I recently purchased a nice little 73 914 and after a few issues getting it to run right, I now have a fun little daily driver. The car is far from perfect but has been completely reliable everyday. The main problems that I am faced with right now are a few electrical gremlins.

#1 Lets start with the hopefully simple problem of winking headlights. When I turn off the headlights, at least one, if not both, begin going up and down and up and down for several seconds and then finally stop in the down position. This used to happen on rare occasions, but has become more and more frequent the past few days.

#2 Another strange thing, when I turn on the headlights, the left one comes all the way up and then sinks back down a little bit, giving a droopy eye look. As with the other problem, this doesn't happen every time. If I turn the headlights on and off a few times, I can usually get both headlights sitting level.

#3 Last question for now. My lights are pretty dim, headlights, dash lights, you name it. Its not really a problem, but the weird thing is, when I push in the clutch, all of the lights get brighter. It has nothing to do with engine speed or pushing in the brake pedal, only the clutch. How in the world does a pedal that has no electrical connections (as far as I know) cause a change in my electrical system?

Please, if you have answers for any of these questions, help me out. I have tried searching, but haven't come up with anything very helpful. Thanks in advance.

check all your grounds....

and also check the relays up front by the head light motors...

#3 - disengage clutch, engine momentarily speeds up, which also speeds up the alternator. In addition to DanT's suggestions, check both grounds at battery & top of transaxle, posts/connectors at battery terminals, & power relays in general. Also a little Wurth Electrical Contact Oel (or similar connection oil) will help a 37 year old dimmer work a little better for it's full range, affecting the dash lights anyway.

If you're used to "modern cars" (Geesh that makes me feel old! ), then the dash lights & headlights will seem dim to you.

Headlight power can be boosted with 65/100 or 80/100 W bulbs in either sealed beam (if available) or Halogen H-4 flavor, in conjunction with the headlight relay kit available from AA, Pelican, PP/Automation, SMC, etc.

I did that to our 88 VW Westy recently & it makes a world of difference! ... I can actually see on dark roads at night! ... plan to do the same with my 914 as I resto it.

Had one droopy headlight that did the #1 thing you describe.

Took the relay out, put in another. Problem gone!

John

How's the general condition of the car's wiring? Voltage regulator? 13.5 V or so at the battery while running?

Sorry guys, I have just been swamped with work since I first posted and haven't had time to go check things out. I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with grounds and relays, so thats where I will look first. If I do need new relays, where do I buy them? I looked on pelican and can't seem to find them. About the general condition of the wiring, its pretty bad. Someone who definitely didn't have a degree in electrical engineering messed with this car pretty bad, at least as far as the engine wiring is concerned.