Episode 17 - 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo Restoration - Fuse/Relay Panel Removal & Disassembly

[@Gatornapper1]

I am a 79 year old GOOD mechanic and EE who restores & collects old Porsches that are not 911's - and I want to say that Russ Fournier is the most brilliant mechanic I've seen on any KZbin video! And he is a superb communicator as well, translating the highly technical into layman's terms. I'm dealing with a single problem in my mint 944 S CEP (Central Electrical Panel) that just killed my Fuel Pump - a bad connection in the CEP between pin 87 on the DME to Fuse 34. NOT SURE I am up for rebuilding the whole board tho after watching this video. One thing's for sure: No one touches this guy! Interesting I used to live in Naples, FL too.......

[@shaunbook3480]

The amount of knowledge this gentleman has is amazing! All I saw was, run away!

[@TheCarNextDoor]

Super helpful. Thanks for posting this!!!

[@jeffhammond8969]

Just wow! I don't think I would ever get that far into the fuse panel, but I'm glad you're teaching us.

[@lilG303859]

Just did this to clean up my fuse box found a lot of water damage and corrosion wasn’t too bad but it took forever to put it back together thank you been watching the whole way for my project car and it’s been super helpful

[@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios]

I'm glad I could help! Thanks for being a part of our project, I appreciate the support. We'll be putting the fuse ready back together this Saturday! I hope you can watch....

[@mrwucat]

I engine swapped my 1987 944 NA to an 07K turbo, with the kit designed by boostbrothersgarage, now it keeps running when I take the key out. Super helpful video! Putting the fuse box back together now, probably gonna replace the ignition switch too, wish me luck!

[@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios]

Actually, it sounds like the dme relay is staying active. Loose grounds can feed back and cause this kind of stuff.

[@madwerks3159]

Great information. Thank you!

[@eddieselman8942]

You’re a braver man than me, Gungadin. 😊 I’m going to save this episode in case I have a few hours to spare and no jig saw puzzles to build. 😂 Love your channel. Take lots of photos is my motto when working on my 944 and 928.

[@smacdiesel]

Im going to buy a used panel and try and copy what you just did. Amazing stuff!!

[@jvaubry]

Russ, I am not brave enough to tear apart this fuse relay box on my own car, though I like the idea of buying a used part off eBay to play with. An amateur as myself would have to take a lot of photographs to verify the sub-assemblies of contacts for each plate. And then how do you test the validity of the assembly? .BTW, the contact indices Porsche uses is simply based on matrix algebra( 3rd year engineering math course). In this case, you have a 3 dimensional matrix of indices(I,j,k,l), where I is the layer number, j is the relay number, and (k,l) are the respective row and column indices pertaining to the relay number. What about using a light etching solution(ferric chloride) to clean the copper contact surfaces?

[@RussFournier]

I didn't see that. I'll study that a bit more and get back to you .

[@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios]

Ok, here's what found. The wires from O-33 and O-23 go to the thermal switches. Red/black and black/red. Then O-21 and F22 go to one side of the resistors. Red/green and red/white. Then there are more wires that connect the thermal switches to the resistors. Green/Red and green/yellow. This might be where the confusion comes in. I believe the jumper wires go into the harness a short distance and loop back down to the other side of the resistor.

[@johndeltoro7990]

sir need your advise...my power windows will not work...i have replaced/checked fuses and relays still nothing...also replaced ALL window switches...am i missing something?

[@joeali2012]

Thank you for all the great information! I’ve got an 87 944T where several electrical components are not working to include turn signals, tach, fuel gauge, temp gauge. The warning lights on the cluster work but the analog gauges don’t. Speedo and volt meter on the cluster does work. Do you know if there is one common component I could check that would affect all these components? I have cleaned all the grounds I could find and connectors on the back of the cluster.

[@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios]

I'll take a look at the wiring diagram and see if I can come up with a few tests for you.

[@joeali2012]

I'd appreciate that, thank you!

[@joeali2012]

@@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios Update: I took the cluster off again and after moving the tach, oil, and temp needles up and down, they started working. I am still left with no working turn signals. The hazards work in all 4 corners and the parking indicators work. I have cleaned all the bulb sockets. I am thinking it must be an issue with the hazard switch. Is there a way of testing/ruling out the hazard switch?

[@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios]

Since you have some connection issues, you may have a hazard switch issue. Try this, with the key out of the ignition, see if the European parking lights work. If so, turn on the ignition, set the right or left turn signal and aggressively rock the hazard switch on and off. In the off position, it sends B+ to the turn signal switch with ignition on. When it's in the on state, it removes the 15 B+ and uses 30 B+ to operate the Hazzard lights. Many times the hazard switch has a bad connection internal, and can be cleaned by disassembly or rocking it on and off a lot. You can check for 12v at the 15 terminal at the hazard switch. If no power there, there Is a connection problem somewhere, possibly fuse panel. Let me know!

[@joeali2012]

@@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios Thank you! Yes, the parking indicators do work with the key out of the ignition. That's why I assume the turn signal switch is good even though I have heard there may be different contacts for the turn signal circuit and the parking light circuit (not sure). Am I correct to assume the flasher relay is good since the hazards work? I have definitely tried rocking the hazard switch with no luck. Next I will pull it and try to inspect the internal contacts. Thanks for the help! I'll keep you posted!

[@djmjr77]

Did you figure out what wires those were for, that the insulation came off? On my 86 951 three wires on the same green connector had the same issue, and one wire on another connector..

[@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios]

I need a reminder of those wires. I remember something about that. Can you screenshot that for me?

[@djmjr77]

@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios soo.. im new at this stuff. Just picked up an 86 944 Turbo yesterday, and it has this exact same issue with the O 21, 23,33 & F 22 wires corroding. I am in the process of depinning and adding the new wires but I have no idea where they hook to. I dont know if you have a video that shows that final step. I thought it was the white resistor on top of the blower motor, but the wire colors do not match.. help please, I haven't even been able to start the car yet due to fear of fire. Thank you!!

[@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios]

I'm looking now.

[@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios]

The wires that you are referring to are indeed the fan resistor wires. Do you have a wiring diagram?

[@djmjr77]

@EuropeanAutoCraftStudios yes you are correct, I am new at this 944 thing, but figured out getting them fixed on the fuse block side. Not sure how they hook to the resistors and other little things behind the glovebox. Somewhere the wires change colors from the ones in the fuse block to white on the resistors, so dont want to just hook the colored ones to the resistors in case they change colors at some unknown component.. do you know why or where the color change happens?