Take 87 out of storage and arrrgggh!

[webini]

So tonight was the big night. Drove an hour with my wife to the barn where a fellow PCA member stored my 87 coupe for me for the winter. Got there, reduced tire pressure, took the battery off trickle charge, connected the battery, turned the key and my baby fired right up. Off with my wife to get a nice dinner and then drive home.

Had the nice dinner. Start off for home. Of course by this time it is dark and I am 50+ miles from home.

On a back road so I hit the high beams. No problem. Car coming, use stalk to drop back down to low. Feels funny. Let go of stalk - no lights. Holy *^%^(*@ it is dark!

Quickly snap on the fogs so I don't hit anything and then I pull over. Turns out that the stalk will not let the lights on at all unless I pull back ever so slightly. Pull back more and hold and I get the high beams. Let go then nothing. Move forward for high beams then nothing.

More cursing and then I drive home all the while holding the stalk in slightly so I have lights. This really took the fun out of the drive home.

A new stalk is about $125 from our host. Any one know anything about this type of problem? How do I get in and take a look? I'd much rather spend that money on turbo tie rods!

I know, its minor, but jeeze I've been waiting since 11/1/04 to drive my car! Won't pass inspection until this is fixed.

[jpnovak]

Just pull the switch. clean the contacts, bend the spring tabs, check with a multimeter and add some relays. It happens quite often.

[gabenheimer]

The turn signal switch failed in my '86. In my case, the high beams kept turning on whenever I used the signals. You may be able to take the switch apart, but I recommend replacing it. These switches fail quite often and it's not worth messing around with it. When I replaced my switch it took about 90 minutes.

Good luck!

[jazzbass]

Originally posted by jpnovak
Just pull the switch. clean the contacts, bend the spring tabs, check with a multimeter and add some relays. It happens quite often.

What he said. These switches are not that complicated and most times can be fixed with a little patience.

[Sonic dB]

Hey... Check the wires where they plug in under the dash! I had the same problems, then someone here pointed those plugs out. They are located just above the left carpet wall just under the light pull knobby. Mine were coming loose and were jiggling in and out of the connection...this caused the lights to go on and off.

[BReyes]

R&R the switch.

Regards,

[stomachmonkey]

Had the EXACT same thing happen to me one night.

I always tought that the lights were not really good enough until I lost them. Amazing how dark a back road can get.

Both answers are somewhat correct. The switches can sometimes be "fixed" if they have not started to melt. Once they melt they are done.

The only real prevention is to add relays.

Scott

[john walker's workshop]

on the outer left side of the switch, there is a thick silver bar that pushes a plastic guide, which switches the contacts between three thin brass strips. you can see it move when the stalk is moved. if the plastic slider is not melted into the three brass strips, simply support the silver bar at its pivot point (so it doesn't pop out) and tweek a slight curve into it (toward the brass strips) with some small pliers until it holds the contact by itself. remove the wheel and housing covers and the two screws that hold the switch to its mount, and work the switch out where you can work on it easily. you can probably do it mounted, but it's easier to see what you're doing when it's off. no need to unplug any wiring.

[greglepore]

What John said. Mine was fixable without pulling the stalk.

And put in a set of relays when you're done so it doesn't happen again.

[DC_Targa]

Oh Yeah, Deja Vue...

Too many years ago to remember the details but I DO remember the red glow, small flames and the smoke that caused me to rapidly turn off the light switch and pull the car back in the garage that dark morning.

"Honey, I gotta use your car to go to work since the Porsche caught fire in the driveway..."

The next weekend I did finally figure out how to remove the wheel cover thing and then the steering wheel. Yup, burnt and melted plastic! All I remember is that I took the mess apart and with the help of a bit of scrap plastic sheet stuff and some epoxy it was healed (yes I did clean the conductive stuff well too).

So far so good since it hasn't occurred again. BTW, this was years before I found PP forums and all the help true Porsche lovers share.

Cheers,

Dennis

[webini]

Just to close the loop - it was the switch, the wiring was fine. R&R the switch and "let there be light"!

Thanks all.

[304065]

Ha ha ha, brings back great memories.

It was 2001, the days of irrational exuberance were in high swing. I was new to Drivers Ed and was on my way to Mosport one night, having left Manhattan around 7pm, and it's a 9 hour drive.

Near Watertown, NY, at 100 MPH, all went black for a moment, and I could feel the rumble strips at the edge of the road. I managed to get stopped, pulled the halon extinguisher from its mounts, and used my flashlight to inspect the melted switch. I drove all the way to Mosport that night using a combination of the high beams on the highway and the fogs around town.

I ended up replacing the switch, fortunately it's still available from Porsche (unlike the early chrome stalks in my '66, but that's a story for a different thread.)

I would also recommend installing headlamp relays, search here for details.

And welcome to the club!

[vesnyder]

Similar issue, except mine would flash randomly between high and low - at the most unopportune times! Tried to fix but had to buy a new one. Easy fix but be careful of the wiring.