Try as I might, I am no "wrench"....need help
07-30-2005, 10:06 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Warrenton, Va
Posts: 249
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Try as I might, I am no "wrench"....need help
Ok, 1987, auto 928S4. Was in an accident back in Feb. Just got it home a couple of weeks ago. Before it went in troubled area worked ( even after accident, was a front end accident ). I don't wantr a body shop "fixing" elec troubles.
Problem is - Front and rear sidemarkers do not work & taillights do not work. When car is in "R" the the "R" lights DO work and when you apply breaks the break lights DO work as well, but no side markers or tail lights. Also, not getting the master "warning" either for lights being "out". Headlights and parking lights et. al work fine.
Only thing not working is tail lights and side markers. I do have a friend who will work on her, but I am trying to learn as much as I can. I checked fuses and bulbs and they looked ok.. Any idea what might cause this condition?
Problem is - Front and rear sidemarkers do not work & taillights do not work. When car is in "R" the the "R" lights DO work and when you apply breaks the break lights DO work as well, but no side markers or tail lights. Also, not getting the master "warning" either for lights being "out". Headlights and parking lights et. al work fine.
Only thing not working is tail lights and side markers. I do have a friend who will work on her, but I am trying to learn as much as I can. I checked fuses and bulbs and they looked ok.. Any idea what might cause this condition?
07-30-2005, 10:52 PM
#3
Check for power going to bulbs and ground going out. Check fuses. Look for a disconnected ground or abraded hot wire. Check around the front where damage occured. Pinched or shorted wire ?
07-31-2005, 12:13 AM
#4
I doubt it is a fuse, b/c the front parking lights work.
The front parking lights are tied to the front markers, so if you don't have front marking lights I would check the bulbs then voltage They may not be connected. The rear sounds like a disconnected ground. Do the turn signals work?
The front parking lights are tied to the front markers, so if you don't have front marking lights I would check the bulbs then voltage They may not be connected. The rear sounds like a disconnected ground. Do the turn signals work?
07-31-2005, 10:34 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
The rear tailights and rear side markers share a common ground..............check for broken wires/ loose connections. As Garth mentions check all the fuses also...........you may want to disconnect the battery to prevent further issues when your into the electrics.
07-31-2005, 11:18 AM
#7
Racer
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Princeton, NJ, USA
Posts: 475
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yeah, it is probably a ground, becouse it is such a "mass extinction" of the lights.
What I would do, is I would get a multimeter, check for 12v on tail lights. If it is there, do a jumper from 12v wire to the bulb, and a jumper from bulb to the ground. If it works, then it definitly is a ground problem.
Klim
What I would do, is I would get a multimeter, check for 12v on tail lights. If it is there, do a jumper from 12v wire to the bulb, and a jumper from bulb to the ground. If it works, then it definitly is a ground problem.
Klim
Trending Topics
07-31-2005, 12:38 PM
#8
Fishy,
Do you know how to pull your Marker lights? Two nuts, two tiny washers per unit, hopefully
you have those little 8mm wingnuts then push out from the inside.
You will have to pull your splash guards -in front of the tires-. Pull either same side front and rear or both fronts as we are just checking for correct wire hook-up to socket and ground.
If you can then eyeball the marker unit and figure out where the plastic detent is to disassemble the marker housing I'm betting the brown and white wire is reversed on one or the other.
I had the same problem in reverse when my rear quarter panel was replaced.
There is also another jumper bundle that goes to your front corner/marker/signal light.
long arms needed to reverse these if the shop screwed up.
you can see this bundle (4 wires I think and the connections after you pull the front splash guards.
the left front stuff is easier to see than the right. For a better view roll the headlight to up right position. They stay there with ignition off. For an informative self taught class lift your hood,
and have someone cycle the headlights. Look at the actuator, connector/thru bar which rotates both headlamps, back to the actuator -notice where the pin on the actuator bar -drivers side- connects? there is a thru pin that connects actuator to the headlamp rotator bar.
Look close there is a little 'C' clip that keeps every thing together. If body shop had your front end apart MAKE SURE that clip is in place or the headlights will suddenly stop raising/lowering and the actuator can now play touchy felly with the radiator core. A bad thing.
Then climb back down into the wheelwell area and have your partners cycle the lights again.
Over towards the headlight you will see where the headlight stops are located, how they are mounted, and how to adjust the stop. Just knowing where this system stuff is is a trip, automatically makes you more knowledgeable about your sHARk than most Factory trained Porsche Mechanics under 50 years old. There is actually two more adjustments you can make not counting what's hiding under that strange looking, fat, rubber cover -don't touch it till you read the owners manual and baseline before turninig it left or right-.
Class over get to work.
Enjoy
Do you know how to pull your Marker lights? Two nuts, two tiny washers per unit, hopefully
you have those little 8mm wingnuts then push out from the inside.
You will have to pull your splash guards -in front of the tires-. Pull either same side front and rear or both fronts as we are just checking for correct wire hook-up to socket and ground.
If you can then eyeball the marker unit and figure out where the plastic detent is to disassemble the marker housing I'm betting the brown and white wire is reversed on one or the other.
I had the same problem in reverse when my rear quarter panel was replaced.
There is also another jumper bundle that goes to your front corner/marker/signal light.
long arms needed to reverse these if the shop screwed up.
you can see this bundle (4 wires I think and the connections after you pull the front splash guards.
the left front stuff is easier to see than the right. For a better view roll the headlight to up right position. They stay there with ignition off. For an informative self taught class lift your hood,
and have someone cycle the headlights. Look at the actuator, connector/thru bar which rotates both headlamps, back to the actuator -notice where the pin on the actuator bar -drivers side- connects? there is a thru pin that connects actuator to the headlamp rotator bar.
Look close there is a little 'C' clip that keeps every thing together. If body shop had your front end apart MAKE SURE that clip is in place or the headlights will suddenly stop raising/lowering and the actuator can now play touchy felly with the radiator core. A bad thing.
Then climb back down into the wheelwell area and have your partners cycle the lights again.
Over towards the headlight you will see where the headlight stops are located, how they are mounted, and how to adjust the stop. Just knowing where this system stuff is is a trip, automatically makes you more knowledgeable about your sHARk than most Factory trained Porsche Mechanics under 50 years old. There is actually two more adjustments you can make not counting what's hiding under that strange looking, fat, rubber cover -don't touch it till you read the owners manual and baseline before turninig it left or right-.
Class over get to work.
Enjoy