Electrical issue help.....
 

2000 Boxster S. Suddenly my courtesy lights, cig lighter, windows and convertible top stopped working. Fuses are good. Is there a master fuse. Please help.. cant put my top back up

other than what you mentioned, car starts and runs good?
how is the carpet under your seat feels like?
stick your hand in there and let us know if it comes out wet

got the top working but nothing else. Forgot to to pull emer brake. will look for wet spots under the seat. Car wont start cus i try to start but i here a click and the engine turns about 1/2 inch and stops. put in a new battery today and same condition. thinking its the starter. All worked before i changed the battery except the starter.

All dry under the seat...

A bad starter won't make the orientation lights not work.

Check the battery posts and clamps to make sure that they are clean. Check ground cable at grounding point.
Verify that the CLU has not gotten wet, then replace your ignition switch.

what is the CLU? and why replace the ignition switch?Battery posts were cleaned well before installing the new battery. Windows did close with holding the key in the door on lock. will not open now. Thanks for help

The CLU is the security unit mounted under the drivers seat....

Use the search function @ top of page "ignition switch".
The electrical portion of the switch (mounted at the bottom of the mechanical tumbler assembly) is notorious for failing causing all sorts of electrical gremlins.

This ^

When weird electrical behavior appears that has no other obvious related causes, it usually turns out to be the ignition switch.
At around $20 and about 10 minutes to swap it out, it can't hurt to try. Also, if your switch isn't failing, it will eventually. It's good to have one on hand. ;)

The reason I suspect it is that I traced your problem circuits and the only thing I can find in common aside from the battery is the switch.
I'll admit that I've never heard of a starter issue related to the switch, but it should be eliminated, anyway.

OK guys will switch out the ignition switch and report back. All this help is appreciated.

Replaced ignition switch and still no courtesy lights and no power windows. Where to look now. as i noted fuses are good.

Swap the 'good' fuses for new ones as a confirmatory test ?

Jump the start lock relay. If it doesn't crank full speed, it's not getting enough power. Either a bad battery, starter or connection.

The cig lighter is connected directly to the battery via a fuse and current distributor. What's the voltage reading at the battery and at the cig lighter?

Is this a USA or a ROW 986 S from MY 2000?

Regards, Markus

Since he's in New Jersey, I've been assuming US spec.
You never know, though.

JoeKluger,

I had similar symptoms..

You may want to follow the cable from the positive on the battery to a funky round type connector on the firewall, mine (an '07) had signs of corrosion that I cleaned with a toothbrush and afterwards reinstalled with a light coat of dielectric grease.

good luck

cranks good. no voltage to cig lighter

Cranks good when start lock is bypassed, but no start?

Check for voltage at fuse D5. If no voltage, then check at current distributor fusible link F2.
I think you may have a bad connection at the current distributor firewall connection (probably on the outside, not in the cabin).

You can have good voltage at the distributor, but still have a bad connection not letting enough current through. Always clean connections. ;)

What he said. ;)

cranks good and starts and runs good. will check the plug on the firewall

I think i have the wrong connector. The pos leads to a bolt on the firewall( red circle). Is this what you are referring to? Or is there another connector?http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1477430295.jpg

Yeah, that's it. Disconnect the battery first.
Take the nut off and clean up the mating surfaces.

PM sent.

Thanks much.. will take it all apart tomorrow for a good cleaning

Took it all apart and cleaned it and reassembled it with dielectric grease. checked all connections and still no courtesy lights or power windows. The cig lighter works.. bad connection ( my fault) but that works. i was hoping it would be the power distributer but no such luck.. where to next??

When the cig lighter was a factor, many idicators pointed to a power issue.
After the troubleshooting and lighter revelation, we are right back at the CLU.
I would pull it out and check the connections and circuit board for signs of corrosion.

Ok will pull the seat tomorrow and check the CLU.

Got the box out from under the seat and opened it. Looks clean with no obvious corrosion or burn marks. The fuse contacts looked a little dirty so i changed out the fuse and will test tomorrow. :(

Don't forget to check the electrical connections. Check both the plug end and CLU end, and make sure there are no loose wires or dislodged pins.

Even if everything looks good, there may still be an issue. All of your symptoms are classic CLU failure.

Just went to plug it in and no results. Checked all the pins and it all looks good:barf:

Is there a way to test the CLU?

I think i'm freaking out. Now i turn the key and just get a click but no cranking. Battery shows 12.4 volts:mad:

any ideas???

Same thing happened to me while trying to find the same problems so I disconnected the battery and left it overnight and the next day it started. Disconnect battery for an hour or two and it should start.

Frank.. im getting desperate with this car.. PORSCHE???Trying that .
Thanks for your reply

Mine the courtesy lights don't work the power lock don't work the rear defogger doesn't work and the alarm doesn't work, also the side markers don't work all from water under the drivers seat. I've been trying to figure it out but I'm almost at the point of getting rid of it. So good luck with yours and I'll check here to see how you are doing.

If you had water under the seat, then you already figured it out. ;)
You killed your CLU. Send it to ECUdoctors for repair...cost about $500.

I recall that you had it "repaired", but it was not actually fixed.
Send it to a competent and reputable company, like the one noted above.

It won't change a thing the company that I sent it too is also reputable and this is what they do and it's in Canada. I think it only needs programming not a repair company.

I hate to break it to you, but those are not programming issues.

Good luck. :)

But the car starts and runs I try to read the codes with the durametric and nothing shows up anymore. I had code 60 and 47 before but now nothing I replaced the ignition switch and it didn't change a thing. So that's why I think it's something with the key and the CLU.

i'm sending everything to Specialized ECU Repair in Florida. will update you guys when i hear back from them.

Don't you know someone with a PST2 or a PIWIS as I think it's probably only programming that is required. Mine is probably the same thing but there is nobody around that has the readers. I think I might have to take it to the dealer in spring.