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There is something that needs to be said here ... and it isn't particularly flattering of the engineers in Stuttgart. The original design work for the wiring and switching circuits for the 911 was done for Type 'A' bulbs of 45/40 Watt ratings, of the non-quartz type, and for many years there were no changes at all, no updates when the H1, and later the H4 assemblies were incorporated into production! When changes were finally (for SC's) made to eliminate the one relay from the circuit, a blatant error in judgement was made to continue sending all of the headlamp current drain through both the main light switch and the control stalk!!!
It seems likely to me that 'maintenance' engineering oversight was assigned to new engineers fresh from school, with no knowledge of the marque, or the past production cars, and little experience or common sense, either! Nobody with any common sense or conscience would continue to produce cars with the inadequate wiring if they had ever looked at the overheated, discolored wiring at the light switch, or at the wiring connector that plugs into the backside of an H1 headlamp assembly of a 10-year old 911! I have to wonder why the problem was not noticed in the '70 model 911 ST's that ran at Le Mans all night. It HAD to be noticeable after that many hours of operation with 100 Watt bulbs ... and I think Don can probably tell us about the 'smell' of cooked wiring!!! Hot PVC, at more than 70 degrees Centigrade, almost 'crystalized' wiring, and I'm not talking about burnt wiring ... just overloaded and hot wiring from hours of operation at marginal levels of safety!
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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa
[This message has been edited by Early_S_Man (edited 01-04-2001).]
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