1985 944 Headlights Not Coming On

[LukeG]

When I recently purchased my 944 the steering column switches (wipers, turn signal, headlight dimmer, etc.) were not installed. Last night I removed the steering wheel and started layering the switches together on the column. Somehow, I accidentally popped a small plastic cover off of the base of the assembly and a bunch of tiny copper prongs fell out. I tried to reassemble it, but I decided it would be best to reference a diagram first. I did go ahead with the assembly though, and everything seems to function...for the most part.

First question; can anyone help with the re-assembly diagram or directive (assuming I made some sense, and you know what I'm referring to)?

Second question; and maybe not related, all my lights work on the vehicle EXCEPT for the headlights. They pop up but won't come on. Are those tiny copper pieces related to the dimmer switch, and by not being installed are preventing the headlights from coming on? Or is it possibly a relay? I replaced any blown fuses and that didn't solve it. I believe the related fuses are 1,2,3,4 on lower panel.

Third question; my wipers worked long enough to get them bring them up 90 degrees and quit. Is there a relay related to those as well?

[Monkey Wrench]

wipers usually use a park switch that is inside the gearbox near the motor.

If it isn't lacking power they should park at the bottom of the stroke. It is possible to put them on in the wrong orientation, The serrations on the wiper arm, and that could cause them to move further than they should and jam mechanically. Id normally park them and then install the wiper arms in case a battery was disconnected or similar, and they were not in park position.

I think the headlights do not have a relay for turning them on and I am only going by previous posts. that would mean full headlight current going through the switch which would mean the switch needs to be capable of carrying the full current and it would spark when the contacts openi so over time maybe the contacts would get dirty. some cars use a foot switch instead of the column so I guess if the high low on the column failed one might just add a foot switch. I like the foot switch myself as it is then not involved with steering the car or having your hands in a certain position.. if you are on a windy road and busy steering the caras another car approaches then the foor can be at the ready on the button . rather than your hands. some may hava preference.

some cars have simplified the washer pump by employing basically a rubber ball that you step on. I had a car that combined that with a donut shaped switch that encircled the ball.

to activate the wipers so I could pump it and also that would make them wipe. this can elliminate the washer pump as the ball is mechanical or manual not electric. I think I had a british made ford Capri that worked like that .. I like the proinciple of the rubber ball repalcing the electric wiper wash pump. the 944 probably has an electric pump.


if you are in there and can see the actual contacts, be sure to clean them. maybe put a little dielectric grease on the contacts. I believe it is possible to make that same switch see a lot less current if the switch turns on the coil of a relay instead of the lights and then , in turn , the lights are controlled by the relay. all that would affect is to reduce the current over the normal switch. that would be a mod and I believe it does not use a use a headlight relay as standard.


I believe the high low is a relay that works like a ball point pen, one pulse turns it on high the next pulse turns them on low and then it repeats. If you can make the relay click you can find it by its sound. Ive had relays for other cars apart and thats what I saw, a mechanical arrangement in the switch with a mechanism I can best describe as much like a ball point pen.

Likely clarks garage has some better troubleshooting info. the headlights do move so Im unsure if there is a contact so they come on when open. Others will know better. donn't get your fingers stuck in around the headlight mechanism it may be powerful enough to cause injury of it moves unexpectedly.

i think there is a wiper assembly of sorts maybe wiht a brush and a copper strip or similar to park the headlights. this smay be related but I am less familiar than others here with that.

if you were working on the column and then the lights or other things started to fail well then it stands to reason that the trouble is often created in the area you last mucked with bacsically.

If that is the case I'd study what you may have affected. its unlikely there sorts of issues suddently appear for no reason in some other area unles you caused a short or some similar event happened.

sometimes like with things liie how to assemble a switch it won't be an a manual as a Porsche mechanic would just say its a faulty switch replace it. serching google by images might be of some help maybe youd find a person took it apart and documented it.

id try here , I did a search for "headlights" on the clarks garage pages, it brought up several links with related info.

https://www.clarks-garage.com/

[LukeG]

Much appreciated! Very thorough. I'll dive into clarks garage. I'm a little new to this scene, but I've seen them reference is just about every post.

[curtisr]

I had such a problem albeit just one of the front lights. It turned out to be a broken wire. The connection to the bulb twists whenever the lights are activated and with enough time...they can break.
A check for power should confirm such an issue.

[originalowner]

The headlight high beam / low beam switch is a part of the stalk controls and the current for the headlights passes through the switch. That switch may be the one missing the copper prongs that came out. I do not know how to put it back together.

Your description of "layering the switches together on the column" sounds like you have an early 85 as the late 85 and onward have a one piece switch assembly. (You should mention early or late 85 when asking questions as there are significant differences.) On the early cars, the high/low activation is done with the turn signal stalk, but the switch itself is on the wiper stalk assembly. When these assemblies are put together, they hook in a certain way such that the turn signal stalk activates the switch. If this is not done correctly, the headlights may not function, or may not switch between high and low beams.

[944fan2018]

When the headlights would come up and on or off at random on my 944, it turned out to be a bad ignition switch.