Help, side light problem

[Paul190H]

Hi guys, just got all the brakes back together and the handbrake overhauled ready for the MOT. Checking the lights tonight and both nearside side lights are out. Took out the bulbs and both are working and the fuses are intact. Any ideas, earth problem maybe?
Thanks
Paul.

 

[Ash944]

Earth problem????

 

[Paul190H]

Hmmm, bit of a blonde moment there, can't be earth as all the other bulbs on that carrier work fine, got to be the live. Any common faults with this?
Thanks.

 

[tref]

Indicator stalk problem?

If the lights are off and the indicators are on one side or the other, the side lights are on on that side... suggesting the circuit includes the indicator stalk somehow... I just can't remember how!

 

[pse_SC]

Have you tried the fuse? Believe it or not, there are separate fuses for n/side and o/side side lights - well they are on a 924 anyway, so there's a good chance 944 are the same (if it's an early car).[]

Whoops, you have....just read your post completely[8|]

 

[Paul190H]

Thanks for the input guys, I was wondering about the parking lights as it is unusual to lose both on one side.

 

[924nutter]

If you are meaning front and rear side light then think horses and not zebras, in other words check the most obvious. Loss of front and rear has to point towards loss of feed, and I know this sounds funny but open the bonnet with the lights on to see if the bonnet light is on because it is fed from the same fuse. (at least it is on the 1981 924 diagram which is the only one I have to hand but there seems no logical reason why Porsche should change this circuit path for the 944) Put the indicator column switch in the left turn position for starters, and see if the lhs lights come on. If not then there is a break in the currernt track from terminal 58l on the back of the switch and the lamp becuase the feed for this parking light path path comes to terminl 58l via the parking light contact, derived from the unswitched or permanent live to to ignition switch. If the lights now come on the there is loss of feed from terminal 58l on the light switch. That's enough to be getting on with.
Get back to us if you to need to dig deeper

 

[Paul190H]

Thanks John, will look at this tonight when I get home.

 

[924nutter]

I've just read in another post that the feed to the bonnet light is from the off-side position so maybe the 944 is connected vice-versa, in which case this little wrinkle will be of no use to you. It is not critical which side the bonnet light switch is fed from maybe the other guy's is a one off Friday car and maybe the wiring diagram is wrong. You could check yours to be certain. In that case put a voltmeter between the top fuse contact and earth and look for ~12v d.c. with the lights on. If yours feeds from the off-side too, then maybe the wiring diagrams differ.

 

[Paul190H]

John, thanks for your help, I took the light switch out tonight and cleaned the contacts and sprayed some electrical contact spray in there and bingo all sorted! Should be all good for the MOT on Thursday!
Thanks all!!