R.M.Boosten

Dear Rennlist members,

Today I registered to bother you all with my problem:

I live in Holland and have my Boxster for 3 years now. Sometimes I start the car and the a/c blower motor, headlights and windshield washers don't work!
All other electrical systems operate properly.
Most of the times the car does not have any issues, could it be a corroded connector or something?

Then I have a second problem:
When I unlock the drivers door, it does not open. Then I need to push at the place where the lock is located and then I hear a click and then I am able to open the door.

Sorry for my bad english but I hope you can help me!

Thanks and regards,

Ricardo from Holland

amondc

Sounds like the ignition switch is going out. Common problem in boxsters.

The door problem sounds like the door is not adjusted properly so the lock is not able to release. That or the lock mechinism is going bad.

Chris

Macster

Where abouts in Holland are you located? I was in Rotterdam and vicinity a couple of years ago on business. What a nice country and populated with such nice people. Throughly enjoyed my time there. Went to The Hague and not too far away ate at Plato's restaurant. (Snapped a pic of a 993 parked on the street just a few doors down from the restaurant.)

Anyhow, I suspect the a/c blower, headlights, washers not working is an ignition switch. You can source the electrical portion (located at the back of the switch assembly) from an Audi dealer. I don't have the part number but check out Pedro's Garage I think he has the info there. Porsche (USA anyhow) no longer supplies just the electrical portion but requires the alum. assembly and the switch portion be purchased/replaced as a unit. (The techs tell me there were too many comebacks when just the electrical portion of the switch was replaced.)

However, before you replace the switch check the carpets for dampness. The car water drains (2 under the front trunk under the plastic cowl covers and 2 under the clamshell) can get blocked and rain (or wash) water collects and then overflows into the cabin. This generally affects the car's security system cause the security control module is located on the floor under the driver's seat and this is where most often water collects that gets into the cabin. But if the water overflows into the cabin it can make its way via the wiring/connectors in the dash before it gets to the floor and in doing so affect the behavior of the items you listed.

Also, check the bottoms of the doors for any signs of wetness. Give each door a shake listening for sounds of water sloshing inside the door. Door window seals can fail and allow water into the door and it can collect and submerge the electrics which leads to all sorts of odd electrical gremlins.

Or one of the door/window switches may be bad or as Chris touched upon in his excellent response one of the mechanical links may have broken, come loose or be just worn out. A tear down of the door is probably called for to identify which of the above is the cause.

Sincerely,

Macster.