gamb1t

I once heard these cars suffered from serious electrical problems. I am considering purchasing an 85 928s. The owner says the usual maintance has been performed e.g. timing belt & water pump. He has informed me the driver side seat will need a new power switch( currently it does not work) the sunroof needs a switch ( i asked if it was the motor, again he said it was the switch) and finally the power mirror switch (passenger side) needs to be replaced. I realise the car is 21 years old. however, it seems like all the switches are "breaking". Please offer me some insight. Thanks.
Is there anything else I should look for?

Llewelyn

Hi Gambit,

All the above problems could be a number of things... Anything from switches, failed motors, broken wires etc to popped fuses or bad grounds/connections.

928s are not renouned for the longevity of their electrical systems but don't let this put you off! Every problem is fixable and if you work through everything methodically etc you will sort them all out (some quicker than otheres however!)

You have certainly came to the right place for advice so that is a start!

Is this the first one you have looked at? There are plenty around so it would pay you to shop around until you find the right one!

best wishes,

Llew

Pfunde

Hi "gamb"

Maybee I'm lucky, but I've had 928's for 18 year's and don't think they have electrical issues, at least not more than all other 20-27 year old cars. Of course a switch can break, but hey.....they do . Imagine owning a jaguar ( well basicly allmost any english car), any italian car - then you can talk about electrical problems. But as Llew said, shop around, and I'm sure you will fall in love as all us 928 owners

MGW-Fla

The driver's seat, sunroof & passenger mirror are very common electrical issues with some 928s. I've faced each of those myself at some point with two different sharks. Dealing with the drivers seat and sunroof now in fact. It can be a variety of reasons as stated. No reason to deter you from ownership. And you have come to the right place, no smarter people on the planet regarding a 928 than the Shark Gurus here on Rennlist. Good Luck!

fbarnhill

When I purchased my 79 Euro, it had almost all of those same problems. Since i bought it on ebay, they didn't bother to mention it. However, with about $100.00 for swithches and about 1 hour, i had them all fixed with no problems since. If the car is in good shape otherwise, I wouldn't let these small issues scare me off. I have had 3 928's for a total of 12 years of daily driving and they have been the most reliable cars I have ever owned for my driving style. I like to go fast, slide around curves etc... I have broken other cars suspension parts etc... by driving them too hard. Never the shark. It just takes it and keeps on going. That is, as long as I keep up with the PM
Good Luck and get a PPI (pre pruchase inspection) no matter what,

SteveG

Sharks have these problems b/c they are electrically complicated. If all you have to troubleshoot are a few switches, that should not scotch an otherwise desirable car. If the car has been garaged, that is probably all that is wrong, which is not say other grounds, and there are several, might not need a polishing. You might ask to see the Central Elec. Panel under the passenger foot rest. Search for some pictures here, b/c if you haven't seen that panel before, it will scare the hell out of you. Rest assured, we all reacted the same way and are addicted to this car or we wouldn't be here. You won't be able to see behind the relays, but with a flashlight the bottom row of connectors should not show corrosion.

Alan

These cars are old and have more electrical equipment than most of their contemporaries of that age (even exotics). So more problems than typical cars - yes for that reason - but most items are about typically reliable in themselves though.

In the cars evolution more electrics/electronics were added - S4 models and later particularly in the areas you care about here... they are more reliable but more complicated too...

Since this is a relatively early car all the window sunroof controls are pretty simple - switches drive the motor direct - so switch carries a high current and can eventiually die... in these cars a new switch is usually the fix.

If these switches can be made to work some of the time - (extreme pressure, wiggling etc) then its a safe bet that this is in fact the fix you need.
If the owner is convinced its a switch - why didn't he buy one? - good question to help lower the price... Switches used are cheap ($10-20 on eBay) - new can be expensive - but for earlier models usually $60 or so max.

In my experience the biggest source of electrical problems in 928's is stupid previous owners trying to fix things or trying to add/change things when they had no business touching any part of a cars electrical system...

There are also some weak spots that often cause issues - rear hatch release for example is a quite poor design that bites many cars...

With the appropriate information and guidance most things are diagnoasable and fixable... get help here...

I'm sure this car is fixable - assume it will be a little more complex than just a switch - unless you can prove otherwise - but likely easily fixable all the same...

Alan

SharkSkin

Agreed, though the second biggest source of problems may be leaves plugging the drain in the cowl area, allowing water to flow into the blower and down onto the top of the electrical panel. Take a long, hard look at the electrical panel and surrounding area for water damage. Barring water damage, most 928 electrical issues are fairly simple & straightforward to fix.

928SS

a lot depends on what PO's/PM's have done, imho. a lot can happen in 20 years of being mickey mouse'd by myriad butchers... if the car is in OEM condition, hasn't been in a fire/under water, and a spagetti dinner of aftermarket wires isn't hanging from the dash, most stuff is pretty easy to diagnose and repair.

I pulled out a 2'x2'x2' box of partially disconnected aftermarket crap from mine, and it took 2 yrs to get everything working 100%. but since then, it's been solid, except for the occasional switch going bad/no big deal to fix.

only common issues I've seen on the OB's are:
rear hatch release (mostly a mechanical thing)
A/C switch/relay needs upgrade to heavy duty unit (easy to do)
door lock system can be challenging to sort out (but work fine if not messed with)
windshield washer motors die after 2 decades (cheap parts)
dash console switches get brittle sometimes (all plastic stuff does though)
ext. lights need proper bulbs or else! (easy to fix w/correct bulbs)
front harnesses get trashed over time (fairly easy to R&R, but can be a fire hazard if not watched)

ps. also the factory cup holders are nearly always missing.

Fogey1

Old cars, old electrics. Some suggestions, sworn by by many:

Caig Labs DeOxit.
http://www.corrosion-control.com/corrblock.html

Stabilant
http://stabilant.com/sizes01h.htm

and
http://members.rennlist.com/pirtle/zelec_cleaning.txt
Wally's Annual Electrical PM:
1) Open the hatch and remove the tool panel. Remove the carpet and spare tire cover. Remove the spare, tools, etc. Open the battery box.
2) Disconnect the ground cable from the chassis. Remove the negative battery terminal. Remove the positive battery terminal. Remove the battery. Use extreme caution to avoid getting battery acid or residue from the top of the battery or cables in your eyes. Goggles are recommended. If the battery brushes against your clothes, you can end up with holes.
3) Clean the battery terminals until they are bright and shiny. Dull gray won't do. If it is possible to check the fluid level in the battery, do so. Fill to the rings. Wash the battery. Put it on a charger if possible.
4) Clean the battery box, removing all corrosion. Wash the battery box. After it dries, touch up the finish as required.
5) Clean the battery cable terminals (all three) until the connection area is clean and shiny. Dull gray won't do. Clean the connection area on the chassis.
6) Clean the speedometer/odometer drive electrical connector in the right forward corner of the spare tire well (pre-'90 models).
7) Raise the hood (bonnet). Remove the protective cap from the jump start terminal and pull the protective plastic cover from the terminal. If you are missing the cover or the cap, replace them - they are critical items. If there is no cover, water will enter the connector and corrode the connectors and wires, causing serious electrical problems.
8) If the connections are clean and tight, replace the cover and cap. If the connections show any corrosion or looseness, disassemble, clean and reassemble.
9) Jack the right front of the car so that you can SAFELY work underneath.
10) Remove the ground cable that runs from the right side of the engine to the chassis. Clean both ends of the cable, and check for corrosion in the cable. Clean the connection points, and replace the cable.
11) Check the heavy cable connection on the starter solenoid for looseness or corrosion.
12) Check the moderately heavy wires on the same connection for corrosion and breaks inside the insulation. These carry the charging current from the alternator.
13) Check the small yellow wire connection for corrosion and tightness. This wire triggers the starter solenoid.
14) Lower the car. Fold back the carpet and open the central power panel cover.
15) Check the main power connections at the top of the panel for tightness and corrosion.
16) Check the ground connections above the panel for tightness and corrosion.
17) If you are having electrical problems, remove each fuse and reinsert three times. Check the fuses for the proper value, and examine them visually for damage or corrosion. Test them is desired. Later cars have a fuse tester built into one of the relays.
18) If you feel that it is necessary, remove and reinsert each relay. This won't be easy, as they fit very tightly in some cases. Porsche sells a relay removal tool, but I am not impressed. It is basically a pair of pliers with square jaws, and will pull the relay apart. One tool that works well is a spark plug boot removal tool. It is a thin but strong sheet metal tool shaped like a "J" with the top 1/8" bent over at a right angle. You can put this angle under the bottom edge of the relay and lift it out - IF the battery is disconnected!
19) Close the panel and replace the carpet.
20) Replace the battery. Install the positive cable. Install the negative cable. Put a drop of oil on each nut. Connect the chassis end of the ground (negative) cable. Lubricate the battery box latch and close the box.
21) Lubricate the wiper drive shaft and hatch latch mechanism.
22) Clean the spare tire, jack and tools. Put a couple of large heavy plastic garbage bags in the spare tire well for emergencies, along with a tube of hand cleaner and some paper towels. Install the cover and carpet.
23) Lubricate the jack, and put it inside the tool panel. Clean and lubricate the tools. Reinstall the tool and tool panel.
24) Reset the clock and radio presets.

A couple of hours of quality time with your 928 once a year can forestall many problems.

Wally Plumley
928 Specialists

marton

Ah good old lucas, the prince of darkness.

My first english car was a standard 8 with a 6 volt system now that was darkness. My MGB had twin 6 volt batteries now that was a weird way to drive a 12volt system

As somebody already said follow the wally plumley advice about cleaning earths; I do this every 2 years (much quicker now I have a dremel to polish stuff up) & you will be OK. While you are under there then go around the sump nuts with a no. 10 spanner, gently only half a turn per nut at a time and not especially tight or you will break the gasket.

Marton

Shark Attack

OK, you show me a super model thats not high maint. I'll find you a shark of the same! welcome to the family, good luck... you may want to look into a membership... we have a members only off topic board that kicks ***.