It runs! But wiper, speedometer and fuel gauge issues

[birdieman]

After months of diagnosing, checking, testing and replacing many fuel injection components, I am proud to announce my 1975 914-4 runs, and runs quite well.....much thanks for your forum information. But I have subsequently discovered that the wipers do not work nor, the fuel gauge and speedometer (disconnected the cable and found it is not turning). Do I have to remove the fuel tank as suggested in Haynes book to check the wiper motors and fuel gauge sending unit? Or are there other ways? Also how/where can I find matching paint for my original yellow 914? Thanks again for all your help. Birdieman

[John Rogers]

I think the gas tank has a connector on top for the fuel sender. Inside the tank it has a float and it can stick or fail to rise and fall with fuel level. For the wipers, check the electrical diagram and see which fuse is used and see if it is blown or if it looks okay, pull it and clean the contacts and insert a new one. If that does not fix things, the next choices are the switch in the column or the wiper motor and if I remember you can get to the electrical plugs for the wiper and check for voltage there and if none then it is the switch. As for the speedo issue, it can be a broken internal cable or broken sender at the transmission. To test you can raise both rear wheels off the ground and run the car in 1st gear and see if the cable at the speedo spins. You could have someone hold the end and drive the car also but that tends to scare folks!!??

[80-911SC]

Touch up paint can be found here
Select the year of your Porsche
or here
Porsche Touch Up Paint | Color, Code, and Directions for Porsche
If you just have chips and small scratches try Dr ColorChip .. a few members on the 911 board have posted very good results from them ....

For the speedo check at the back of the tranny and see if the speedo cable is complete .. you can spin the end and see if it spins under the dash .. if not our host sells speedo cables for you car ...

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Paint: It fades with exposure to sunlight, so chances are only so-so that an original color will match what is currently on your car.

Fuel sender: You may have to remove the expansion tank from the top of the main fuel tank in order to get at the sender? I think I had to do something like that on my 74. It was one bolt on each end, and a bunch of small bolts around the filler neck. I may not have needed to remove the filler neck bolts, but at the time I thought I did. The 75 filler and expansion tank are different, though.

Wipers: To get at the wiper motor and linkage, you will have to remove the fuel tank. Hopefully you have an electrical problem inside the cabin rather than a motor or linkage problem.

Speedo: The cable comes out of the transmission through the "angle drive" at the right-rear corner of the transmission. These can fail, as can the cables. Unhook the cable from both ends (speedo and and trans end) and see if spinning one end spins the other. That will check the cable. Make sure that the tab in the angle drive spins when the car is moving in gear; that will check the angle drive and the drive gears inside the trans.

--DD

[80-911SC]

one of the touch up paint companies (cant remember which) had it set up that you could send in a part of the car for them to match the paint to ...

Or if you have a Body Shop Supply (or may be a body shop) they have analyzers that can allow them to duplicate the color on your car .. which is different that the color your car is ... 30 years dirt dust wax and sun can cause hell with your paint .. If you want to get an idea of how off your cars color is pull a door panel and check it against the jamb and against the outer body of the car ... if your car has been a low mileage and garaged it may not be far off .. but it is going to be off but a bit ... I pulled the door panels on my white car and found it used to be yellow ....

[John Rogers]

I forgot to mention, we used to check Julia's speedo cables with a drill attached to the inner cable at the transmission. It can be connected at the speedometer and will show if the dial and cable are working. If you unhook it at the front then you can just see the cable spin.