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Also the positive wire for the cigarette lighter seems to have continuity to ground also. This is unplugged from the socket. I have tested for a short in the socket itself and there is none.

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What is the timing relay? F5 goes to there also. Google searches just bring up topics about setting the ignition timing.

Landseer

The diagrams are difficult to begin to use, but after a while you will get the hang of it.

I have sorted wiring on a pair of 84's and might be able to help you, plus have one apart right now and all the wires exposed --- a laboratory.

Based on what has transpired so far, you are looking at the car being out of commission for a little while to sort it out, though.

What is the history of the car, where are you, can you post a few pictures of it? Is there an alarm system on the car?

Have you removed the CE panel yet for cleaning? I think you might have some melted wires on the back of it.


The timing relay is located in the console, under the radio. Mine are removed becuase I hate the chime. I've sorted a lot of door pin problems. Is that what you want to start with?

Alan

I think you may be confused about how to do these measurements...

Are you trying to measure resistance (or continuity) from these powered connections to ground with the battery in circuit ?

I yes you cannot do that... the results will be meaningless (you are just measuring the internal resistance of the battery...

You also seem to attribute any connection that has a path to ground to be a problem - they are not. Many paths to ground are natural consequences of circuit design. e.g. Pin 8 Plug A yes there is a path to ground -- through the interior light bulbs filaments - if there wasn't they'd never go on...

You have to think it through and understand what the expected behaviour is before you do any measurements.

In the end if you don't know what you are doing - you need to take it to somone who does (or get help).

Alan

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The battery, jump post, and 14 pin connector are all disconnected while taking measurements. I had the meter on the continuity function where it will chime when it detects a continuous circuit. I was unplugging and plugging connectors trying to chase the short down from connector to connector to narrow it down. It turns out someone had unhooked the hatch switch and twisted the wires together. Effectively telling the car the hatch was always open. I still have ground issues with the door switches. That just means they won't come on when the doors are open, but that's better than staying on when the doors are closed. I believe it was the passenger side door marker light in the door jam that was draining the battery, and I would have never known that because I have no reason to be exiting the passenger side because I'm the only one that gets to drive haha. I think I will work on all the grounds and get some dielectric grease to get everything working again though. Previous owner hacks suck.

As for the car, I bought it off ebay from Florida with no prior inspection and had it shipped to me. I live in northeast Alabama off I-59 roughly halfway between Gadsden, Al and Chattanooga, Tn. Not the smartest to purchase a car without looking at it, I know, but old cars always need something fixed at some point so I wasn't worried. Besides that, it came with 17" silver turbo twists, Alpine radio with ipod connection (If I only owned an ipod.), and new can can leather front seats. It appears to have been painted metallic blue at some point, then back to the factory grand prix white. It runs good, and just leaks a little oil so I think the pan gasket is next. I have replaced all ball joints on the front end and upper a-arm bushings. I have also converted the car back to the old style cvs that bolt up on both the hub and transmission. I did it for ease of removal, and because you cannot rebuild the welded on outer cv with 100% certainty that it is completely clean. With the bolt ons I have the option of having custom cv's made at some point also. The transmission was said to have been rebuilt, but the PO lied their *** off on that one. It's grimy as hell, and had been ran dry of fluid, but I've since filled it up with redline and will probably drain and flush again in the next few months. I haven't been easy on the car either since I've had it so I'm surprised at how strong it is. All cars just need a little time, effort, and tlc and they should work as expected so I'm going to continue bringing it back to prime condition.

Landseer

Good to find the hatch switch hack.

I've found the door pins respond best when removed, disassembled (uncrimped), and cleaned with a dremel wire brush. And the door pillar threads cleaned similarly, as they actually rust. Best way. but not the only way, is pulling that brown/white wire completely out. Its often bared and can short to ground. I always solder the wire onto the switch.

Get that right, then the wiring on the interior lights straightened-out, and it will feel like an accomplishment.

Gotta think through your continuity check method. With a DVM on the wrong scale you can read and assume continuity across sensors when there actually should be resistance and is.

I've deciphered a lot of the circuits, much early-on with Alan's expert help. Its not that difficult, really. Sounds like you are on the right track.

Be sure to read Dwayne's treatise on dash/pod/instrument work if you get inside there. He did a lot of good documentation on an 84.

How did you fit the early CV's? I thought they were not able to be moved to the later cars.

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I had a bent left control arm, so I bought an entire rear suspension. Cross member, carriers, upper and lower control arms, ect... I don't actually have the cv's on the car just yet. That's gonna happen today, but I think if you just switch the hub carriers and have a set of the splined flanges that bolt through the hub you should be able to mount the early cvs. I couldn't see Porsche changing the distance between the tranny flanges and hub. It probably has something to do with the abs sensor gear or something. I'm unsure if you could use the splined flanges on the later hub carriers. My lower control arm pins were frozen to the carriers and I had to cut them with a reciprocating saw to remove them from the control arm, so they are unusable anyway.

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The cv's are on the car now. They fit perfect. I'm 100% sure with early model carriers, and the splined flanges that any 928 is convertible. Did any of the early models have abs? You may could find early abs hub carriers and retain the abs functioning. I also had the rear wheel bearings replaced due to my original carriers having the hubs with longer studs for the wheel spacers, and the replacement carriers having shorter studs.