Mrmerlin

I think you need to get some servicing done ASAP keeping an eye on things will only prove that the ignition switch is indeed faulty and you will not be happy when you have to tow the car

WallyP

First post - "...no power what so ever, no interior lights, nothing, just like a flat out dead battery… though the battery is not dead. The inside door lights flickered and came on for a few seconds, though when I turn the key, the lights are out and dead completely."

Interior lights don't go thru the ignition switch.

"battery connections are good. I just looked it over again, the inside lights came on, when i turned on the headlights, all the lights went out, then came back on 2 seconds later, turn key all the way to start and all go out."

Not the ignition switch.

BBX

I don't like using keychains. Probably comes from riding sportbikes.

jcorenman

What he said... ^^^ (write note to self: Wally has forgotten more about these cars than most of us can possibly learn).

OSP, do you have a good voltmeter? If not head to the store and get one, we'll wait.

Now get the car back into its ignition-on, lights-off mode. (Might take weeks, now that you are armed). Take the two meter leads and stab them into the battery posts (the posts themselves, not the terminals). Got 12 volts? Cool, battery is fine. (You want sharp points on the test probes, and give the terminal a good poke-- to get through any surface corrosion).

Now check between positive battery-post and car chassis (e.g. rear-wiper bolt). Still got 12v? Good, ground jumper is ok.

Now check between chassis and positive-terminal, still ok? Then between chassis and the large starter terminal (the other end of the big cable from then battery), then chassis to jump-post-- we're looking for where the 12-volts disappears. We skipped the alternator, if starter is live (i.e. 12-volts) and the jump-terminal is dead then go back and take the back cover off the alternator and check there. That's where the main battery cable goes after the starter.

If you've got 12 volts-to-chassis all the way to the jump-post (and still no lights with ignition on), then the next stop is the CE panel, open that up and get out the WSM and start poking.

What often happens is that a high-resistance contact will allow the lights to come on (sort of, with some voltage drop) but when you turn on the ignition- with a lot more load (computer boxes, fuel pumps, O2 sensor heaters, ignition coils, etc. depending on model-year) then the additional current means a lot more voltage drop across our lousy connection and the lights go out. All you need to do is find where the voltage drop is.

Good hunting!!

jcorenman

Good point. Porsche specifications permit a maximum of one genuine-leather key-fob with enameled Porsche crest (Part# WAP.050.090.12), and nothing else.
Of course it could also be the 20+ years and 100K miles that wears out the ignition switches...