Can anyone figure this one out???
 

Hey,

Just the other day I noticed that when I open my doors (passenger or driver) the lil' light in my back Richard Hatch area comes on also. I suspect this to be normal......but when I open up the back hatch, the light will come on if a door is open, but if the doors are closed, the light only comes on until the back hatch is open past the half way point. After the hatch is opened past the halfway point, the light goes off. I suspect someting is wrong, cause why would the hatch light not be on when the hatch is fully open and the doors are closed?

Can anyone tell me what this may be???

I have a 944S......incase that makes any difference.

Without looking at the 944 schematic....
I suspect the door and hatch switches are wired in parallel. When the hatch only is opened the power comes thru the hatch switch only and if the light does not stay on the problem must be in that switch. Remove that switch and remove the wire and touch it to clean metal anywhere on the body. if the light comes on and stays on, your problem is in the switch. Cleaning the switch, the mounting screw and the wire conection may fix the problem.
Hope this helps.

Jon Aborn

I have an 83 and my light only comes on when the doors open- the hatch doesn't turn it on. Now that you brought that up it makes me wonder... Is it supposed to come on in the 83's when you open the hatch... thanks

Pat

Thanks Jon - where do I locate the back hatch switch?

p0rchby used to touch me in my Richard Hatch area...



SHAUN

I'm guessing a car selling for what they did in 83' would have the option of the hatch light turning on when you open the hatch. Mine used to do it, but it just started recently doing the "only turns on until the hatch is half open, then shuts off" thing. I just tried locating the switch, but I have no Haynes manual, so I'm in the dark as to where it is.

Any help out there?? Could it be something else besides the switch??

I don't have mine with me right now, but wouldn't the owner's manual state how the interior lights work? Like when which doors are opened, etc...? Maybe someone has their's with them and can check it out.

I'm sure you may wanna report that shaun... :D

http://eurospecporsche944.homestead.com/files/sig3.jpg

The hatch should turn on lights
 

Check the connection at the rear... on the hatch struts. (The parts that hold the hatch in the air when open.) Anyway at the bottom where the shaft is silver... there should be wires on either side. Two things frequently happen. Either the wires become fraid and come off the connection... or the screw that holds the attachment on the post is loose. If it is loose.... tighten it. The light will come on. If not test the wire to see if it is split or cut from constant flexing.

Eric
www.geocities.com/eturbo924

944S Boyeee, Eturbo924 is right. The switch is actually pretty simple. The switch is on the right hatch support strut. A wire should be connected to a little piece of metal. When the hatch is closed, the little piece of metal is seperated from the metal rod in the hydraulic support by the plastic casing. When you open the hatch, the casing moves up and the little piece of metal touches the metal rod. This should turn the light on. Move the hatch up and down making the light go on and off. Examine the switch and note the position of the metal when the light is on and when it's off. Probably either something's interfering with the switch or the wire is pulling out of the clip. My guess would be that the wire is pulling out of the clip. It happened to me, and I just cut out the clip, and reattached the wire with a blue clippy thingy (in line tap-in squeeze connector) to a wire with a clip I had laying around and just attached the clip where the old one was. If you do replace the wire, make sure it is long enough to reach with the hatch open and closed.

I checked that out and tightened the screw - and it made the light work with the doors closed and it works perfectly now......

but, my rear defrost stopped working. I'll never really need rear defrost (it hasn't snowed yet in Nova Scotia and I will be storing it when it does), but I do like having all the stuff on my car working all the time. Is the rear defrost somehow connected to the switch that I was fiddling with?? It was working fine just the other day, but now isn't. Besided a fuse, what else could it be??

For some reason, rear defrosters tend to be problematic on these cars.

There is a fuse and a relay in the main fuse box. Also, check that you didn't disconnect a wire on one of the hatch struts.

AFJuvat

Found the rear defrost problem. I found the two wires that appear to be the rear defrost wires on each hatch shock. The one on the left was all burnt up and brittle. I "black taped" it and now it works fine. What would cause that wire to short out and burn like that?? It was pretty "flexed out" and broken.

From age and repedative motion
 

The reason for the wire looking the way it did is simple. The more you open and close the hatch .. the more you flex the line. Over time it begins to fatigue and strands snap. When it is barely hanging in there it can begin to arc a bit due to the large current needed to defrost. That is why you need to keep and eye on that connection.

Eric

It was all frayed - with the ol' "black tape" trick keep it from arcing again??

Can those connecting wires be bought anywhere's?? They look generic enough.

Yes
 

Are you talking about the female terminal? If so then yes most elctrical supply stores have them.. or some auto parts stores. I crimped on a new on and then soldered the connection just to make it look neat. Also you can purchase a bit of shrink tube to add some strength to that section.

Eric