Need help with drivers side lights

[Eturbo924]

Ok here is the issue.

I have no lights except the front main driving lights on the drivers side.

No side markers, no reverse, no brake lights, no parking lights front or rear.

What the heck gives?

Fuses look ok

Is there a relay I should be checking?

Is there a connection some where that would defeat all of these and still allow the rights to all work perfectly?

UG! Need to get it inspected quite soon!

Thanks

Eric

[MPDano]

Oh man, electrical issues are fun to trace. I know my light wires had so many of those jumper connectors, you could wiggle them and this is how I found my shorts. Are you getting any power to the passenger light wires? Try and trace the wires back from the lights.

[Eturbo924]

I toasted my test light a couple months ago. I need to go and get a new one... I guess today.

I have wiggled all the wires in the rear... cleaned what grounds I could find and such... with no luck

[rhjames]

relays, relays, relays......

your owners manual will have a schematic for the relays and fuses on the central panel. if you don't have one, many of us here can post it (I don't have mine where I can get to it at the moment).

as with anything electrical 928, it's sometimes a long and sorted process of tracking down the offender.


--Russ

[MPDano]

Here's a great site of the layout of the relays by year of car.

https://www.928gt.com/t-7879fuse.aspx

[rhjames]

Originally Posted by MPDano

Here's a great site of the layout of the relays by year of car.

https://www.928gt.com/t-7879fuse.aspx

(thanks Leo!)

--Russ

[Alan in AZ]

However - if you read all that you will discover there are no relays for front or rear markers or what you call 'parking' lights* or brakes. On AT cars the reverse lights have a relay on an MT they do not. So its isn't likely to be relays. Front & rear markers share a fuse and an individual light switch connection (seperated side to side). Don't every assume fuses are OK by looking - test them with a multimeter or just replace them. Do all lights on the passenger side work correctly?

Have you looked at the rear light cluster to see if the connector is plugged in? Unbolt (fingers) from behind the rear tool tray (quick/easy to do)

* what you call 'parking lights' are also really markers - Porsche uses 'parking lights' to mean something quite different.

Alan

[Eturbo924]

Ok strange things are afoot.

I started by checking the fuse. Damned if I can figure out why but my meter would not read anything at the fuse... none of them. Yes... so I am a dope.

I knew the passenger one was working and could not get a reading there either.

I gave up on that and figured it was ok. So I started at the back of the car. Tested the passenger side first. Figured to see if I could actually get the damn meter to read some thing. Bingo... shows power there. So checked the passenger side... nope... no power. So I began tracing the line back to the fuse/relay box. Could not find any breaks in the lines or such. Did find some interesting coins under the rear seats and in the rear panels. One from the Florida central zoo or some thing like that.

Anyway. I traced it all the way back to the box. Found nothing. So I decided to pull the screws that hold the fuse box in place and have a look behind it. I pulled the screws and then for some reason checked on the lights. Hmmm.... now the lights come on but dull on the drivers side! We are making some progress I figure. So I pulled both tail lights and swapped them. Both sides now bright. Hu?

Of course they are in the wrong positions so I swap them back. Bingo the are both working and bright. So... I have no idea what I did to make anything better but now they are on. I put the screws back in the fuse block and the lights remained on. I had removed the passenger side light before so it was not the connection there. Ah well. Wish I knew what fixed it. Maybe there was a short behind the fuse box that was released when I loosened the screws.

Had this not worked I had begun to suspect the light switch. But... all is well now. I just wish that damn gremlin would go to some other car!


Thanks everyone!

Eric

[MPDano]

Nice!!

[Alan in AZ]

Originally Posted by Eturbo924

Damned if I can figure out why but my meter would not read anything at the fuse... none of them. Yes... so I am a dope.

I don't know about being a dope - but you really need to learn how to use a muiltimeter - you will for sure need these skills!!

Originally Posted by Eturbo924

But... all is well now... Eric

Sadly - I think not... You wiggled some stuff and it started working again... I think in time you will just see this re-appear in the same way.

Since what you did made a difference its probably just a simple connection issue. Check and clean all the connectors you touched.

If you can compare how the driver & passenger side connections look this will help identify culprits - if you see any sign of corrosion clean carefully and gently until the terminals look bright and clean (not too aggresively though). Change all the fuses anyway - but use good quality ones - large boxes of fuses going cheap on eBay are not high quality - never use these!

Alan

[Danglerb]

What about the brass/copper made in Germany fuses on ebay?

I have a couple boxes of Littlefuse brand and some of them are aluminum.

Has me confused on the issue of a "good" fuse.

[lfausty]

YO no wishing problems to somebody elses car. no one needs extra problems you only become better at issues when you learn and fix em. and should be proud to have this special problem of yours , whats a few patches of hair torn out amongst friends. gotto love it

[Alan in AZ]

For fuses go by brand name only: Bussman & Littlefuse are the most common quality US brands (different in Europe) - these mostly have a tinned finish not a gold/brass plating as most of the cheap ones do.

Again - not looks - go by brand only.

There are huge differences in fuse quality: contact materials, clarity of labelling, correct coloring, accuracy of rating, temperature resistance of the molding compound, provision of electrical monitor slots, shape & thickness of the blades... it all seems so simple...

they are so cheap anyway - buy the best quality ones

So you can get a screaming deal on 300 fuses for ~$12 - who cares - you only need ~ 35 that work really well!

Alan