Steve J.

I found this part loose in the engine compartment of my '81. It's black plastic 1" long. Anybody know what this is? http://www.flash.net/~ego/thingy.jpg

For months I've been trying to sort out a high idle problem (~1500rpm) - couldn't find any vacuum leaks, bad connections, etc. When I got the Jay K. TB tension tool I found that the TB tension was WAY too tight! Loosened to the correct tension (left it a tiny bit on the high side). Turned engine several times and rechecked. It's been about a month now and the car idles beautifully all the time. I don't see how these could be related. Coincidence?

Now I am getting flashing "Brake Press" light occasionally but no problem with the brakes. Reset fault indication by momentarily disconnecting battery. I'm leaning towards replacing the two brake switches under the master cylinder. Anybody have a part number and cost for these (or any other suggestions)?

Lastly, the voltmeter on the '81 almost never exceeds 12V and much of the time hovers around 10-11V. Yesterday when the dash guage read 10V I measured the battery voltage with a DVM and saw 12.6V with engine running, 12.0V with engine off. What gives?

Thanks!

Steve J.

hehe...
I don't see a part number in the workshop manuals for those pressure switches. In the Parts & Tech Ref Catalog, could they be the "pressure regulator" p/n 928 355 083 02? For YM 78-83 it says replace in pairs. The drawing doesn't look like my setup.
Yes, Park Place is pricey and I have bought small parts there like O rings.

Jim Nowak

Steve,

That part is your spritzer valve which connects to the glovebox filter and regulates faulty installer valves. The part is obviously broken if you have disasembled it from you spritzer vacuum line interconnect switch. This part is redily available but extremely expensive since it is made from unobtainium.

Jim Nowak

Steve J.

Looks like Jim was right on. I reinstalled the spritzer valve, replaced the glovebox filter and now my glovebox spritzer has never worked better! I think the newer spritzer valves are made out of something different but if you can get the old unobtanium ones, so much the better.
I will do some further diagnostics and contact cleaning before replacing the brake switches. The two switches are in parallel and my understanding is that if they don't switch at the same time the fault indication can be triggered.
Steve J.

Jay Wellwood

The pic of that part you found reminds me of the jump post protective cap.

Jamey

Steve, I'm certainly no authority on the subject, but I can't help but think that the output measured at the battery with the engine running should be >12.6 at idle and around 14.0 at 4000rpm (taken with all excess electricals off). Possibly your DVM is not calibrated correctly. I would take the readings again with another DVM just to verify. It seems that on our aging Porsches that a poor alternator output can cause a variety of electrical snafu's.