interior cabin lights

[david.avrahami@]

1987 carrera.
For a long time, my cabin interior lights used to light up when opening the driver door...
Recently, however, it does not anymore...
Both lights work when changing the position to the middle or to the left but no luck in getting them to light up by opening the doors...
I pushed in and out the door switches hoping that it will help....no luck...Any suggestions?

[RPV911]

Replace the door switches in the jams. I did the doors, glove box and frunk at the same time. Cheap and easy.

[86 911 Targa]

Yup-Change them out.

And, be verrrrry careful.
Don't drop the wire into the "Abyss"...

Gerry

[darrin]

I'd first ensure that the lights illuminate when the passenger door's open (or if you jiggle the black part of the door switch that's behind the rubber cover on either switch)

here's a link https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/92861314700OEM.htm?pn=928-613-147-00-OEM&bt=Y&fs=0&SVSVSI=811

assuming the door switch is bad and that you're not driving your car often, you should put a tender on your battery (if you have one) or disconnect your battery (if you don't) - believe it or not, but a common source of parasitic battery drain (can drain a healthy battery in a week or so) is a broken door switch -- opening the door/tripping the door switch also triggers a relay to shut off the power window circuit. If the door switch doesn't signal that the door's been open, the power window circuit remains open (i.e. the power window switches keep working), slowly drawing power from the battery.

[proporsche]

david.1st remove the dust cover and spray some WD40 in the switch itself..if not working yet use 11mm socket or open wrench and loosen the contact a little then make it tight again-no too much.It could be just bad ground connection...
Ivan

[david.avrahami@]

Is there a way to disconnect power to the interior lights other then removing the fuse?

[walt]

Fuse removal or disconnect the battery. On mine just removing the rubber dust covers fixed the problem. I think over time the rubber may harden and shrink a bit not allowing the switch plunger to fully extend. Replaced rubber covers and lights are still working.

[Mossgreen3.2]

+1 for proporsche's and Walt's advice. Had same problem last month. Dielectric grease fixed it.

[david.avrahami@]

Thanks guys...
Where do you spray w40 or smear dielectric grease? do you have to take out the switch or just spray around the knob? please explain in details....thanks!

[Nick Triesch]

I have fixed many things on my car. Speed control, vacuum leaks, AC. But could never get the interior lights to go on when the doors are open. I can turn them on by the light switch. Not doors. I have spent hours !!!!!!! Replaced switches !! Door buzzer works!!!! I gave up in 2017.

[Mossgreen3.2]

What I did was:

Disconnect battery

Remove rubber cover over the switch.

Unscrewed the cover

Gently disconnected the switch from the wiring

Applied the grease to the contacts

Reconnected wires and reassembled

Reconnect battery

.....and the lights shone when I opened the door!

[Mossgreen3.2]

The Bentley Manual had good picture if I recall correctly

[Teutonics]

Originally Posted by proporsche

1st remove the dust cover and spray some WD40 in the switch itself..

If you can spring for the extra $$$, DeoxIT is really good stuff. I'm finding I use it quite a bit on multiple switches and components on the 911 (e.g. seat rocker switches, etc.).

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-D5S-6-DeoxIT-Contact-Cleaner/dp/B00006LVEU/

[david.avrahami@]

Thanks!
Just to clarify...How is the switch grounded?
do I apply the dielectric grease to the wire connection and/or ???

[darrin]

Originally Posted by david.avrahami@

Thanks!
Just to clarify...How is the switch grounded?
do I apply the dielectric grease to the wire connection and/or ???

It made a lot more sense to me once I was able to visualize how the switch works and what's going on -- I've included a link to a picture of the switch at the bottom of this post.

When you open the door, the switch closes the gap between the back of threaded metal outer portion (which screws into the door jamb) and the metal portion of the plastic/metal inner shaft. (the silver part that also holds the wire). Closing the door pushes the plastic/front portion of the inner shaft back and breaks the connection between the outer portion of the switch and the metal portion of the inner shaft.

So, while the door's closed, and the connection between the two metal portions of the switch is broken, corrosion slowly develops on the metal parts that contact when the door's open and the corrosion prevents the circuit from closing -- get the contact cleaner (or wd40, another solvent) into the switch so it can break down the corrosion on the back outer portion/front of the inner metal portion and wiggle the two parts to break up/remove the corrosion and the switch should be good as new.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/92861314700OEM.htm?pn=928-613-147-00-OEM&bt=Y&fs=0&SVSVSI=811

[david.avrahami@]

Thanks Darrin...great response...
So, I have to pull the switch out, separate the 2 metals by pushing the knob in and perform the cleanup as you described...right?

[darrin]

Before removing the switch, I'd start by spraying between the plastic and metal portions of the exposed part of the switch while still in the car and then twisting/manipulating the plastic piece to break up the expected corrosion.

Nothing to lose --

If you do end up removing the switch, few thoughts

1) disconnect the battery to avoid sparks

2) try to keep the center plastic part of the switch from twisting as you unscrew the outer portion - since the wire's affixed to the back of the switch's center shaft, best to keep it from twisting off while unscrewing the switch.

3) be careful not to let the wire attached to the back of the switch fall back into the hole -- challenging to get back out

[jchris]

You have inspired me to address mine. So thanks! I cleaned up the contact area with a file and applied lightbulb grease.

Fixed.

And it turns off as well.


Best!

[david.avrahami@]

The light over the door has 3 positions and can be set up by pushing the light plastic cover to the middle position, flat, to the left, and to the right.
Which position should be used to trigger the light coming on/off when opening and closing the driver door? or passenger door? should that position be the same on both lights?

[proporsche]

yes the same on both lights make sure the wires are connected correctly and mainly safe...do not switch ground to power...light comes on with the door open and the rocker light should be in the middle...
Ivan