Carpokes

AudiSport wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 8:44 am All this time you could have just pulled the cluster and removed the bulb

If I pull the cluster, might as well replace all the bulbs. I should then repair / refinish the reflector. Fix the odometer. Remove the plastic window and refinish the spotted face. Good time to get Tom's gauge surrounds and install. Clean all the grounds. Recalibrate the speedometer.

Better just yank some wires behind the wheel

I'm actually finding this a good learning experience. Never liked looking at those "barrels" and not understanding all those fraying wires

One day I'll pull the right side fender liner and I won't sleep until I understand that gas fumes business lol

I just did a cluster refurb over the winter.
LEDs from superbrightled.com
3D printed rings from Tom
SEM satin black paint

I tried to refurb the reflectors, but I don't think it worked so well... we'll see.

viewtopic.php?t=4657

danmartinic wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 9:51 am

AudiSport wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 8:44 am All this time you could have just pulled the cluster and removed the bulb

If I pull the cluster, might as well replace all the bulbs. I should then repair / refinish the reflector. Fix the odometer. Remove the plastic window and refinish the spotted face. Good time to get Tom's gauge surrounds and install. Clean all the grounds. Recalibrate the speedometer.

Better just yank some wires behind the wheel

I'm actually finding this a good learning experience. Never liked looking at those "barrels" and not understanding all those fraying wires

I'm an '86 guy so don't have a good handle on the extra wiring on the later cars, but I did look at the schematic and the brake pad light system is how I explained. What happens if you remove the passenger side jumper that seemed to cause the dash light to come on? If the light then goes back out, I could only guess you are bridging the wrong terminals somehow. If it stays on, then there's got to be a break in the tree lights somewhere else. For that matter, what happens if you plug the frayed harness back in with the sensor on the end -- if the light then goes out, you almost sure just need to trace the sensor wires back to make sure you are bridging the right terminals. Poking around, I see other '88 non-abs cars have connectors like your (not full barrels) if that's of any comfort.

Tom wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:02 am What happens if you remove the passenger side jumper that seemed to cause the dash light to come on? If the light then goes back out, I could only guess you are bridging the wrong terminals somehow. If it stays on, then there's got to be a break in the tree lights somewhere else.

Not sure how I can be bridging two terminals wrong? There's only one way to do that lol

Light now stays on no matter what. I've cut away the plug end of the sensor wiring so reassembly is out.

Perhaps my shorting is weak; it's just a regular low-gauge wire that doesn't really fit into the receiving terminals. On the other side I have these round tight-fitting clips that do the shorting

I suppose it could be the rear has broken wire issues.. but it would be quite the coincidence & timing

If I understand this: the two barrels on opposite sides of the engine bay are actually connected in a daisy chain of sorts? There must be a wire that connects them, correct? And from the rear, there must also be a wire between their "barrels" or whatever is back there?

danmartinic wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:15 am

Tom wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:02 am What happens if you remove the passenger side jumper that seemed to cause the dash light to come on? If the light then goes back out, I could only guess you are bridging the wrong terminals somehow. If it stays on, then there's got to be a break in the tree lights somewhere else.

Not sure how I can be bridging two terminals wrong? There's only one way to do that lol

Light now stays on no matter what. I've cut away the plug end of the sensor wiring so reassembly is out.

Perhaps my shorting is weak; it's just a regular low-gauge wire that doesn't really fit into the receiving terminals. On the other side I have these round tight-fitting clips that do the shorting

I suppose it could be the rear has broken wire issues.. but it would be quite the coincidence & timing

If I understand this: the two barrels on opposite sides of the engine bay are actually connected in a daisy chain of sorts? There must be a wire that connects them, correct? And from the rear, there must also be a wire between their "barrels" or whatever is back there?

Maybe the wires in that very old connector broke inside when you unplugged the old harness? You 'could' cut off that connector, confirm there are only two wires inside, and connect them together. Or probe them with sewing needles to see if they are really shorted together. Seems unlikely one of the rear corners just randomly died when playing with the fronts...

AudiSport wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 9:59 am I just did a cluster refurb over the winter.
LEDs from superbrightled.com
3D printed rings from Tom
SEM satin black paint

I tried to refurb the reflectors, but I don't think it worked so well... we'll see.

viewtopic.php?t=4657

Wow... niceeee

I like that you put the clear cover back on. Looks like new

You just polished the relectors? Not enough light?

After a few years experience with LED bulbs around the house, I am disappointed how short they last. I wonder if it's the same with the dash LEDs selling now...

Tom wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:20 am

danmartinic wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:15 am

Tom wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:02 am What happens if you remove the passenger side jumper that seemed to cause the dash light to come on? If the light then goes back out, I could only guess you are bridging the wrong terminals somehow. If it stays on, then there's got to be a break in the tree lights somewhere else.

Not sure how I can be bridging two terminals wrong? There's only one way to do that lol

Light now stays on no matter what. I've cut away the plug end of the sensor wiring so reassembly is out.

Perhaps my shorting is weak; it's just a regular low-gauge wire that doesn't really fit into the receiving terminals. On the other side I have these round tight-fitting clips that do the shorting

I suppose it could be the rear has broken wire issues.. but it would be quite the coincidence & timing

If I understand this: the two barrels on opposite sides of the engine bay are actually connected in a daisy chain of sorts? There must be a wire that connects them, correct? And from the rear, there must also be a wire between their "barrels" or whatever is back there?

Maybe the wires in that very old connector broke inside when you unplugged the old harness? You 'could' cut off that connector, confirm there are only two wires inside, and connect them together. Or probe them with sewing needles to see if they are really shorted together. Seems unlikely one of the rear corners just randomly died when playing with the fronts...

I'll be switching to summer wheels this weekend and taking time to investigate

I'll try & remove all the rear wiring too.. find their "barrels".. and see if I can short the whole string

Frankly.. I have never in any car relied on some brake wear indicators and I cannot image any Porsche owner doing so

A waste of extra wire and system nonsense

danmartinic wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:49 am

AudiSport wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 9:59 am I just did a cluster refurb over the winter.
LEDs from superbrightled.com
3D printed rings from Tom
SEM satin black paint

I tried to refurb the reflectors, but I don't think it worked so well... we'll see.

viewtopic.php?t=4657

Wow... niceeee

I like that you put the clear cover back on. Looks like new

You just polished the relectors? Not enough light?

After a few years experience with LED bulbs around the house, I am disappointed how short they last. I wonder if it's the same with the dash LEDs selling now...

Yea, getting the clear lens off without breaking it is tricky. But just cleaned it up. The reflectors I polished and tried to put some reflector stuff on them. I even went with higher output LEDs in the housing, I haven't driven it at night yet. But in the garage with almost no lights on, doesn't seem very bright.

There's lots of cheapish LED home bulbs that are built poorly. The LED unit itself is fine. They usually cheap out on the power supply components and those pieces fail on the bulb. My whole house is wired in Phillips Hue smart bulbs, they've lasted for years no problem. But they are about $50 a recessed light fitting. Car bulbs don't have any power supply or rectifier (AC-DC conversion) so they should last a lifetime.

When I firs saw the bundle of wires on my 87 I was very confused by them, this is my first ever 944. After some research I found they were for ABS and brake pad sensor. My car does not have ABS and the at the wheels end of these wires there was a jumper installed on all four Corners, but the wires on the driver front are broken so the light was on.
My plan was to remove all this wiring from the car, and jump as close to the DME/Dash as posible, but since I removed the dash to rebuild it, I just remove the light bulb. Still have to remove this wiring, it bugs me.