offroadjim

Hi
I have acquired a 1998 Boxter and was having problems with the ignition switch. I replaced the ignition switch and that problem is solved but now the windows will not go up or down using the switch. They do lower when I open the doors and then raise when I close the doors. I can not remember if the interior lights worked when I got the car but they are not working currently. I do not have any type of experience or manual on this car so I do not know if they use the same fuse in the panel on the floor but I used a test light and they all seem to have power on both sides of the fuse.

Any ideas what fuse it is or where to look first?

Thanks
Jim

Macster

Could be a fuse. There are several fuses that have listed under the column protected circuit "power windows". I have included the other circuits protected to.

Here is a list: B6 (also convertible top control module, outside rear view mirror adjustment); C3 (alarm control module); D1 (no other circuits);

If all the above fuses are good you can try a battery disconnect.

Follow the guidelines for properly disconnecting the battery. These should be in the owners manual.

From the Porsche Boxster Bentley manual: Remove the negative lead first and cover with electrical insulating tape then remove the positive lead.

Be sure you have your car's radio code if it is a radio that needs a code to work. Turn off the ignition switch and remove the key from the ignition switch. Be sure all other electrical loads are turned off: lights, etc.

Disconnect the battery and leave it disconnected for a few minutes. Some sources have advised depressing the brake pedal to bleed away any residual power from the car's electrical curcuits.

After some time follow the proper procedure to reconnect the battery. Again, from the Bentley manual: Connect positive lead first, then negative lead.

After you reconnect the battery the window limits will have to be reset. With the window fully up, press and hold the lower button until the window is all the way down. Release the lower button. Press and hold the raise button until the window is all the way up. Continue to hold for at least 5 seconds. Release the button. Done. Repeat for the other window.

Since your car doesn't have E-Gas there is no E-Gas calibration step to perform. The DME will relearn fuel/igntion maps as you drive the car.

offroadjim

Thank you! I just went and checked again and all the fuses are good. The windows do go up and down when you open and close the doors but do not work with the switches and the interior dome light and lights on the doors do not work. I did try pushing the tops latch (center) microswitch but nothing changed and I would think would not be an issue if the interior lights also were not working? I have just disconnected the battery again. How long should I leave it disconnected for?

Macster

Opinions differ on how long to leave the battery disconnected. One would think just a brief disconnect but some residual power can remain and not all electronics will experience a true power reset. Some will go through brownout. (I am writing some manufacturing tests for some electronic gizmos and I have an analog/digital scope attached to various test points and monitoring power and even with a small circuit board and just a small micro and supporting chips it takes a few moments for power to fall down far enough that all circuits lose power to the point a power on event is "clean". Under test program control I can add "load" to speed this process of power decay up.)

But a few minutes should suffice. The few times I've done this I've just stepped on the brake pedal to help bleed away any residual power but having the door open and the interior lights activated (even though with no battery power they'll be dark) suffices and probably makes pushing the brake pedal unnecessary.

It has been so long since I operated the top on my car that I can't recall now the behavior of the interior lights. I do recall the windows dropping a couple of inches to be sure but beyond that...

If the interior lights are supposed to come on when the latch is released prior to putting the top up and away but don't that suggests there could be a problem with the top latch switch. I vaguely recall some posts on this but it has been a long time since they have appeared and I don't really remember any more than the pitifully inadequate stuff I have just mentioned.

offroadjim

Thank you again!


I disconnected the battery for over an hour and it did not do anything.


The interior lights do not work at all. The windows will go down about 1/2" when opening and closing the door but do not move when lowering or raising the roof.


I have seen a couple fuse listings indicating that the C3 fuse is for "Central Locking/Alarm system, Interior lights, Power windows"

offroadjim

I rechecked all the fuses and have power on both sides of the fuses. I even pulled the C3 fuse and jumped a wire across it and nothing still.


This all started when I changed the ignition switch so I would think it has something to do with that? The original switch does not work at all when plugged in now. I was hoping I would plug it in and find that everything was working again and the new switch was faulty but no luck there either

mikefocke

There are two parts to the switch IIRC. What exactly did you replace?

Macster

Mike is on to the cause I think. Last thing touched...

You might have failed to properly connect the new switch back to the car's electrical harness. Car electrical connectors can be tricky to properly reconnect. The connectors can take more force to fully seat than expected as often there's some kind of positive locking mechanism to keep the connector together with vibration present.

Less often is a pin or socket bends/jams and while the connectors go back together a circuit is not complete.

offroadjim

This is the ignition piece that was replaced

Schnell Gelb

Try another(recommended brand) of ignition switch.Not logical perhaps but cheap and familiar.

offroadjim

Does anyone know if this is supposed to be connected somewhere?

Does anyone know if this is supposed to be connected somewhere?

offroadjim

When I open the doors the windows drop the 1/2" or so that they are supposed to. If I pull the "C3" fuse nothing changes. If I pull the "D1" fuse the windows no longer drop the 1/2" when opening the doors.


Is there someplace else to look that has to do with the "C3" circuit? Nothing that is supposed to be on that circuit is working. Since I have power on both sides of the "C3" fuse the issue would need to be somewhere from the exit of the fuse box on

Macster

That appears to be the OBD2 connector and it does not connect to anything in the car. That connector is there to allow the Porsche diagnostic computer (and aftermarket OBD2 code readers/data viewers/loggers) to connect to the car's OBD2 communication system.

The connector should be secured up under the dash just to the left of your left leg. Wonder why it is loose? Has someone been at the wiring someone before you were in that general vicinity to replace the ignition switch?