Wierd Electrical Problem

[mytoy]

Hey Guys I am new to this so be gentle. Only just acquired my 83 911 cabriolet about 4 weeks ago and have been reading ever thing I can on this site. Now for my problem.
I replaced all the dash lights the other day. Turned on the lights in the park position and every thing is beautiful. Even these old eyes can now read all the gages and all the lights work. Success you say. Well this evening I pulled the light switch into the park position and every thing is still OK. It gets a little darker so I put on the head lights and to my surprise the top two lights for the speedometer go out. What could cause this?
Just seems weird that all the lights would work in the park position but then go out when the head lights are turned on.
By the way I do not have any bright lights. I suspect the on/off switch on the turn signal switch (My next project). Could this have any thing to do with this problem?

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

[billybek]

Hey Gary,
Welcome to the forum.
Great source of info and I have found a great source of entertainment as well!
I would suggest getting the Bently manual for the SC. If for nothing else, for the wiring diagrams in the back.
Sounds like you are heading in the right direction....
How about and intro thread and a picture of your car? Not required, but from what I gather traditional.....

[ossiblue]

Question: When you turn the lights on to the "park position", does the green park light indicator come on, and does it go out when the switch is on the full light position? I ask because on two of my cars, someone had misconnected the lead to the park light indicator causing the symptom you describe.

Just a thought.

[rgrimm]

Originally Posted by ossiblue

Question: When you turn the lights on to the "park position", does the green park light indicator come on, and does it go out when the switch is on the full light position? I ask because on two of my cars, someone had misconnected the lead to the park light indicator causing the symptom you describe.

Just a thought.

Mine was the high-beam indicator. I noticed one night that when I flicked on the high beams, an unlit section of the tach suddenly lit up!

My guess is you've got a couple bulbs in the wrong place--easy to do.

[mytoy]

Bill Thanks for the welcome. I just got the Bently and the 101 books and am reading intently. Yes I do see that an introductry post with pictures seems to be a pre requist to bieng accepted here. Just been too involved in reading and working on the car to post much so have not gotten around to it. Guess it's that time.

L.J. and Roger you guys are friggin geniuses I say. Solved the problem in ten seconds. When I read your posts a light bulb went on in my head. I went out and checked the bulbs and when the full light is activated the green light was still on. I then switched the one that goes out with the green light and voila every thing the way I like it. I did not think that the green indicator light was to go out when full lights was activated. I thought that it was to indicate that the lights were on whether park or full lights. Then thinking about it it made sense in a way that if full lights are on you can visually see them but when you turn off the key the head lights go out and the parking lights stay on and the indicator will be lit letting you know that your lights are on.

I was carefull in removing one light at a time when replacing the bulbs but if it was wrong from the start then it would be wrong in the end. I guess the PO must have mixed up the lights the last time he changed bulbs. Oh well lessened learned.

Thanks guys for the solution. I feel like dummy now.

[Joe Bob]

DAPO strikes again....