A/C snowflake switch not working on first start up of car

A strange problem just cropped up that I am looking for some advice on. The A/C snowflake switch on the climate control console does not engage the A/C compressor clutch on the first start up of the car after letting it sit overnight, or all day. car starts OK, I press the snowflake to turn on the A/C and no snowflake icon, but the Auto light comes on and off with repeated pressing. I turn off the car, pull the key and restart and now the A/C snowflake switch works fine. I read about the audi ignition switch issue, my dealer service writer checked under the dash and told me I have the new ignition switch upgrade in this car. Any suggestions on why this A/C snowflake function will only work after starting and stopping the motor? I also have an intermittent issue with the spoiler, sometimes the light comes on and the spoiler does not extend, but sometimes it does. drivers side window is also dead. Any idea if there is a single issue that might cause all three of this anomalies? Thanks for your replies.

The only time my spoiler light was doing that was when my battery was failing.

I can confirm that my HVAC controls malfunctioned when the electrical part of the ignition switch started failing. The switch is cheap; if you suspect it's failing, just swap it out. If you're wrong, you now have a spare good part.

I was told by my service writer I dont have the cheap audi switch originally used in this model, it had been updated to a new porsche design. It doesnt mean this new design is not failing. The service guy told me the ignition switch felt fine, not hard to turn and springs back just fine. the car starts ok. I guess it could be the battery. I checked it , its an interstate brand. I dont know how old it is, I just bought this car in april. the relay for the AC and the spoiler are next to each other in the relay box behind the rear seats. I take the car into the shop in 2 weeks so will find out what they say then. Thanks for the responses.

I had similar snowflake issues. New ignition switch solved it. Mine was original. '03/56k miles.

Since I have multiple issues, been thinking about murphy's battery suggestion. This morning got in the car and turned on some lighting so I could see the voltmeter on the dash. it was reading just under 12V with car off. I started the car, snowflake did not work as expected. motor is running and the voltmeter moves up slowly to about 13V. A car restart resulted in snowflake working. after letting it run a minute or two the dash voltmeter reads just under 14V. no issues with spoiler this commute and the snowflake is working and the AC is blowing cold just like before. I have the issue with the snowflake after the car has been sitting a while, say overnight. or after a 12 hour day at work. it never works the first ignition start up, but always works the second time. Tomorrow morning, I will attach my battery charger to the battery before startup, then see if that fixes the snowflake issue. With reduced battery voltage due to overnight sitting of the car it might be that the pull in voltage required to turn on that relay is not there and it gets locked out? I am not sure why it wouldn't work then after the car is started and operated for a few minutes? I will check it out with a battery charger tomorrow.

Todays update: got in the car after sitting for 11 hours, turned ignition to ON, dash voltmeter read 12V on the line. started the car, snowflake did not work as expected. I watched the voltmeter it slowly increased to about 13.5 V over the course of a minute or so. All the while the car is not running real smooth, not missing so badly I am worried though. My boxter did this too. when the voltage got to around 13.5V the snowflake button came on and everything was working. As I was driving I did see the voltmeter on the dash bounce around, up to 13.9 V and low was maybe 12.5V. spoiler light did not come on and the spoiler worked several times during my commute. put the battery charger on the battery set to 10A setting and the battery charger meter went to 10A. on a fully charged battery this battery charger meter is only a few amps. I'm looking for a new battery because I suspect this issue is due to a weak battery. Thanks Murphy. I would have never guessed to look at the battery.

Let us know how it works out - if the battery change does anything.

Mike, I put the charger on the battery, 10A setting, next morning the current reading on the battery charger had dropped a little, maybe 9A or so.. (when I charge a battery with this sears charger the current meter on the battery is close to 0 when its fully charged). I removed the charger, set the ignition to ON, and noted the on dash volt meter was around 12.5V. Started the car, snowflake did not work. I let it run a minute. voltmeter on the dash went to 13.9V (as best as I can read the analog meter). snowflake still did not work. stepped on the gas to rev the engine, snowflake started to work and was fine the rest of the drive. I'm having the battery tested at the interstate battery store this afternoon. I have only had this car a few months, when I got it, it didn't do this. I also have a dead drivers side window, so there may be more clues there.

Quotes source post: 16039795

The "good" ones fail regularly. The "cheap" ones fail CONSTANTLY. I'm not gonna be one of those guys who will tell you over and over that you should be looking at the switch - because that irritated the hell out of me when I was asking the questions. It irritated me even further that the "switch switchers" were right, but let's not talk about that part.

I don't get irritated anymore. A switch change is still not ruled out. I have been characterizing the behavior of this anomaly. is there a way to test the switch, besides just replacing it? I did take the car to an interstate battery center where they tested the battery. tech told me battery was fine, 100% cranking amps. I do notice that the battery takes the whole 10amps when I hook up my battery charger. normally a charged battery will not be that high. I did notice that I can get the snowflake to work if I let the car idle a minute where the dash voltmeter gets up over 13V, and then rev the engine and the snowflake light pops on. Would an ignition switch do that? Next up is to check the voltage at the battery after I drive the car. There is a thought that the battery is not getting a full charge. there are other issues , the drivers side window is dead, nothing from it, regulator drop down nada. no sound like the motor is trying to move. passenger side works fine.. and the spoiler light will occasionally come on when you reach spoiler deploy speed and no spoiler appears. it doesnt do this very often, but enough to make you realize something is not right.

Have you checked the fuses and the spoiler relays? There is a relay for spoiler up and a relay for spoiler down.

I don't think it a fuse issue because its only intermittent, and a blown fuse would preclude any subsequent spoiler or AC operation. I have been looking up the PN's for the relays, they are like 40.00 each and there are 3 of them, 1 for ac, and 2 for spoiler. I have not taken the back seat apart to check out the relays there. It is very hot here in AZ now, and I don't have an air cooled work area. I have my doubts on the relays since there are 2 systems acting up and a bad relay doesn't fit the model of 3 acting up. Right now I am still considering the battery and trying to make a determination on that. I had the battery tested, the interstate battery center told me the battery was fine, 100% cranking amps. What I am thinking is the battery is not getting a full charge during driving. the dash meter shows some variability as the charge needle does move some as I am driving. my dealer service writer suggested checking the voltage at the battery after a drive with the car running to see what is being delivered at the battery. The point where the dash voltmeter picks up the voltage may not be at the battery. I have an appt. on Friday to take the car in. If I am able to determine anything I will surely let the forum know the outcome. thanks for all your suggestions. I have not given up or discarded any of the ideas or suggestions. I wont be mad if its an ignition switch issue.... LOL!!

Are your battery terminals (+/-) tight?

the battery connectors are very clean, no corrosion at all. I tried moving them by hand, they are tight and did not wiggle. I have not put a wrench on them yet. I will check the voltage to the battery at the battery terminals with the car running tomorrow, in an attempt to determine if the battery is getting a full charge while driving. I did put a battery charger on the battery and after an overnight charge the initial current reading was 10A on the 10A setting... (nornally this only happens on a battery that is low on charge), then the next day it was 5A. so I know the battery was taking a charge. I am very discouraged with this car. I bought it in April, have not even put 1000 miles on it and its been in the shop since.

Maybe being a little over dramatic....charging systems in cars are basically pretty simple, and basically all the same. For one, quit testing your battery and just spring for a brand new battery. That will take that out of the equation. Next, have your alternator checked for output. It is a simple 2 minute test that will show a go/no go for alternator output. Consider either replacing the alternator all together or having the voltage regulator on the back of the alternator replaced. You can get a brand new Bosch alternator off Amazon. That will eliminate that problem. Then it comes down to ignition switch, Y-cable or a ground somewhere. I understand you are discouraged with the car and the advice/shop help you are getting. But you have got to start replacing a few things instead of "testing". These cars are very reliable and durable, as long as you stay up with them. Spend the money, replace some basic things, just as you would for any other car out there.

I measured the voltage at the battery after driving some 40 miles. it was measuring 13.05V at the battery and looked very close to what I was seeing at the dash voltmeter. I found when I start the car after sitting overnight, the snowflake button does not come on, the auto will cycle from on to off though. If I rev the motor the snowflake starts working. I have not seen a problem with the spoiler for the past few days. the drivers side window is also dead. no response at all. car goes to the shop on Friday, I will report back with what they find. I know you are all curious to know what is happening with this C2

it was 115F out when I measured the voltage at the battery at 13.05V. AC on or off didn't seem to make much difference. When its 85F out the voltmeter at the dash reads around 13.9V.

Those voltages seem OK. I�m starting to think the battery might not have much to do with the issue?

I have been putting the battery on a 10A battery charger nightly and things are working a lot better, the spoiler fail has not happened in a while. the AC snowflake still does not activate until I rev the motor, then it snaps on. there may be something with the broken window that is contributing to this. car goes to the shop on Friday.

Did you change the switch yet?

Quotes source post: 16051645

How long are you running the 10-amp charger at night? A regular 850 CCA battery for our cars shouldn�t need 10amps for more than a single nights�s charge (8-12 hours), and then topped off using a 1-1.5a trickle charger after that for another night should be enough. If the battery continues to take 10-amps, or if it�s needing to be charged often, something is wrong.

I have not replaced the switch yet... I want to drag this out as long as possible! LOL! car goes to the shop on Friday, so I will see what they make of it. I have been watching the on dash volt meter like a hawk. Initially it was reading 12V on the line with the key ON, but not started. when I would start the car, it would run a tad rough as I would watch the voltage increase above 13V. I rev the motor and the snowflake switch pops on. I am connecting a sears 2/10/50A battery charger to the battery in the afternoon when I get home from my commute. (40 miles) the charger is on the battery in the 10A mode from 4pm to 2am. The meter on the battery charger measures 10A on the dot when I connect the charger. After the first instance of battery charging the current meter was 9.5A at 2am when I disconnected the charger. the voltage at the on dash meter with the ignition ON but not started was 12.5V. The snowflake problem goes away if I rev the motor, but upon initial starting the snowflake will not work until I rev the motor OR turn off the key and restart the car. the second instance of battery charging resulted in 10A at the sears battery charger meter as before, but at 2am when I disconnected the charger the meter was reading 5A. car started easier, no spoiler malfunction issues, but the snowflake issue was unchanged. yesterday, I connected the battery charger as before. 10A when I connect the charger as before, but this morning it was reading 4.5A when I disconnected it at 2am. 12.5V at the on dash meter with the ignition ON but not started. starts fine, car runs fine, snowflake situation is getting better, but not totally fixed. I confirmed the voltage at the on dash meter matches what I measure at the battery terminals with the car running. During driving when the outside temp is in the high 80's the on dash meter reads 13.9V or so. very little variation. going home when the temp is 115F I notice the on dash meter vary from 13V to 13.9, I notice it move around more. Recall, I have a dead driver side window. it does not respond to button press, door open or close. nothing. Interstate checked the battery said it was good. I am getting the window situation fixed first, then will determine if the battery charge issue is resolved, or if there is more to be done... eventually I will replace the ignition switch, and thank you all for telling me to change that weeks ago!!! LOL!!

Quotes source post: 16053073

Something doesn�t seem right. You either have a parasitic drain that is causing the battery to accept that much current for that long, or your charging system is not working properly when you drive the car. Secondly, when you rev the engine and the snowflake comes on, that could just be a problem with the AC compressor clutch mechanism. Perhaps the clutch is not engaging under load, but is able to engage when slightly free-wheeled down after you rev the engine.

Bad diodes in the alternator voltage regulator have been known to cause a parasitic drain. Simple way to check, leave the car overnight and when it is cool in the morning, put your hand on the alternator. If it is warm then the diodes are bad, or getting there. That also would affect the charging.

I am also leaning toward the "something is not right" diagnosis. I noticed the weirdness when the drivers side window quit working. maybe the window motor has a high resistance short that is not blowing the fuse and just draining the battery? I will find out tomorrow. I didn't put the car on the charger last night, in the morning when I start it, it takes a few seconds for the on dash meter to increase past the 12V mark, but it does. even when the meter is reading 13.9V at idle and I press the snowflake button all I get is the "AUTO" light on the climate control console to come on and off, snowflake is unresponsive. with "AUTO" on and a slight rev of the motor the snowflake pops on, and you can feel the AC working. Once the snowflake starts working. I cant make it not work by pressing the snowflake button on and off, or turning off the car and restarting. under those conditions the snowflake button is spot on every time. The issue only happens when the car sits for a long time, meaning overnight, or during 11 hour work day. On initial start up every time after a long duration like overnight, the snowflake always fails, and will not come on unless I rev the motor, OR turn off the car and restart it... then it works. when the car is running and I am driving, I do notice the dash voltmeter variations. it moves maybe 1/2 volt up or down, but not in response to some stimulus like RPM's or ? I just notice it move slightly while I am driving. when I stop and the car is at idle the voltmeter sits at 13V.

Does the AC work when the snowflake is off?

Bill, not sure what you mean , does the AC work when the snowflake is off. the blower will work fine, the air is just not cold. if I give it some gas at first startup when the "auto " light on the temp control console is ON, the snowflake will pop in. and cold air is soon to follow. I am going to check the alternator like DBJoe has suggested tomorrow morning real early. car goes to the shop tomorrow.

quick update. I checked the alternator as suggested, Let the car sit overnight with a cover on it. I opened the rear engine hatch and put my hand on the alternator, it did feel warm. so I put a IR temp gun on it and measured 95F at the alternator, and 91F around other portions of the motor. This was at 6am before the sun was out and shining on the car. I am not sure what, if anything this means since the alternator seems to be a large heat sink with all that copper wire. Just another data point I gave to the service tech.

took the car to the dealer, they confirmed the issue with the snowflake button at start up, but could not find anything wrong. Told me carbon buildup in the heads causing a rough idle and inhibiting the A/C compressor. Would you believe that story? today driving home throws check engine light, P0145 lean condition bank 2 I believe. cars still runs, but onboard computer keeps nagging me to take the car to the workshop. I clear the codes. next morning car starts, generator failure warning as the voltmeter sits at 12v, car is running, but badly. I give it some gas, it dies. start again, it seems to run with no generator fault, and stumbling badly at idle, the lights are flickering, give it some more gas, it revs up ok, then back to idle it goes real low , stumbles, the comes up a little bit... I'm thinking this is not a 996, but a 1959 Plymouth fury.... red, of course.

No, I do not believe that story. I'm still convinced your problem(s) are electrical and low voltage. If the voltage is low the ignition coils do not have enough power to fire correctly. I do think you need to pull your alternator and have it checked. While at it, either replace it with a new one or at least put in a new voltage regulator.

car didnt want to start this morning. generator light came on, it threw a code, P0174 at idle yesterday coming home from work. now car runs really bad at idle, I pulled the MAP sensor connector and it runs a lot better. so now looking for PN 986-606-125-02..... This car doesn't run on gas, it runs on $$$$$.... I am wishing I had kept the boxter now...

I agree with DBJoe, sounds electrical, like how a bad battery would behave.

Whatever is wrong with this car is a mystery to me. I wonder if I have "mice" chomping on all the wires. all this stuff happened after the dealer replaced the IMS bearing with the RND engines IMS solution. it seemed to run fine for a while after I had that IMS bearing done, but then everything just started to go south. after a minute or so the battery voltage at the dash comes up to just under 13.9 V, even then pressing the snowflake button will not illuminate the snowflake icon. if I give it some gas, its all fixed and working. Dealer was no help, couldnt find anything wrong, even when I explained the issue in detail, AND he was able to duplicate it at his shop.

Im pretty sure i have said this before but i would change the atl; starter, bat y cable. U have an amperage issue and thats the first place to look along with load testing the alt.

could it be a problem with the MAF? Or is that a separate problem. see my thread on looking for a MAF less than 500.00. I do not believe my snowflake issue is over. I will look into load testing the alt. I would like to diagnose before shotgun replacement of everything in the starter circuit if possible. Where is the battery Y cable? is it in the engine compartment, or in the front trunk where the battery is located?

Here is the whole starting circuit. Part #21 is the Y-cable http://www.autoatlanta.com/porsche-p...section=902-05

Clearing the code and continued driving with a lean condition is not good, you're slowly killing your motor! Vacuum or upstream exhaust leak? You might have more than one issue. Check your wiring for rodent damage too.

DB thanks for the diagram, that helps a lot! A lean condition will come back and light the CEL. I cleared that P0174 code once. when the car didn't want to idle and would require 2 attempts to start. Dealer service writer suggested disconnecting the MAF plug and see how it ran. I did that and it seemed to run a lot better. I cleaned the MAF with the CRC cleaner and that seemed to make a difference, at least I discovered the MAF components you can see from the external ports are really silver, not black, after 2 short drives around town running and drive performance felt "normal" as compared to when I bought the car in April. I ran the car with no MAF connected for 2 days, no issues other than the spoiler light and failure one time, the snowflake issue has always been there, but you rev the motor and its "healed". I believe there are several issues with this car. I spent all day yesterday researching and investigating the alternator, how to change it, there is a fellow who posted a great video showing how, and it doesn't look as bad as I thought. I know the alternator is working since I am getting a 13.9V at the battery when its working, so that alternator is not dead. I ordered a new voltage regulator last night, when that arrives I will pull the alternator and replace that. $40.00 shipped from autohausAZ. that is cheap enough to warrant a try at least. Then I will discover for myself how bad it is to get that alternator out of the car. I am worried about breaking the brittle vacuum lines and need to take a look at how that circuit connects.

Get new vacuum lines and start replacing all them while you're in there (before they start breaking) also get a 1/4 brass hose (or the upgraded replacement) fitting for the coolant line just incase it breaks (99% it will) while wrestling with the alternator. Good luck! Ignition switch ignition switch

I understand what you are saying, but cant envision the parts to replace. is there a diagram with part numbers I can reference then place an order with pelican or ? to get the parts on hand? I am not sure which coolant line will break? or the brass hose solution. I expect parts to break when I am in there. it would be nice to have replacements in hand so I dont have to have the car sitting for weeks waiting for parts. Thanks for your help.

this is my first time looking under the hood of this car... so all this is new, the youtube videos are very helpful though.

Quotes source post: 16106234

I suggest you get this first if you're going to do your own work... https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_In...s=0&SVSVSI=910 And this is the coolant connection that always breaks... https://www.paragon-products.com/Con...106.226.52.htm

I spent yesterday looking at the vacuum line system in the online parts catalog for this car to try to figure out which parts break. Excellent diagram, Bill, the labels in "mm" , is that the length of a standard vacuum hose available at auto parts stores, that doesn't look like a part number. From the videos I do recognize some of those components. I do not like working on cars, I took this car to the dealer to get it fixed, they couldn't figure it out or do anything, so I am stuck either fixing it myself, or trading it in. Now for last nights update.... I put the car on a battery charger for 2 days, initially the current meter on the charger read over 10A on the 10A setting. A charged battery would not pull that much current from the charger. That alone tells me there is something wrong with the charging circuit, OR, there is something draining the battery when the car is sitting parked. after 2 days of sitting on the charger the current draw was about 3A on the charger meter so I know the battery is now charged. the car started right up, the snowflake issue was gone, and the idle was smooth and the voltage at the dash meter was 13.9V. the car ran fine. no anomalies at all, after my 20 mile commute no CEL. I have a new voltage regulator coming, and I will research the vacuum lines and part numbers Bill provided and get those on order too. Right now I am planning on changing the voltage regulator at the back of the alternator, and replace all the stuff I break in the process... then if the problem continues... I will try to determine if I have a parasitic current draw from the battery when the car is sitting. I will report back with how that goes. The MAF cleaning seemed to do the trick, IF that was an issue at all..

mm is length in millimeters. The oem vacuum line is a stiff plastic. Voltage should be tested with a multimeter, not a charger. Based on reading your comments and questions in your various threads, I would not recommend you try to fix this car yourself. Owning a 996 and having a shop do your work is going to be expensive. You might be better off buying a newer car with a warranty.

Oh, this car is a tip, FYI, so some of the parts may be different than on a standard transmission?

I test the voltage with a multimeter. I was referring to the current going through the battery during charging as displayed on my sears craftsman battery charger. There is an amp meter on the face of the charger which displays the charge current when charging the battery. I tried to get the dealer to handle this issue, but they could find nothing wrong.. With all the help I am getting on this forum, and the youtube videos, I have a lot more confidence to dig in there and get this one fixed.

Voltage.and amperage r 2 different things. U can still get 13.9v from an alt to the battery but a bad connection will cause high resistance and it will have problems charging the batteries or suppling power to the car. When u have the alt out take it to a parts store or shop that can load test it. It will tell u how many amps it it pushing out and at what rpm. I dont think the voltage regulator is gonna do anything 4 u. Your car has either or all the following issues: 1. not charging fully - check the alt, bat and wiring 2. Not getting full amps and start up from the alt - possible a bad vr or alt, bad wiring 3.u do have a drain on the system. - u will have to stat pulling fuses 1 at a time and wait a few days to see if it holds or measure the anp draw on the system and if high( i would have to check but i think its around .3 amps with key out) and start pulling fuses until high draw circuit is found. Also a failing alt can also cause a power draw.

^Take the car to any major auto parts store and they can test the alt. in the car.

I have somewhat similar problem. A/C snowflake disappeared, and doesn't turn on when pressed. It only changes to auto/manual. Also the vents don't blow anything or very little. Another issue I noticed pretty much at the same time - when turning off the car, I can't remove the key easy, have to wiggle it a bit, like it won't let go. Also, right after I still get a message "remove key from ignition", though the key is out already. Any suggestions, are these problems connected? Thanks.

Mib44, it sounds like you have the key switch issue which started this thread some time ago. porsche makes a updated version, dealer wants around 500.00 to change it out to that new version. you can find the audi switch online for very little money and change it yourself. that will get you another 50K miles or so I have read.

Bill, that part you say always breaks, I cant see it on the diagram you provided. the paragon page link you attached says its a connection piece for oil separator vent hose, but you are calling it a coolant connection. Im not seeing where it goes in the car, does this connection carry engine coolant, like water with antifreeze? I am sure when it breaks I will find it, so I am ordering two just in case. Thanks,

I suspect he means this part. Stock plastic part on right, upgraded aftermarket metal on left.

Quotes source post: 16108863

do you mean ignition switch has to do with both A/C and key lock or just the latter?

Mib44, the ignition switch is connected to the end of the key lock on your dash. you put the key in and when you turn it it moves contacts in the switch to turn on the car, The original audi part was a cheap plastic thing that caused a lot of electrical problems including the snowflake switch not working correctly. if the key is hard to turn or you have trouble removing he key, or it makes noise when you turn the key then that points to the switch. It was the original suggestion given when I posted my snowflake issue and the first thing I checked. My dealer told me I have the updated switch in my car, and the ignition switch was not making noise and seemed to be working fine.

Quotes source post: 16108881

Yes, the coolant line comes from the AOS and cds posted a better upgraded part or you can use a 1/4 barbed brass hose connector with hose clamps.

I just saw that after ordering 2 of the plastic parts... then I just read shawn's thread on his car blowing up... I just don't know what to think or say at this point. going to autozone to have the starter/battery/alternator checked today.

Oreiley auto parts tested my alternator, battery, and starter, all checked out good. I just got the voltage regulator in the mail today, I do notice the voltage on the dash vary from 13V to 13.9V, mostly at idle. Do I pull the alternator and change out the VR? or try a different angle?

the past few days the low temp has been in the high 70's low 80's and the snowflake issue is gone, the spoiler issue is gone, and the idle issue is so much better with a cleaned MAF. I am not surprised the auto parts store found no issues with the charge system. I charged the battery last weekend and with that and lower temps here in AZ, the car has been ok.

2 and a half days after a full charge on the battery, snowflake issue is back, going home the spoiler failure light comes on. no spoiler. voltage on the dash reading around 13V. temp was 105F... It looks like I get a couple of days out of a fully charged battery then my original issue returns. auto parts place tested and found all passing, battery, alternator, and starter. but the car was not acting up then. Clearly the charge system is not charging the battery, OR something is pulling the charge system down a lot. I can see the voltmeter on the dash vary while driving from 13V to 13.9V. .

Quotes source post: 16113733

It doesn�t matter if the voltage on the dash varies from 13-14v. All the early 996s do this. Sounds like you have a loose connection somewhere.

Quotes source post: 16039795

Any idea when the ignition switch was replaced? Maybe pull the switch and clean the contacts.

I put the battery back on the charger last night, was pulling 10A from that charger, like the battery is not getting a charge from the alternator. (This is consistent with what I have been experiencing). Next morning, remove the charger, meter on the charger is reading 4A, so the battery is taking a charge. first key position, the voltmeter looks like a good 12.6V, start the car, it runs ok. snowflake button inoperable. pressing it over and over does nothing. voltmeter on the dash goes up to 13.9V, no snowflake response. I rev the engine, snowflake snaps into play, and the failure is gone. I turn on the lights since its dark and turn on the fog lights like I always do, I hit an area where there are no street lights and go to turn on the brights, nothng...then I notice the headlights are not on...I turn the switch off and on again, and the headlights are now working. brights also work. I get up to speed, at 75 mph, I get the spoiler malfunction light come on. More data.... Im not sure what it all means yet. I have a new voltage regulator on the workbench. Now light switch acting up? maybe its time to replace the ignition switch just like they said at the beginning of this post? going to look into that next.

I'd change the light switch too. It's an easy 15 minute job. Both parts are old and get cycled a lot and wear out.

9/28/19 update to this nagging issue. Replaced the headlight switch and the ignition switch, The headlight switch was very easy, I looked at a couple of youtube videos that showed the process, mine worked as the video with no issues at all. the black ring came out with finger pressure. People with leather wrapped dash parts have been reporting issues getting that black ring out.. The ignition switch is the 4B0 model from Audi, This whole ignition switch and metal arm it attaches to was replaced in the past with the updated version, the date ring on the metal part was 2014. The car is an 03, and most of the parts have 02 date rings molded into the parts. Replacing that ignition switch while essentially an easy doable job was very difficult for me. I had to remove the front seat in order to contort my body enough to get up in there to access those tiny flat head screws which are completely coated in red paint. spent a long time with Q-tips dipped in lacquer thinner to get enough of the paint off to spin out the tiny setscrew. I would have gladly paid someone to do this job!! I bought the "porsche" branded units from pelican parts, I know I paid way too much, but didn't want to take a chance with aftermarket electrical parts, since the install is the worst part. Started the car, everything seemed to be OK. snowflake button working, and no spoiler faults. I usually don't see those issues unless the car has been sitting overnight. Then after driving maybe 15 miles I get the CEL, car seemed to keep running same as before. got home and read the codes with my acton code reader. only one error code. P0174, Bank 2 , too lean. I have had this one before about 2 tankfulls of gas ago. looks like it is back. At the time the recommendation was an air leak somewhere and check vacuum hoses. I'm only getting the P0174, no other codes, if there was an air leak causing this wouldn't I get Bank 1 too lean code as well? The fun just never ends with a 996. I wish I had my boxter back... I keep my AAA membership up to date with the plus membership that gets me 4 free tows every year up to 100 miles.... Now that is peace of Mind for any old Porsche owner! I did not erase the code.. car goes back to dealer on Tuesday, to fix things they did last time and charged me for to redo..... Has anybody seen this before? Any suggestions of what to try next?

Quotes source post: 16135445

No need to remove seat. Go through the vent and it's a piece of cake. In post #4 I understood as your tech telling you that switch was replaced? Unless they put the red paint on the screws, that switch was installed in Stuttgart. Too bad you're having these problems. Hope you get it sorted.

Well, I didn't know about going through the vent. I did the light switch on friday night, and the ignition switch next day. the ignition switch was replaced as part of the updated arm the dealer sells for over 500.00 installed, so the switch as part of the new assembly comes from the factory with the red paint on it.. I know this was replaced because the date stamp on the metal part the switch is attached to is dated 2014. this is a 2003 car, and the switch itself was the 4B0 part number from Audi. I changed the MAF today and reset the CEL clearing the P0174 code. will see what is next. car goes to dealer on Tuesday to fix the window regulator and front bumber cover which were not done right. I will let you know how this all turns out.

Today's update to the continuing 996 saga. I replaced the ignition switch and the light switch last Saturday. It was a difficult job for me, but I got it done and feel good about that. I have been driving it all week, the snowflake problem, and the spoiler problem have not occurred since I replaced the igntion switch. The snowflake issue was daily after letting the car sit 12 hours or longer....The generator light and the voltage as indicated on the dash meter have stabilized greatly. there is still some variation from 13.5 to 13.9V, but it does not bounce around those values like it did. At this point, I am thinking the issue was the ignition switch. Now I am dealing with the P0174 code from the check engine light. it comes on every few hundred miles, and it has always been the one code only, every time. I will start a new thread on this issue. The dealer looked at the car, realigned the front bumper cover, and informed me that the window motor is the cause of my window dropping intermittently as I try to raise the window with the button... he wants just under 1K to fix that. Not this time. Thank you for all your inputs, I investigate most of them until finally replacing that ignition switch as mentioned in the beginning of this thread. So there you have it... Even the updated porsche ignition lock with the updated switch failed on this car. Its interesting, this car since I got it in April has been nothing but issues. reminded me of the movie Christine..... hell, I was under the dash with the ignition plug disconnected trying to get the red paint off the set screws to get that switch out, key is out of the car.... and suddenly the car radio comes on... its playing some vintage song from the 50's... My eyes got real big as I tried to get the hell outta there....

Quotes source post: 16146476

You can replace or rebuild your window regulator yourself for much cheaper. Try Power Window Regulator Repair out of Phoenix, AZ. As for your P0174 code, I would track that down and get it fixed. If it�s a lean condition and you keep driving it, the engine could be damaged ($15k repair).

I was told window regulators cant be rebuilt must be replaced, however that always comes from someone trying to sell me a $350.00 window regulator. I just that had that job done, now they are telling me its the window motor, needs to be replaced. just over $900.00. you go to roll up the window and sometimes it goes up an inch and drops back down.... they said needs new window motor....I said... no. I solved my P0174 CEL problem, and next weeks problem too, and all future problems with this POS. It has cost me over 1K/month in repairs since I bought the thing in April 2019. Just traded it in for a Tacoma Truck. I reasoned, the money I lose today on this car will be less than the money I lose tomorrow on this car after I replace the $15K engine that was destroyed by lean condition.... Thanks for all your help on this forum. I appreciate it. I an hoping to enjoy life for a change now...

Quotes source post: 16148545

As Sunkmanitu Tanka Owaci would say; 'that's a good trade'. 😎

Quotes source post: 16148545

Just curious, what did you pay for your 996 and with what mileage. Sorry your Porsche experience was so disappointing. When dialed in, these are great cars!

My boxter was having problems after 5 years of working on it like a harley. I had all the issues known to youtube on that 2000 base model boxter over the course of 5 years, a lot of the work I did myself such as changing CV boots both sides all 4 boots. spark plugs, numerous interior upgrades, like replacing the visor mirror flaps which fall apart after a few years, upgrading the cigarette lighter to the american version instead of the metric, etc...... the rest I paid a shop...water pump, IMS bearing A/O separator, RMS seal, foam blowing out the vents the whole time I owned that car, the last straw was when the crank position sensor started flaking out. left me stranded. dealer wanted $500 to change that... traded it in for the 03 996, guards red, looked gorgeous. paid 22,900 and it had 102K miles on it... , yeah, I paid too much... My service guy told me this car would be better than the boxter reliability wise... he lied. I just wanted to get out of the boxter since I was having so many issues with it... then dumped 10K into the 996 to make it really nice and did all the upgrades, IMS. A/O, RMS, new key, etc, etc. This was in April this year, Its October, the car has 104K miles on it...and it has been nothing but trouble. just a horrible experience. I never got to enjoy this car at all. it has always been in the shop somewhere, and the dealer shop is so incompetent I had to take the car back twice for every repair. before I traded it in, I was told it needed a new window motor, installed out the door $990.00. it was also throwing CEL P0174 I think it was... bank 2 lean at idle. enough was enough. the car cost me over 1K/month since I bought it. the issues just never ended with this thing, it was one thing after another without any period of enjoyment.. The people at the toyota store were all thrilled to get it... and was more than happy for them to have it as well. I just didn't feel comfortable selling it on autotrader or PCA mart or somewhere like that with the issues pending... I have never had such bad luck with any car before. Then I read about Shawn and his total engine loss, and the rest of the people on here pointing out many more weak points besides the poorly designed IMS bearing situation... then I read about Jake Raby the guru of flat 6 boxter type motors, and read about his comments... Who designs an engine where you have to replace an internal bearing every 50K miles? Well, Harley that's who... you have to replace lifters in those every 25K miles or risk motor disintegration as well. Then one of the posters to one of my threads recommended based on my questions that I get a car with a warranty... stung at first since I consider myself somewhat competent in auto repair. then thought about it over the course of a few weeks... realized that was probably the best advice for me on this forum. its the typical case of stars in the eyes and money in the pocket.. now I have neither. I am really hoping the Toyota turns out to be freeing from constant mechanical maintenance, and with my luck bought the warranty as well... my experience with 2 of the 986/996 generation cars is they start falling apart at 100K miles... but that is just me... I am sure yours will be wonderful for a very long time. I have a brand new voltage regulator bosch for this alternator, if you want it... 30.00 I paid 40. I also bought those water hose plastic parts as well, you can have those too.... [email removed] getting rid of all my porsche parts and tools... time to move on... its been great talking to you. you all have been very helpful in this odyssey.

Wow, sorry you had such a bad run...I'll take some parts off your hands.