Short Video about all the weird/useless/useful controls in a 911
 

I always thought it would be fun to document all the weird switches and buttons in our cars — some of these seem to actually be hidden, so I was still discovering stuff 2 years after I got the car. If you grew up around the (or old cars) it's probably not a big deal, but coming from newer cars, it was sort if a shock. So I had some fun making this video.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AlUnQDnHZh0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If it doesn't embed or your adblocker blocks it, here is the link.

When I was looking in the manual (1980 SC), it says that the rear window de-fogger also activates the heated mirrors? Does anyone know if this was this optional on an SC or standard? (I haven't tested it).

I am afraid there are some folks that are just not with the program enough to warrant their ownership of a 911....I note with interest that his rear wiper switch is aftermarket and likely is an owner installed manual switch for the oil cooler fan.

Also in terms of accuracy of gauges, yes, every gauge has some error in it, but any time I have checked my 911 gauges, they have been well within tolerances of a mechanical gauge (e.g. oil pressure) or times intervals (speedometer).

He should go buy a nice Honda Civic....

Dennis

Thank you, I'll take the Honda Civic into consideration :cool:

Actually I thought it was very well done. They'll be some on here who will find it useful. Thanks

It took me about 12 years to figure out the wiper delay. It doesnt do anything when the wiper switch is on. Only works when the wiper switch is off. I think. I still dont know about the heater controls. I just pull up the floor leaver when i want heat. Well done video just a little too much back and forth between you and the car made me dizzy.

Light, informative ... but perhaps you didn't read the manual carefully ?? ..

I have a '79; in my manual, on page 27 there is a comment regarding the switch for the mirrors.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586294921.jpg

Jason

Thx for the video. I enjoyed it and it reminds me how much I enjoy all the 911 oddball quirks (well, most of them lol).

Good thing he didn't buy an English car from 1980.

Firstly it wouldn't still work, there wouldn't be a manual. And if you did randomly try a knob lucas smoke would come out of somewhere.

He didn't mention the headlamp washer switch; I thought the one on my car didn't work until I found out that the headlights have to be on for it to function.

Sums up my euro 83 SC......

My oil level and temp gauges are working and accurate enough for any driving condition, and no, I'm not lying.

^
Oddly.....mine too !!!

Kevin,

Never mind the "Go drive a Honda" haters. There's always one. Many car guys are arrogant dicks.
You'll find that a certain segment of old 911 owners are just bitter "stuck in the past" POR-SHA know-it-all snobs with a massive chip on their shoulders.
Ignore them and focus on the supportive members

I thought your video was DeMuro-like, which is a proven model. Great work.
It's also nice to see someone around here young enough to actually operate a video camera! Rare skill around these parts!
I still can never remember which switch is the sunroof switch. It's always the 2nd one I try, just like plugging in a USB device

I know you were just making a joke, but your temperature gauge should work.
Where is the needle when warmed up?

The oil level sensor also does work, but it took me years to figure that out.
The needle only moves on the very last .5 quart or something like that
Poll: Does your oil level gauge work? (Not pressure)

Speaking of open floor plans.....
Anyone else like the deleted center console look?

Can you post a photo of your car's stripe kit?

I'd love to see a video of how to photograph a car for sale.
A full frame photo of a car with 85mm is always a treat.

Looking forward to your unique spin on this hobby!

hmmm ... and WHO has a massive chip on their shoulder???

Uhh, the dickhead telling him to go buy a Civic?

The Byzantine heater controls have long been the subject of derision here.
And the oil gauge leaves a lot to be desired.

Guy making a funny video about it doesn't need to be shat upon.

As if he's the arbiter of who gets to own a 911.
Typical insufferable car guy just crapping on anyone who doesn't think exactly like him,
or has the exact same car as he does, or doesn't use his car exactly the same way.

I've owned my car 18 years and I do all repairs, modifications, and maintenance myself, and I still don't find some of the controls intuitive or second-nature...

Thanks for the video. Well done with subtle humor.

Fun video - thanks. I wish I saw it 6 mos ago when I first got my car. My car did not come with a manual.... and I tugged on the mirror control 800 ways to try get the passenger mirror to adjust before finding that switch. haa haa.

The worst though - EVERY time I get into the car, I have the key in my right hand. Gotta love the eccentricities.

Ha! You're not alone :D
The pump was missing/obsolete when I got my car. It took me months to find a working used one.
After installing the pump and replacing the hoses I spent several hours checking wiring, relay and switch.
All to find out the headlights had to be on...

Nicely done.

I am afraid there are some folks that are just not with the program enough to warrant - commenting on a lighthearted video that is very well made and nicely received on YouTube.

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time and entertaining the rest of us "unworthy" owners :)

Porsche controls are like a new girl friend.....ya gotta feel around a bit to figure out what turns things on.

huh, isn’t that cute.

you know a thing or two about that, do ya shug?...

Rad. I didnt know about the green rear wiper button, the front wiper delay, or the 2 position rear defrost. :D

The heat system is simple if you understand that the 911 has a heat system and a separate fresh air system and they are independent of each other. Once you understand this the system makes erfect sense.

Let's cover the heat levers first: the levers between the seats simply direct heat from the heat exchangers to the cabin. So you pull these up first to get heat into the car.

Then the ONLY other lever for heat is the lower red one on the dash, move this full left and heat diverts to the floor, move it full right it goes to upper windshield vents for defrost.

That's it for HEAT, it's that simple.

OK so what do the other 2 black dash levers do? These are for fresh air and they are separate from heat, these are not heat levers! The top one diverts fresh air to the floor or window defrost.

Center lever activates a blower to assist fresh air into the cabin. This blower does NOT push heat, it only pushed fresh air.

So if you want max heat leave the 2 black top levers on the dash full left pos and pull up the levers between the seats and decide where you want the heat to go with the lower red lever on the dash. Do not activate the fresh air system! Do not turn the fresh air blower on, if you activate the fresh air system and the heat system at the same time you are mixing heat and fresh air from outside and you will not achieve max heat!

If you read the text on the dash lever panel it tells you that for max defrost pull seat levers up and move red dash lever full right. But leave black dash levers full left this send max heat to the defrost vents at the windscreen. But if you move the dash red lever full left it send full heat to your feet. It really is that simple.

Then the fresh air system works well when you do not have AC on and you simply want fresh air from outside at your feet or at the defrost vents.

The confusion happens because both the heat and fresh air systems share the same ducts and air box but other than this they are separate.

It's very rare that I ever use both the heat and the fresh air at the same time, actually I really never even use the fresh air system.

Then to make things even more confusing we have the AC system that's completely separate from the heat and fresh air system. That's another topic.

The video was fun to watch, and you taught me a thing or two as a more recent newcomer in this fun corner of our collective car culture! With an owner’s manual in my ‘76 that has 80% of the pages fused together, lol, I can now attempt to seek out fresh air in my cabin. Local air-cooled friend did prove to me that my single center heat lever (did 912E’s only come with one??) actually worked —- if you just pull it up the full distance, lol. Good job! Look forward to your next video.

Some 911s from the 70s had only 1 heat lever between the seats that opened/closed both both heat flaps, 1 lever for 2 heat flaps. I had a 1975 911 and it had just 1 lever but my 1984 911 has 2 levers.

MAX HEAT = levers up between seats and fresh air system off. Then simply move the red heat lever on the dash to distribute the air to your feet and/or the windshield defrost. Simple.

Thx Sal! Appreciate your input very much. My car had been on my lift for a month - wish I had looked at the cable routing for my heater flaps. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of heat you can get off the motor.

I really liked the video! nicely done, felt quite professional too. Keep 'em coming.

The fresh air slider actually should activate the fresh air blower fan too. It has three speeds, hence the different number hash marks on the slider. Most 911's don't have a working blower. It is a common for them to let the smoke out. Didn't know mine was dead for 3 years of ownership.

Just thinking about the headlight switch. Do a video on how it has 14 wires coming out of it! it turns on the lights. What else is going on there?

Good video. Thanks.

It a decent video. My temp gauge and oil level work perfect.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1586531874.JPG

I changed mine out to a calibrated gauge 25 years ago shortly after buying my 85 911.

My Carrera comes with heated outside mirrors. The rear defogger has just one pull out for full power, but I can rotate the knob one click and it turns on the outside mirror heat to de-ice or defog them. In 25 years I have used that once.

I also have cruise control, but it if fairly intuitive.

I instantly knew how to operate the heat levers as I bought a new 914 2.0 way back in 1974. It uses the exact same heat levers and controls.

The headlight washers only operate if the headlights are on. And they really pump the water.

Ha!
 

While I have been enjoying this thread I have been doing so with the feeling that I had already learned all this in my own time.

Alas!

After reading Glen’s last post I had to go out to the garage to check my defrost!

I did not know it all after all! My defrost knob indeed does twist to the right!
Nine years of ownership and still some fun things to learn!


Thanks all!

Chris

Loved the video! Very well made and fun. And as others have said, ignore the haters. I'd like to think I'm part of the younger, hipper crowd on here (some will disagree!) and we need more content like yours. Love the car too!

I believe that same 'pull but also turn to the right' defroster switch was also sometimes used on the RoW cars that had rear fog lights: pull to turn on front fogs, twist to activate the rears. My RoW is slightly different in that it has a separate pull switch for each of the front and rear fogs.

Don't want to get off on a tangent here, but the headlight switch, despite the number of wires connected, is actually pretty logical. Each of those wires just controls a separate group of lights. Each light group will operate in a different manner based on circumstances like ignition position and light switch position.

For example, if your car is running and the headlight switch is pulled to the second detent, pretty much all the lights are on. But if you turn the ignition switch OFF without changing the light switch, the headlights go out but all the others except for the license plate and ashtray light will stay on. That's because the headlights are connected to terminal number 56 which is only energized when the light switch is in position 2 as well as the ignition switch turned on. Parking lights are connected to terminal 58L and 58R (for, you guessed it, left and right parking lights) which has power whenever the light switch is in any position other than off. The parking light indicator on your tach (terminal 57) has power with ignition on and light switch in position 1.

There are some circuits run out of that light switch that are further regulated down stream.

The fog lights are one example. The fog switch takes the power from the grey wire at the headlight switch, probably connected to terminals 56 or any of the three 58s, and switches it on or off, passing the current down the line to the fog light relay. I moved my grey fog wire to terminal 75 so they could work any time the ignition was on, regardless of the headlight switch position, and would also turn off with the key out.

Another case, and likely why the parking lights are separated left and right on the switch (terminals 58L, 58R), is that when the car is completely off, you can flip the signal light lever and the parking/running light on that side will illuminate steadily, not flash.

I have a light switch matrix showing the terminals and how they act under all the conditions of light and ignition switch position that I've also posted below.

And here's a thread showing my headlight switch adventure a few years back.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/475738-headlights-not-working-properly.html


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1243114292.jpg

Everyone starts somewhere, it’s a beautiful thing to discover and learn things about your vehicle. Some do it alone in their garage at night and are content with that, but we’re living in a content driven world where the desire to share and entertain is more prevalent.

What??...no mention of the European parking lights when using the turn signal stalk?
Must be he hasn't discovered them yet.