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Registered
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Muskogee, OK
Posts: 21
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fuse panel nightmare
Just starting restoration of '81 Euro...up and running fine after new alternator installed. Got first look at fuse panel this weekend..looks like 1930's Frankenstein movie set...added wires, dangling boxes of several descriptions, empty fuse slots...lots of loose stuff. Basic electricals (head and fog lights, turn indicators, radio, fan) work fine, but no interior lights, rear wiper or heated window. Suspect previous owners gradually disconnected stuff as it shorted out or drained battery. Would appreciate some basic pointers on how to start sorting things out...maybe more importantly, what NOt to attempt. Thanks.
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10-29-2007, 07:31 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 1,019
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Get the service manuals and start by getting rid of all of the added garbage. You'll probably find that it is an easy fix, but make sure you have the correct information first.
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Kuhn Performance Technologies, LLC Big Gun: 1988 928S4 Twin Turbo, 5-SPD/LSD 572 RWHP, 579 RW ft-lbs, 12 psig manifold pressure. Stock Internals, 93 octane. Little Gun: 1981 928 Competition Package Twin Turbo, 375 RWHP, 415 RW ft-lbs, 10psig manifold pressure. Nikasil Block, JE2618 Pistons, 93 octane. |
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10-29-2007, 09:23 AM
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Network Native
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: SoCal
Posts: 10,349
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The service manuals have wiring diagrams, they aren't the easiest things to follow, but you can't do much without them.
Euro cars get "messed" with when imported, but I suspect you are right over time the previous owners tend to do awful things to our wonderful cars. The good news is that soon you will be fairly well skilled at electrical work.  When you are messing around with the wiring, disconnect the battery. Bookmark this link, Do Wallyp's contact cleaning. http://www.nichols.nu/cat02.htm
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US 83 zinc metallic 5 spd, aka the nice car. Euro 85 black, 5 spd, the fast rough track car maybe car. SOLD Euro 84 red, AT, only car in garage in years, my parts car, soon to go last 7 years. |
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10-29-2007, 10:58 AM
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Network Native
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: SoCal
Posts: 10,349
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Let me disagree with Herr Kuhn just a bit, DON'T start with getting rid of all the added garbage, eventually sure, but making your first project removal of some third party alarm system that now somehow prevents your car from starting after you have removed the brain and all the wiring needed to turn it off, well its no fun.
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US 83 zinc metallic 5 spd, aka the nice car. Euro 85 black, 5 spd, the fast rough track car maybe car. SOLD Euro 84 red, AT, only car in garage in years, my parts car, soon to go last 7 years. |
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10-29-2007, 11:02 AM
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928-Electrics Guy
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Phoenix AZ
Posts: 715
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Take lots of pictures now before you do anything -- different angles etc so you can see what was...
Get the wiring diagrams - don't do anything without them. At the very least get Jim Morehouse's CD set. Read up on what Sharkskin has done to rehab his panel Don't worry its quite possible to restore fully to stock. Follow the wiring diagrams and check each wire from a plug at the bottom front to where it goes - what's missing/changed...? its a little time consuming but the only way to be sure... just work your way around. If its any consolation the later panels are much harder to work on and about twice as complex... The wiring diagrams may help you figure out what is what in the add on department - some may be fixes to issues/failures while most are probably creative owner additions... know what you are excising though - else it may not run! Draw up a schematic of all the additions... Alan
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1994 928 GTS Black/Black Manual Last edited by Alan in AZ; 10-29-2007 at 09:56 PM.. |
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10-29-2007, 12:52 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Muskogee, OK
Posts: 21
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Thanks for the responses and advice....especially liked Sharkskin's Rennlist pages. Will don my surgical headlight and dive down into it all this weekend...film at eleven!
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10-29-2007, 05:52 PM
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Heavy Metal Relocator
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if your "repair" gets to be too overwhelming.....I think I have a fuse panel and wiring harness from a Euro (80 model).
I have two fuse panels actually, but which is which is something I haven't tried to determine, as both of them are just in boxes with the harnesses when I bought them..... let me know via PM---- --------
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Absence of Evidence, is not Evidence of Absence. Bill Maher 8/4/09--- "I'll show you Obama's birth certificate, when you show me Sarah Palin's high school diploma." |
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10-29-2007, 09:00 PM
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Old 928 Guy
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Maryland
Posts: 408
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get the "current flow diagrams" (known as "schematics" in the non-German world) and a good multi-meter...
Tally Ho! It's especially fun trying to lie on your stomach while holding the meter probes on some tiny fuse contact or back of a connector
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1990 C2 Cabriolet Guards Red  '81 928 Zinnmetallic Project Car (sold)  )'87 944na Maraschino Red Metallic (sold) )
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10-30-2007, 10:36 AM
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Network Native
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: SoCal
Posts: 10,349
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What I bought to use are some "pen meters", fat probe sized things that have lights, buzzers, and even a digital display in the probe itself. Hopefully they will make trouble shooting easier, but I am still avoiding the loom of doom.
My thought is that using a digital meter instead of just a light or buzzer will help me find working, but poor connections, that have higher than normal resistance and voltage drops. 
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US 83 zinc metallic 5 spd, aka the nice car. Euro 85 black, 5 spd, the fast rough track car maybe car. SOLD Euro 84 red, AT, only car in garage in years, my parts car, soon to go last 7 years. |
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10-30-2007, 11:31 AM
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928-Electrics Guy
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Phoenix AZ
Posts: 715
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Dont lay on the floor to do it - just take it all out - that part they got right - easy to work on once its on the bench and goes back easily.
Alan
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1994 928 GTS Black/Black Manual |
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10-30-2007, 12:07 PM
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Network Native
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: SoCal
Posts: 10,349
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That sounds like a really good idea on the Central Electric panel, but if his car is like mine all the real mischief is in the various harnesses that plug into the panel, plus the stuff up in the console area behind the radio. If somebody actually spliced into the loom with mystery wires leading off into dark places, then what?.
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US 83 zinc metallic 5 spd, aka the nice car. Euro 85 black, 5 spd, the fast rough track car maybe car. SOLD Euro 84 red, AT, only car in garage in years, my parts car, soon to go last 7 years. |
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10-30-2007, 01:18 PM
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Old 928 Guy
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Maryland
Posts: 408
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yes i had to work on mine with the connectors on..and eventually found that at least one track on the "loom" was bad and had to put a jumper in...
I also ended up chucking my digital meter for my trusty old analog one...seems better for ohming out circuits and definitely seeing voltages vary (but I am old school on this one)
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1990 C2 Cabriolet Guards Red '81 928 Zinnmetallic Project Car (sold) )'87 944na Maraschino Red Metallic (sold) )
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10-30-2007, 04:11 PM
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Network Native
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: SoCal
Posts: 10,349
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Some of the digitals include a bar graph "analog" mode display I think, but it all depends on what you like.
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US 83 zinc metallic 5 spd, aka the nice car. Euro 85 black, 5 spd, the fast rough track car maybe car. SOLD Euro 84 red, AT, only car in garage in years, my parts car, soon to go last 7 years. |
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10-30-2007, 07:09 PM
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928-Electrics Guy
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Phoenix AZ
Posts: 715
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I like a continuity tester mode with a buzzer (no need to look) - most newer DMM's have this mode in their ohmmeter. Needs to be a high resistance type to avoid any damage risk and you need to consider polearity depending on what you are testing.
Test lights etc are not such a good idea.... Alan
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1994 928 GTS Black/Black Manual |
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10-31-2007, 09:09 AM
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