1977 911S New owner queries

[leewiffen]

Hi everyone
I've just become the owner of a low mileage 1977 911S
Great car but I do I have quite a few issues that I need some help solving. So let's go through them. Parking Brake and Seatbelt light on the dash is not working. It's unlikely to be the bulbs and all the fuses seem fine. Do we know if the switches/contacts at the parking brake and seatbelts themselves are unreliable? Should I just replace them if they are available and how do I go about that? The intermittent windscreen wiper switch...it looks like the shaft has snapped off. Are these plastic ? are they available? Heater control levers by the handbrake which are badged as defrost and control heat to either side of the cabin. Maybe this is a user issue but should the defrost on / off panel in front of the levers light up when they are on or off? Alternator / generator. When driving the dash red indicator light in the speedo, or is it rev counter, glows very faintly. It does not get brighter when the revs are increased. So is it likely the generator / alternator is faulty or is there a separated voltage regulator that could be faulty?...phew, lots to do. I know all you Porsche boys are so helpful, so here's hoping

[EC900]

Nice car, clean too. Welcome to the Loyal Order of Friendly 2.7 MidYear Impact Bumoer Narrow Bodies.

• Red Defrost Levers - it’s a misnomer, Pull up regulates how much the heat flaps open, higher up more they open and that heat is now available for Defrost which is controlled by the slide levers on the dash console. Should be a decal on your glovebox door. If you need copy of the Owners manual let me know. Confusing system. New replacement red knobs avail here at Pelican, just pull them off by tapping up with small adjustable wrench. The little black square indicator only lights up when light are on, only a small build inside, the cover pops off to check. Serves no other function and it is not a switch.

• Seatbelt/Brake Light Dash Light - Unreliable… I know the Brake light can be. But yours might just be unplugged behind that module, it’s a sealed unit and there are not any replacement bulbs inside. If the contact bow on the handbrake switch broke off, it will allow the light to stay on, or handbrake switch could just be out of adjustment. Adjusting the HB switch is hard to do with Pass seat in place, you can see the small screw but hard to loosen/tighten. Very finicky switch to adjust too, car must be on to do it and requires very little movement up/down. To Replace this switch it’s best to pull out the seat(s) to get at them easier, dissemble the handbrake/heat levers watch the order they go together, it isn’t hard, just tedious. That’s why most folks simply disconnect. If your ignition buzzer doesn’t activate with key in, then I’d bet prev owner disconnected these annoying features.

• Glowing red light - might be simple as the battery not charging due to ground cable loose, bad battery, fan belt too loose. I’d check battery volts for 12.5v or so engine off and +13v running. Idle rpm’s should be 900-950 range. Belt slack should be no more than 1/2” deflection.

I don’t know about Wiper knob.

[EC900]

[Zeke]

I had a '77 30 years ago, but IIRC, the seat belt receptors face up and collect dirt and debris. They sometimes need to be cleaned. You can vacuum with a small hose and blow out any that you don't get with the vacuum. You can also spray a mixture of alcohol and distilled water in them and blow out. Dry thoroughly before operating.

If you're really brave, you can put a little cleaner in some water, drop some in and blow it out. Then rinse clean. Use lots of towels as the water will go everywhere.

Remember, I'm going back 30 years....