light flickering/dimming? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Overdrive · 06-25-2010, 08:04 AM

Hello, I've recently purchased a 1997 Boxster a little past 40,000 miles. I've noticed a bit of an electrical problem, so it would seem. Hopefully I'm posting this in the right area. If not I'll be happy to move it to the right area.

Now, granted, I understand the car is 13 years old, and it did sit for a few years in the lot of the dealer I got it from, but I noticed that the radio very briefly cuts out at random while driving. The sound will cut out for a split second and come right back, sometimes a few times in succession, other times once every few minutes. I also noticed while driving at night that the headlights and dash lights seem to flicker and dim while the car is running. I haven't noticed a change in the car's idle to correspond with the dimming and flickering, and I gave the battery terminal connectors a good shake and tug to make sure they're snug, and they are. Could I be looking at a bad ground somewhere? If anyone can let me know what areas I should look into or components to check, ground locations and such, any help would be appreciated. Thanks for you time.

BYprodriver · 06-25-2010, 08:30 AM

Never had any problems like this on my 2000 except sometimes the radio or cruise control go off until I start the car again, but from what I have seen on this thread I would GUESS that it's ignition switch related & you might want to start there. Do a search for ignition switch & you may agree.

pschaub · 06-25-2010, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Overdrive

...I also noticed while driving at night that the headlights and dash lights seem to flicker and dim while the car is running....

I had similar symptoms with my head lights and dash lights - replacing the ignition switch resolved those issues, along with some other gremlins in the stereo related to it turning on and off randomly.

The ignition switch itself is pretty inexpensive, but can be tedious to install due to the location under the dash. Pedro has a great write up I followed to replace the switch here:

http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site_3/Replace_Ignition_Switch.html

Also has details on the part #, price, etc..

Images (cell pics, sorry) show what my bad switch looked like, completely cooked and even broken plastic/metal in some areas.

Overdrive · 06-25-2010, 03:17 PM

Thanks, guys. It sounds like a pretty good place to start, and it couldn't hurt to replace the part on the car.

I'll start poking around the pics and the diy and update. Thanks again.

Overdrive · 07-21-2010, 06:19 AM

Hey, everyone, just putting in a little update. I finally got some time to speak to the dealer I bought the car from, and I explained the issues I was having, showing him the information I got from you guys and Pedro's write-up. I'll be going to pick up the switch this afternoon and dropping the car off to him next Tuesday for the whole day to look into my issues (this switch, no cold air from A/C, etc.). Might as well get what I can out of my warranty period. I'll update again to let you all know whether or not it solves the problem. Thanks again!

More updating for today: Went to the local Audi/Porsche dealership, gave em my part number and got the $35 switch for $29.75. I was about to show concern for something I thought needed to be there that doesn't, though. I thought I'd seen some sort of covering for those contacts at the bottom, but it seems there isn't one (can one of you confirm?). I can just see in the pictures above that the contacts are exposed on that switch, as well. And holy crap, this thing is tiny!

Well, got the part, so I'll be dropping the car in a little less than a week to get some things worked out, this included. Hopefully it'll be just what she needs.

blinkwatt · 07-21-2010, 01:58 PM

FYI if you ever need to order the part again... www.************************************************************ $11.

Overdrive · 07-21-2010, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blinkwatt

FYI if you ever need to order the part again... www.************************************************************ $11.

Thank you, blink, I'll definitely check these guys out in the future, especially if they carry other parts for the car. I just wanted to make sure I got the right one this first time around, and the highest it could be ($35) wasn't all that disagreeable for me. I'm just appreciative of the fact that there are some parts on this vehicle that don't go into the 3 and 4-figure range.

Overdrive · 07-28-2010, 09:28 AM

well, had them change the switch, which did not resolve the problem, unfortunately. Surprisingly, the old switch looked nearly as good as the one I bought from Audi...I really had to check to see the slightly higher amount of corrosion on the contacts to convince myself that he had indeed replaced the switch...and am just now literally realizing I should check for the Audi symbol on the part.

Here's some more info I've noted while driving I figure I should share that might help others recognize the issue:

- when driving the car, I will almost consistently get headllight and instrument light dimming and/or radio cutout when I initially step on the brake, and it seems to happen more often when in motion versus stepping on the brake when stopped. I've tested this out a few times and lifted my foot and pressed again a few times in succession. At night it is especially noticeable to see the headlights and instruments dim briefly and come back, or to see them doing their flickering thing in the reflection of the lights on the body of the vehicle in front of me at a light.

-If I have a bit of a slow start where the RPMs drop pretty low, where it seems the car could potentially stall, the lights will dim and the radio will cut out, all of which goes right back to normal once I'm rolling.

-This one I can't confirm entirely, but it seems that sometimes when making small adjustments to the accelerator input that the radio seems to cut out during this. It will sometimes do this as well if I lift off of the accelerator to begin breaking or otherwise slowing down, so somtimes I can get two radio cutouts in a row, one from the lift, the other from stepping on the brake.

-It is any and all lighting in the vehicle, from the dome light to the little door mounted lights, and seems to be only when the engine is running that this occurs, though I'll have to try playing the radio, turning on some lights, and stepping on the brake just running off the battery to see what happens then.

Anyways, he managed to resolve pretty much all my other concerns with the car unrelated to this (I have cold air from my A/C now

), which is great, but my light flickering and radio cutting out are still occuring. And I will say, I don't often drive with the radio or a CD playing, I prefer to listen to my cars when I drive them, but it's kind of annoying when you occasionally do so and have the thing cutting in and out. Can anyone tell me where else I should have him look for a problem? Could it be the alternator? I pretty much have this week and the next to get it resolved while still under the warranty, so I want to try and do so. Thanks again for all the help so far...hopefully I'll be able to get this fixed.

97 Boxster · 07-29-2010, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Overdrive

Thank you, blink, I'll definitely check these guys out in the future, especially if they carry other parts for the car. I just wanted to make sure I got the right one this first time around, and the highest it could be ($35) wasn't all that disagreeable for me. I'm just appreciative of the fact that there are some parts on this vehicle that don't go into the 3 and 4-figure range.

THANKS FOR THE LINK ON AUTOHAUZ. I PURCHASED MY SWITCH TODAY. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL SOLVE A FEW OF MY GREMILNS :troll: