993 headlight switch - is it repairable?

[marc_tt]

Has anyone repaired a 993 headlight switch - looking for advice if it's repairable and how?

Headlight switch is working intermittently, where sometimes all lights work fine and other times the dash / instrument lights and rear number plate lights only illuminate when switch is switched to side lights but not when switched to dipped headlights.

Can see how to remove and replace switch; and want to know if / how it's practical to repair rather than replace.

Thanks

 

[Graham-S]

Might be worth spraying switch cleaner into it and keep turning back and forth

 

[BrianJ]

Might be worth spraying switch cleaner into it and keep turning back and forth

Sounds unlikely but I did exactly that on our troublesome, buried and very expensive Neff oven selector switch and it has been fine since!

 

[stephentodd]

I had a similar issue. On my 986 Boxster light switch, I Googled it & found a video on Youtube which involved removing the knob front then spraying with switch cleaner, & working from side to side, it sorted it a treat, and that’s about 4 years ago.

 

[marc_tt]

I've successfully used contact cleaner over the years for various cars, including 996 (same switch as Boxster), however looks like 993 switch is well sealed.

Found some US forum postings saying spraying with contact cleaner does not penetrate into switch.

Thinking I'll remove the switch and take it from there. Maybe submerge it in cleaner or part open it to use contact cleaner.

From previous experience, may be tiny springs inside switch that can jump out / be lost on opening, hence that's why I asked.

 

[Mark Elder]

Just a thought: I find it tough to see how the contacts in the switch for "dash / instrument lights and rear number plate" would be a different contact than the one for the side lights, therefore I wonder if this is a relay issue rather than a switch issue. Might be easier to check the wiring diagram first and see if there's a relay related to this and whether it's at fault (impacted perhaps by the slight voltage drop as the headlights take current).

 

[marc_tt]

Update - removed switch and checked it with multi-meter and switch was faulty.

Switch has 3 securing lugs and they weren't flexing to open up the switch and didn't want to break the lugs (it's 28 years old and looks like plastic has lost it's elasticity) so soaked it with contact cleaner via the lug holes, agitated it and hoovered it and had to repeat several times; and it's now working normally.

Hopefully it's now good for many years. Otherwise may have to heat it up to try and open it, or buy a replacement.

Did check wiring diagram and shows license plate lights and instrument lighting are on same circuit (fuse 36) and separate to the side lights. Also relay R24 is for instrument lights and jumping this didn't fix it.

Switch is accessed from the rear of the lower dash (knob pulls off and undo collar with circlip pliers) and needed to undo the warning control unit behind the switch to extract the switch. Could not access from above by pulling out the instrument gauge above the switch.

Thanks for your help