the flyin' scotsman

I'd be getting up close and personal with your fuse/relay panel......something is very wrong. The fuses are numbered from left to right 1-45:

WallyP

Just as a reminder, fuse/relay charts are on our web site.

safulop

Really is that where the LH is? I did not know that. Mine is fairly new so hopefully I won't be hitting it too hard.

Thanks for the fuse chart, I will see if the #17 fuse is obviously loose. I have some other slim boxes bolted to the side of the footwell next to the fuse panel. I have the feeling these are not stock pieces, but could be my aftermarket remote locking system etc.? I have been having trouble with that, my doors often lock/unlock themselves at random moments, with or without the car running. I don't think they are part of the stereo, because I can see the amplifier is bolted to the floor behind the driver's seat.

Boy these things are finicky in the electrical area, compared to a 944. I've never replaced one thing in my 944 fuse panel in 12 years, in fact neither myself nor any mechanic has even had occasion to open the fuse box in that car.

-Sean

the flyin' scotsman

Are you in Calgary now?

Be glad to give you a crash course.....the cars are not that finicky but yours seems to have issues!!!

Be careful how you proceed around the fuse panel.....many things could and can get fried.

safulop

I'm in Fresno until June sometime, but I'll be hopefully driving this bad girl up to Calgary at that point. Love to get together sometime, plus I need advice on where I could take the car to a shop up there, should the need arise.

I guess somebody has been digging too aggressively in my fuse box at some point.

-Sean

safulop

OK, I finally inspected the fuse box knowing what to look for, and oh brother. In fuse position 17 I found an old melted fuse stuck in the slot. A bypass wire has apparently been rigged up to that position which contains a fuse, and it seems like that fuse had been contacting the old melted fuse in the slot, being pressed up against it by the wooden cover. This explains the whole Fonzie banging on the fuse box thing, because the two fuses were somehow arcing together at times. For the moment I just moved the bypass fuse out of the way and everything is working fine, and messing around there seems to have maybe solved my magical door locks as well. Is fuse 17 involved with the central locking system also? I really have to get a professional opinion on this jury-rigged system. I've already lost one S4 in a fire and this one is way nicer than that one was.

-Sean

WallyP

It is not unusual to have fuse contact problems.

Putting the Central Electric Panel under the floor was not one of the better design choices on the 928. Every time that a passenger gets in with wet feet, moisture goes thru the carpet to the panel. If the inconspicuous firewall drain gets plugged with leaves and debris, water leaks onto the panel. The HVAC box can leak onto the panel.

Moisture can cause a little corrosion on a connection. The corrosion causes a little electrical resistance, which cause a little heat. The heat causes a little corrosion, which causes more heat, which causes more corrosion, which causes more heat...

Anytime that you see any signs of heat or corrosion, fix it. It only get worse. Overheating at a fuse does not indicate a problem with the circuit (too much current draw, etc.), just resistance at the connector.

You might have to replace the fuse connectors on that fuse. Check the rest for traces of overheating, and check for any signs of water intrusion. Clean the oval firewall drain behind the right cylinder head (easier from below).