like inside and give it a good clean.
There are also diodes inside the motor that would be worth a look as well.
It's a European legislation thing and is there to indicate to other drivers at night that your car is parked there on a street. Porsche was too lazy ( really too broke) to remove it from their NA market 928s.
The housings cycling up and down is most likely because of the motor contacts being dirty or worn out. Remove the motor and open it up to see what it looks like inside and give it a good clean.
There are also diodes inside the motor that would be worth a look as well.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,177
Likes: 4
From: Michigan
First thing I would do is unplug the module under the dead pedal, it monitors the lights systems individually and let's you know when one is malfunctioning. So, if it was unplugged earlier....odds are it was shorted out or malfunctioning itself beforehand.
Headlights going up but not turning on could be the headlight combination relay in CE panel. Could just be a coincidence that it went bad during this same time period. My 84's went bad overnight, buckets went up and down with headlight switch, but no beams (high or low), worked one day and then not the next. If you have a wiring diagram, diagnostics aren't that difficult. Mark at 928 International had them, used...but checked out.
I want to say the righthand thumb dial is for the intermittent wipers adjustment.
Brian.
Headlights going up but not turning on could be the headlight combination relay in CE panel. Could just be a coincidence that it went bad during this same time period. My 84's went bad overnight, buckets went up and down with headlight switch, but no beams (high or low), worked one day and then not the next. If you have a wiring diagram, diagnostics aren't that difficult. Mark at 928 International had them, used...but checked out.
I want to say the righthand thumb dial is for the intermittent wipers adjustment.
Brian.
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 868
Likes: 61
From: NEW YORK
I thought that things might be unrelated due to the fact that the interior was completely disassembled for so long, some things could have gone bad from non-use. The turn signal stalk is centered (first thing I will check this am), but could it cause the side marker lights, tail-lights and driving light to illuminate? What else does that module under the dead pedal do? It seems kind of large to simply monitor the lights. There is a yellow multi-pin plug that was still connected and the black one that I mentioned.
You guys are the best and there is no better authority (in my opinion) than the collective knowledge found on these pages.
I am going to sign on with membership because of the help I have received thus far and to help the site in return. Oh, the headlights cycle up and down continuously without lighting.
You guys are the best and there is no better authority (in my opinion) than the collective knowledge found on these pages.
I am going to sign on with membership because of the help I have received thus far and to help the site in return. Oh, the headlights cycle up and down continuously without lighting.
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From: Michigan
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Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 868
Likes: 61
From: NEW YORK
I got the alternator readings back (was not related), and disconnected the black plug on the central warning system before I checked anything else. No change in left side lights being on with all switches and engine off and headlights remain continually cycling when turned to full on position.. The central warning unit had three wires that had been cut and reconnected at some point Two on black, one on yellow), but one was disconnected when I looked at it today. I reconnected the one and the left side lights remain on although I get a "tail light" indicator on the dash. My up-shift indicator stays on for about a minute after starting the car and all the other warnings on the dash seem to work when required. I still don't get a reading on the fuel gauge (it reads at full bottom).
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 868
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From: NEW YORK
AS I REMOVED THE HEADLIGHT WASHERS, INTENSIVE WASHER, HAVE NO ABS, AND DONT USE THE STOCK ALARM, THOSE RELAYS SLOTS ARE EMPTY (AS WELL AS THE FACTORY EMPTY SLOTS). COULD THIS BE THE REASON THE LEFT SIDE RUNNING LIGHTS ARE ON WITH THE ENGINE OFF? THE TURN SIGNAL STALK IS CENTERED. I TOOK APART THE HEADLIGHT MOTOR AND IT IS CLEAN WITH GOOD DIODES.
IN SUMMARY, THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY CYCLE WITHOUT LIGHTING, LEFT SIDE MARKERS ARE ON ALL THE TIME (COULD IT BE THE CONNECTIONS TO THE STALKS?), AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DONT WORK.
IN SUMMARY, THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY CYCLE WITHOUT LIGHTING, LEFT SIDE MARKERS ARE ON ALL THE TIME (COULD IT BE THE CONNECTIONS TO THE STALKS?), AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DONT WORK.
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 868
Likes: 61
From: NEW YORK
AS I REMOVED THE HEADLIGHT WASHERS, INTENSIVE WASHER, HAVE NO ABS, AND DONT USE THE STOCK ALARM, THOSE RELAYS SLOTS ARE EMPTY (AS WELL AS THE FACTORY EMPTY SLOTS). COULD THIS BE THE REASON THE LEFT SIDE RUNNING LIGHTS ARE ON WITH THE ENGINE OFF? THE TURN SIGNAL STALK IS CENTERED. I TOOK APART THE HEADLIGHT MOTOR AND IT IS CLEAN WITH GOOD DIODES.
IN SUMMARY, THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY CYCLE WITHOUT LIGHTING, LEFT SIDE MARKERS ARE ON ALL THE TIME (COULD IT BE THE CONNECTIONS TO THE STALKS?), AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DONT WORK.
IN SUMMARY, THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY CYCLE WITHOUT LIGHTING, LEFT SIDE MARKERS ARE ON ALL THE TIME (COULD IT BE THE CONNECTIONS TO THE STALKS?), AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DONT WORK.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,177
Likes: 4
From: Michigan
Well, now that my ears have stopped bleeding...lol. Man, haven't been yelled at like that since I shoot the neighbors window out with a bb gun.
Anyhow...
Sorry to say, but it looks like you have to go back in (the pod) and see what might be mis-wired, plugged in wrong or loose. Face it, you didn't have these issues prior to installation...and now you do...so, somewhere, somehow...something went haywire. Disassembling the pod will give you access for breaking the problems areas down into manageable circuitry.
Good luck.
Brian.
Anyhow...
Sorry to say, but it looks like you have to go back in (the pod) and see what might be mis-wired, plugged in wrong or loose. Face it, you didn't have these issues prior to installation...and now you do...so, somewhere, somehow...something went haywire. Disassembling the pod will give you access for breaking the problems areas down into manageable circuitry.
Good luck.
Brian.
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 868
Likes: 61
From: NEW YORK
Well......
Its truly amazing what can be unconsciously remembered.
The light switch was the last thing I installed in the dash after doing the complete interior.
I remembered that it was initially difficult to push the connector together before sticking it in the pod.
I thought to myself (last night) that it was possible that I pushed the receiver out of the back of the white connector.
GUESS WHAT?
The first thing I saw when pulling the switch out was the receiver of the brown wire with red trace hanging out of the white connector.
Stuck it back in and VOILA!
Fully operational headlights with no superfluous lighting tricks.
Thanks for all the input. Being that I havent seen this fault posted (and Im not saying it hasnt been), I am going to post in a new thread in the possibility that someone has the same or similar problem.
Its truly amazing what can be unconsciously remembered.
The light switch was the last thing I installed in the dash after doing the complete interior.
I remembered that it was initially difficult to push the connector together before sticking it in the pod.
I thought to myself (last night) that it was possible that I pushed the receiver out of the back of the white connector.
GUESS WHAT?
The first thing I saw when pulling the switch out was the receiver of the brown wire with red trace hanging out of the white connector.
Stuck it back in and VOILA!
Fully operational headlights with no superfluous lighting tricks.
Thanks for all the input. Being that I havent seen this fault posted (and Im not saying it hasnt been), I am going to post in a new thread in the possibility that someone has the same or similar problem.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,210
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From: Y-Bridge City, Zanesville, Ohio
SOLVED thread
Here's another write-up of the solution.
After completely gutting my interior and reinstalling a "new" one, I had my headlights cycle without stopping (without lighting up) while the left side marker and running lights illuminated with key out and switches off. While I was extremely careful in reinstalling everything (and that german engineering made it easy to be), I remembered that it was initially difficult for me to mate the switch and its white receiver. I slept on it and thought that it was a ground problem caused by pushing the receiver out of the back of the white connector (the source of the initial difficulty). Pulled the switch and saw exactly that. The brown with red tracer had been pushed out and was not providing ground.
I share this in the hopes that it might help someone out there. My initial thread describing the problem is titled "WHAT CAN IT BE NOW?"
Cheers and Beers
I share this in the hopes that it might help someone out there. My initial thread describing the problem is titled "WHAT CAN IT BE NOW?"
Cheers and Beers