Stupid Move!!

Driving back from Salem on the backest of the back roads all the way to Portland was just fantastic. Hardly any cars on the road. Long stretches of open black top with a few twists and turns. I turn my lights on when on these roads. Sometimes farm equipment pulls slowly across the highway over culverts and the like...and you want to have other drivers be aware that you are out there. Seeing no need for lights any more, I went to turn them off and I turned the friggin ignition off at 65mph by accident and I almost pulled out the key. Thank God, no one was behind me at speed!!! How stupid is that one!!!

Wouldn't it be safer if the ignition could not be shut off while any car is in motion? Or would there be any scenario where one would need to?

Wow, never heard that one before.

Jim - I'm with Kirby, never heard that one before. I've got to hand it to you though, 'cuz if I had done something, I think I would have been too embarrassed to tell anyone. Hats off to you! You've Either you've got brass �clangers" or you really trust us� or both! How about a mod to prevent this from happening again! You know those little lockable boxes they put over office building thermostats to keep people from changing the temp setting? You could mount one of those over the ignition switch. It probably wouldn't look any uglier than the 997 Sport Chrono "wart!"!

Get Help !

Freaky dude. Remember what happened when Garp turned off the car and headlights and flew into the driveway.............

Jim, Not a great move but a great post. It reminded me of the many trips I made on those roads in my Alfa GTV6 when I lived in Portland in the 80s. I still think Silver Creek Falls is one of the great spots in the country. I miss OR. At least in the summer. Jim

That is tooooo funny!

Next time go all the way over to the beach and then come back in via Longview WA. Leave SR26 a few miles West of Camp 18 turning North and then up and over along the river. Stunningly beautiful and challenging drive.

Ya know, Jim, stuff like that happens. I was in the right seat in a Beech Bonanza doing some radar testing once. One of my jobs was to turn on the front light at a certain point (we were skimming the cacti at about 50 ft and 150 kt or so). I reached for the landing gear switch by accident. Pilot slapped my hand.. I'm still here.

It took alot of b@lls to even post something like that, Jim. Glad you are alright.

With the engine off, you should still be able to steer and brake (albeit without power assist). It's like if you run out of gas. It's not safe but not detrimental. It's easy to confuse the key with the light switch esp when the car is bouncing around when in motion. That's why most ignitions are on a different side...

I would do that, wait I think I have done that!

Yes...but think of the time you save at Le Mans.

Dude, very brave posting that here..... but on the other hand VERY FUNNY..... CAREFUL MAN.....

Silver Creek Falls is probably one of the nicest spots in the state. We don't advertise it very much as you probably remember...

For SURE!!!...no matter how hard we concentrate, one small slip is all it takes. I could complain about it and say the two switches are too close, but you know, It was totally my screw up. It was like I left it up to my fingers to do the thinking and I powered down the wrong switch and for a moment, knowing I had my hand on the key in the off position, the reaction was to pull the key out...about a nanosecond later all sensory awareness gone, just rolling...no sound, dead steering, and so on, registered and I grabbed for the e-brake to slow her down to almost a crawl, threw it in neutral, pegged the clutch and fired her up again.

Acutally no, but that was a great attempt at an explanation. Some automakers have it on the steering column, some on the stalk, some on the dash, some on the console (ala SAAB), etc, etc,. Some have their lights on the dash, some on a stalk, well you get the point. The only thing we DO know is that Porsche has placed the ignition in a practical place for a reason (albeit based on history and not current utility).

Hows it going Darren?

In the 80's I had a rookie trader working for me who turned his ignition switch to the off position while he was coasting in a Chevy Monza coupe. The steering locked up and he went into the guardrail near Prineville. Great guy. 6 foot 6 and a real gentle giant. His kid brother played for the Redskins. Unfortunately he drowned in a car wreck near John Day when his new Isuzu Trooper slid on an icy spot along the river, flipped over and when into the river upside down. He was still buckled up when they went to get him out.

Yes, but if you pull out the key (like he almost did) the steering will lock up and then...

...ouch.

you drove your Alfa on back roads? when i had mine in Vancouver, i wouldn't even go near the city limits for fear it would strand me. the Alfa was beatiful but it made my Jag seem like a reliability queen.

I'm glad I just turned the ignition switch off. Your brain plays funny tricks when your hand is on the key...like, 'OK, dummy, now that you turned the ignition off, its time to put the key in your pocket'...only problem is that all other sensory perceptions indicate movement and speed. I've heard about pilots that for some reason or other don't trust their instruments and end up thinking they are blue side up but they end up inverting their aircraft...maybe one of our pilot brothers can throw some light on this...I've heard its not that uncommon for novice pilots when they enter heavy fog on instruments only...things just get turned around or scrambled.

On the (partial) subject of Oregon roads...I found some extreme twisties over the weekend. Take hwy 26 toward the coast and then turn south on 53. Intense!

It's going great man! Thanks for asking. Work has had me running hard. In addition to the normal activates, we are about to finalize a big acquisition. We bought a large software company and are close to becoming one bigger company. Enough work talk. I did the garage door mod and the non-smoker swap at the same time. The only problem is I think my switch is defective. It will not light up when I put power to the 2 outside prongs. Think Sunset will let me swap it for a different one? After seeing you and Lee running front license plates, I mounted mine too. �My posses legal�. We need to schedule another Portland area meet. Maybe play tag on 53 like Lee just posted. -Darren

I'll pass on playing tag on 53...don't wory about the light in the switch...for the switch to light...it needs pretty much a dedicated circuit, but Jeff will let you swap it out I'm sure.

Jim, I didn't mean to scare you off. All within the legal limits, of course. Remember the max speed I've had my car? Still have not topped that. I had a dedicated circuit from the ash tray light. Oh, I also did a SSK. Feels great. Next: Get rid of the amber in the rear and front.

Darren, what switch did you use for the garage door? If you used the targa shade switch then I have a fix for you. It is not the switch that is bad, it is that it doesn't have a dedicated circuit like Jim said. You have 2 options. (1)become a expert quickly in electronic scematics and create the circuit after tearing the switch down......or (2)Buy a switch like the TT spoiler switch which has a dedicated circuit (outside posts) and then swap out the faceplate covers. I chose option 2 and it was exrtremely easy to do. The mod just costs you an extra 20 bucks or so, but worth it. Now, it illuminates when I turn on the lights like the rest of my factory switches. By the way, if you used the targa shade switch did you find one in glossy?

Hey Dell...the switch i used was the floor well light switch (996-613-980-00 about $30.00). The Targa shade switch only came in matte finish and I didn't want to dick with doing a glossy paint coat to match the other switches in my car The footweel switch has two dedicated posts as you mention and running a line from the dedicated posts off the window pwr. switch did not illuninate the footwell switch for the door opener...any ideas...

I used the FWL switch for my OBC hack and had the same prob....... solution? I bought a TT spoiler switch and just used the FWL swithc cover on the TT switch (very easy to R&R). Works like a champ!

OK Dell...whats a FWL? Do you have p/numbers for the TT spoiler switch? Seems to me, though I could be wrong, that the switch design for all switches that light up have the two posts on the end which mine does. The cover on the switch really isn't that big of a deal. Its bringing power to it to light it. When I tied into the front window power source...the switch would not light.

Sorry, FWL=Foot Well Light. I have scematics for the switches and they are not all the same. Some have dedicated circuits for light....others don't. This is the reason I went the route I did. FWL (pic below) 996.613.980.00.A02(Gloss) A05 for Matte TT 996.613.155.00.A02(Gloss) A05 for Matte

If you notice from the 2 that the FWL does NOT have a dedicated circuit like the TT swithc does (post 3 and 5).

Courtesy of Sandy and my conversation over on Renntech a while back: As you can see on the FWL switch schematic, the switch is really designed to switch a positive voltage (+12v.) coming in on pin 4, not a ground, as is required for OBC operation. I say this because the anodes (black triangles) for the nite illumination LED and the amber annunciator LED are connected internally to that pin. For the LEDs to conduct and illuminate, the voltage on pins 3 & 5 must be more negative than the voltage on pin 4. The internals of a FWL switch are typical of several other PAG switches. A couple of exceptions would be a convertible top switch and a 996TT spoiler control switch. Those switches have their LEDs isolated from their switch contacts, the way I did it to the FWL switch in my spoiler-extended light mod. By keeping the contacts isolated, the switch contacts can be wired to switch either +12v. OR a ground. With a ground tied to pin 4, as would be the arrangement in the OBC mod., there's no way an unmodified FWL switch can have nite illumination with either a positive or negative dimming voltage line connected to the nite illumination LED cathode (pin 3). So, how do you get nite illumination for your OBC switch without having to do some soldering work on a FWL switch?? Here's one solution you might want to try: You can remove the cap (toggle) from your FWL switch, snap it onto the base of a 996TT spoiler switch body and use that combo to toggle your OBC, instead of using the FWL switch body. Also, anytime you need a "non-descript" switch that doesn't require an amber annunciator, you'll have one by performing this same task. You would then have a switch that has its LEDs isolated from its switch contacts. One thing though, you'll have to paint over, or cover up, the surfaces of the little clear plastic "lens" inside the FWL switch cap. This will keep the nite illumination LED beneath the lens from shining through the lens and looking like an illuminated annunciator light. The lens can be removed from the cap for painting as you can see in the image below.

One more....... re: removal and switcheroo of the two tops There are slots located on both sides of the switch body, just outboard of the toggle, at the toggles' pivot points. The slots are about 3/32" in length and the screwdriver blade should be just wide enough to fit into the slot. Push the blade straight down until it contacts the pivot of the toggle. Then, rotate the screwdriver slightly outward, away from the switch body. The toggle should rock out of its pivot hole and you should be able to lift it off. There are a pair of indentations on each side of the toggle itself, which may have been designed for removing or installing the toggle, but trying to use them for this task will just result in getting the toggle scratched-up. BTW, before you start, you might want to wrap a piece of masking tape around the edge of the toggle to protect it. This will keep it from getting scratched by the screwdriver blade, in case you happen to slip while rotating the screwdriver outward. The holes in the "tabs" on the switch body, into which the toggle pivots snap, are not the same size. The toggle will fit only one way, when put back onto the switch.

LV Dell, I am currently using the Targa shade switch because I need to control two separate garage door openers. Alas, it is not lit. If I have read the schematics correctly, I should be able to control two separate garage door openers with the TT switch AND light it. I can just pop off the cover and use it instead of the spoiler cover, correct? TD

Correct.....and just remember which side you toggle for which door. I was going to do the Targa shade swithc mod for my door but it only comes in matte and I need it in gloss. My suggestion for you would be to buy a TT switch and then swap the covers with your targa shade switch (or whatever you are using for the garage door). By the way, what are you using for the mod since you have a targa switch employed for the actual targa top???

I am using the targa shade switch upside down. Remember that the actual targa switch is below the nav unit on the "batwing" directly above the rear center console. The hacked targa shade switch is with the rest of the switches on the upper center console, and it is upside down. You don't really notice due to the distance . . . . Thanks for the info!

No prob. Keep us posted!

Thanks Dell...I need the TT spoiler switch. Remove the top, of my FWL switch, place onto the TT spoiler switch body and wire for light...I'll order up the TT spoiler switch at Sunset... I owe you one Buddy!!!

Your're very welcome. Let me know if everything works out.