I started my /6 up tonight just to hear it run for a while. I turned on the lights and noticed that when the parking lights were on, the tank indicated about 3/4 full. When the head lights were turned on it indicated 1/4 full. I did this a couple of times to make sure that I was seeing that I thought I saw. Yep, about the second time I did this, smoke started coming out of my dash. LOTS of it. I turned off the engine, made sure there was no fire in the dash and then disconnected the battery.

What a way to start the week. Makes me think about selling the /6 with some of the problems I have had with it lately.

Thanks for listening to my ranting. I guess this weekend I will be pulling the dash apart to see what smoked...

That is a bummer.

I had the magic smoke escape from my dash awhile back as well.

Luckily not much damage and I was able to fix it fairly easily.

Oh Man, you let the magic smoke out!
Now it'll never run right again.

My 73 1.7 did that. It was the wire to the high beam indicator light. Never did figure out why. So glad I was not on the highway anymore and less than a mile from home.

sorry to hear about that - but that is a classic example of why I converted my car over to a GM-style fuse block. When I pulled the wiring out a few years ago when converting over to a V8, I noticed almost every wire that was in contact with either the white or yellow wires from the light switch were "browned" from the heat at the contact points. That was a similar meltdown waiting to happen.

I tend to think - at minimum - everyone with a 914 should go out to your local FLAPS and buy an inline fuse and fuse the hot to the switch. If the positive had been fused, you most likely (probably 99% of the time) wouldn't have this fire issue right now. You would have a blown fuse and a need to trace a bad wire.

So, since you're going to be into the harness and replacing some wiring, maybe take my advice and get an inline fuse (20A should work - most cars complete lighting system can work off of one 20A fuse). I just rewired the racecar with that Painless block and have a 20A to the hot on the switch and have had all the lights on at one time without blowing it. Worst case, put a 30A in it if you have fuse failures at 20A (I am rambling, but hopefully you get the point).

just a matter of FYI - the GM-style (Painless Wiring in my case) fuse blocks fuse all the hots so you don't have these meltdowns (for the most part).

It may have been my fault as I added some wiring for a-pilar gauges (oil pressure and temp) but it has been running with those for a while. I have never had just the parking lights on (except when turning on the headlights).

From the smell of it I will just need to look for a melted wire and work back from there.

Replacing the fuse block is a good idea. I have to search the club store to see who makes a replacement and get one ordered.

Speaking of wire, does anyone know where I can get wire that has color codes on them (you know, brown with blue stripe, etc)? Around here I have just seen solid color wires. Also does anyone know what gauge wire Porsche normally uses under the dash?

Thanks,
Mike

Mike - If you are referring to my post, just replacing the fuse block won't do what I am talking about. You don't need to replace that fuse block. The only upgrade I have seen is where the fuses were converted to the late-model blade-style fuses (like the GM block I have).

The issue I am referring to is where the fuse is within your system. The fuses on the 914 are between the lights and the switch, not before the switch which would be better IMO. Then, any grounding (other than before the fuse obviously) will blow the fuse, not melt the wires.

The other issue I think you/we are all combatting is the fact the wire is so old and with age, the coating becomes more susceptable to failure/burn-through.

I tried like hell to locate color-coded wire and thought I found a distributor, but then he never got back to me after I gave him a list of the porsche colors. So good luck with that one!

Adding the extra gauges didn't help either as there is a lot of load on that switch. The lights would be fine to add (I would guess) as they have low draw, but I would suggest adding any 12V power sources from a lower load item, like maybe the brake switch post or something "intermittent" (brakes aren't always on, the reverse lights tie into that aren't always on, etc). I think you mean you just added power for the lights... probably not an issue.

Yea I understood what you were saying. I was sort of thinking out loud. I did order one of Mark's (engman) led fuse panels though. The fuse also sounds like a good idea.

Thanks for your info.

Mike

The white/green wire between the light switch and the speedo fried. At first I thought it was localized to a small section of the wire but after chasing the wire I found that near the speedo it was really fried. The burnt wire was laying on a metal support near the speedo where it is really cooked, I am wondering if it could have worn though the insulation and when I turned on the lights (which I rarely do) it just smoked.

Now I need to pull the cluster and light switch to see if there is additional damage. I couldn't see any damage to the other wires so far.

I hooked up the positive side of the new vdo temp and pressure gauges (I haven't hooked the gauge lights up yet) to fuse #10 and a shift light to fuse #8.

Mike: Do yourself a favor and organize all the wires undre there. When I got Beauty there was spagettie behind my gagues that caused all kinds of stuff. Now it looks neat and everything works.
:PERMAGRIN: Joe

The first time I smoked a wire up under there, I went in to diagnose and thought were they thinking!! Look at this spaghetti, is this car Italian?

So, you may know this, but the easy way to clean that up is drop the fuse panel. Take some masking tape and pull off long sections, pull one wire at a time from the fuse panel, fold the tape over the wires to make a "flag" at the end and with a pen mark "top of fuse #1" or "bottom of fuse #8" and so forth. Then spend the afternoon swearing under the dash of that thing and slowly unravel all that crap and then zip tie clusters together (like cluster the turn signal wires from the hazard switch and make their own sub-harness so to say) and then you won't have 27 wires all wadded together and twisted around like the factory did it. That is all just a big fire waiting to happen - I think you got lucky with the fact the isulation probably wore through up against metal, not near other wires where a pretty sweet fire can get going.

edit - and it will make installing that new fuse panel easier too instead of pulling a wire - attach to other panel - pull another... and end up doing the wire dance in a cramped area with two panels.

the wire dance huh?

ever danced the hot soldering iron dance? ive still got marks from molten lead

BTDT

I've built a lot of radio/computer/electonic equipment over the years. A lot of it was soldered, others were wire wraped. I've had solder land in places it should never get to. OKAY not there but in my shirt, on my legs, in my shoes, and up my sleeves.

Thanks Joe. It still looks like the factory did it but I agree it needs to be cleaned up.

Thanks. The fuse panel came in on Friday. Mark (Engman) provides good instructions, tags for marking the wires and provides a map to record where (now) marked wires should go on the new panel.

Now all I need is the time to get it done before I have to put it up for the winter.

Again thanks for the info.

Mike

I finally got some time to look more into the smoking wire. It was the high-beam indicator wire that smoked (white-green wire). This seems to be the worst of the burn although it looks like it goes back to the source.



I found a ground wire that is not connected. Here is a picture of it (back of the speedo). Does anyone know where it is supposed to be connected?



I am trying to get the light switch out of the dash and the large wire bundle seems to be in the way of getting the switch out. How have others replaced the switch (couldn't find it with a search)? Here is a picture of dash. The aluminum trim is glued on the dash. Is this normal?



Oh, where can I pick up a new light socket?

Thanks,
Mike

Exactly what mine did all those years ago. All I did at the time was to replace the wire and fuse it.

Dave,
What size fuse did you use?
Mike

there's a little fiber washer thing inside of the bulb holder that degrades over time, the centre contact bridges the outside and shorts out. at least thats what happened to me

You asked a couple other questions - I snipped them out as I don't know those answers As for the light switch removal, you need to pull the fuse panel down out of the way, and sorta unravel all that wiring crap as you pull the switch out from behind the dash. That is the mess I referred to before as being spaghetti and having to deal with. The aluminum is a skin that someone else glued on, but you don't have to take that off to get the switch out since you remove it from the back.

Thanks for your reply. As you can see in the picture I have the fuse panel down. I wasn't wanting to pull the wire bundle out if I didn't need to but it looks like I will need to.

Since I only have one key and new cut keys don't work I need to pull the skin off and ignition switch out. As I remember it you have to take the skin off to get the switch out on a 6.