Weird Switch in my Center Console?

I was hard wiring my radar detector in my 996 tonight and I found a weird snap-dome switch under the carpet on the little carpeted panel on the driver's side of the center console. It looks like something the stereo guys may have installed from the previous owner. It doesn't seem to do anything but I'm a little afraid to keep pressing it in case it's some sort of seat ejector or something. Any installers in the house that have installed a stealth snap-dome switch for anything?

Jake, Run.. \\W//

Its the NO2!! <img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" />

did they put aftermarket alarm in the car? it may be the alarm bypass for valet.

If you car is from Beverly Hills Porsche then I know exactly what it is. Pull the cover off to the fuse box and see if you have some non oem wires which have been added - it will look like black speaker wire. Jeff

Is it a kill switch?

I'll bet it's the 'Steve McQueen' tail light kill switch to keep people from identifying you car and license plate number.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Tool Pants: <strong>If you car is from Beverly Hills Porsche then I know exactly what it is. Pull the cover off to the fuse box and see if you have some non oem wires which have been added - it will look like black speaker wire. Jeff</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Not sure if the car is from there but there is a black, non-OEM wire in an empty fuse location. Don't keep me hangin'! What is it?

I have something very similar to you on my car. I have a small black and red **** similar to a remote bass boost switch on an after market amplifier. It is located about 1.5 feet from the floor mats and is on the drivers side of the center console. I have no idea what it does and it sounds like most people don�t either. I would be very interested to see if this is just some left over stereo part or a Porsche option? -Andrew

I guess I can repeat myself. Was you car ever on the BH Porsche lot? Pic of the extra wiring I took 3 years ago. Jeff <img src="http://www.986host.com/albums/ToolPants/red_thing.jpg" alt=" - " />

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Tool Pants: <strong>I guess I can repeat myself. Was you car ever on the BH Porsche lot? Pic of the extra wiring I took 3 years ago. Jeff <img src="http://www.986host.com/albums/ToolPants/red_thing.jpg" alt=" - " /></strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">I guess I can repeat myself too. I'm not sure if the car is from there or ever was there. Could be though.

Oh, I now see you are not the original owner. Look in the cover of you maintenance booklet and see if there is a BH Porsche stamp. Jeff

This is driving me crazy and I don't even have this switch...wait a minute, I don't even have my 996............yet. JakeMate, JUST SAY YOUR CAR WAS THERE!

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by ruey220: <strong>did they put aftermarket alarm in the car? it may be the alarm bypass for valet.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">#1. Your avatar picture is huge #2. What's with the fake GT3 emblem? Too much basmati?

The suspense is killing me - need to see a picture of this extra non oem wiring and switch. Ignore the red wire comming out of the fuse box as that was added by the owner for a stereo. The rest was added by BH. This pic is another Boxster but unlike the first they did not cover the extra wires in the fuse box with black electrical tape and this picture shows the wires to the switch on the carpeted trim panel. Jeff <img src="http://www.986host.com/albums/ToolPants/kill_switch.jpg" alt=" - " />

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tool Pants: [QB]The suspense is killing me - need to see a picture of this extra non oem wiring and switch. Ignore the red wire comming out of the fuse box as that was added by the owner for a stereo. The rest was added by BH. This pic is another Boxster but unlike the first they did not cover the extra wires in the fuse box with black electrical tape and this picture shows the wires to the switch on the carpeted trim panel. Jeff QUOTE] I can't take a picture of the switch because it's a snapdome switch totally hidden underneath the carpet. The fusebox just has a black 18 guage wire with a fork prong plugged into the empty slot for the cellphone. I don't see any BH stamps in the Maintenance book.

OK, so lets say the car was from BHP. What is it? Now, lets say the car is NOT from BHP, what is it? What has BHP been doing to these cars?? Does it have anything to do with the dead battery/front trunk rigamarol?? Now I gotta go check mine, even though I know my car came from Momentum in H-town.

Did I miss something? ToolPant's is implying that Bev. Hills Porsche adds a switch to each car they sell but is refraining from letting us know what it does!!! ps - Ruey - nice looking car. I think white's one of the lower color choices on my preference list, but for some reason I always think white 996's look great. White seems to change the apparent proportions of the car; to me, it makes a 911 look more muscular & aggressive but elegant at the same time.

OMG IT'S TEH FBIs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 hehe, funny mysterious stuffs here

So no one has any idea what this is or what the little **** in my car is. If it helps the little **** in my car is located in about the same place as the silver snap located on the piece of carpet about 6 inches from the floor in the previous pages pictures. It doesnt seem to have anything to do with my radio and I can't figure out what it does.

Several years ago on another board I got some heat for disclosing the info about this Beverly Hills modification. Since no one has put up a picture of the switch or the wiring in the fuse box for me to see you may not even have what I am thinking about. Our local Boxster group gets together to work on cars. Several years ago I met a guy with a new car from BH that has been sent to San Jose and took it apart for a V1 install. Saw strange non oem wiring/inline fuse in the fuse box that was covered with black electrical tape. He did not know what it was and I did not have time to figure it out. That is the first picture. Few month later we had another get-to-gether and there were 3 other BH cars for me to look at. Each car had the wiring in the fuse box - but not all had it covered with tape. Then I pulled off the side carpeted trim panel that you see in the second picture and found 2 wires that went to a switch. It is a very tiny switch that you push with you finger to complete a circuit and when you remove your finger the circuit is broken. The switch is hidden by placing it in between the carpet and the plastic trim. The location of the switch is marked with a small piece of electrical tape so that the owner knows where to push on the carpet to activate the switch. In the second picture where I have removed the trim you can see the wires going to it and a small square of electrical tape on the carpet that marks the location. I then got out my flashlight and went under the dash and figured out what all this was for. Every BH car I have seen since then has the same thing. For insurance reasons BH is required to do this to every car that hits their lot even if the car is going to be sent on to another dealer. I have been told they tried to sell this modification as a dealer installed "option" but if the customer did not want to pay it was disconnected. I have seen at least 5 BH cars and it had been disconnected in each car. That is why the owners did not know what it was for. Mystery solved Jeff

I still don't know what the switch is for after all that. Frustrating. I'll figure it out myself.

I have never laughed this hard reading a thread. I had to stop to wipe the tears. This is soooo F***ing funny. I can't believe that after writing all of that he still did not tell us what the switch was used for. Did anyone ever pay for this option or have it offered to them when they purchased their car from BHP so maybe they can fill us in? And how much $$$ was this optional switch? Can I get one retrofitted to my 993, or is this mystery switch only available on 996's? Cue the Double Jepordy music.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Tool Pants: <strong>I then got out my flashlight and went under the dash and figured out what all this was for.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Oh the humanity! So... you mind telling everyone what it's for?

I just don't want the same crap I got several years ago on a Boxster board when I posted the same pictures and explained the BHP "secret" switch. Thought I left enough hints. Don't know about your switches - but I know about the one I have seen on every BHP car I have looked at. The car will not start unless this switch and the clutch are depressed at the same time while you turn the key. It is for insurance reasons so that someone will not steal a car off the lot, or if they go on a test drive and do not come back they will not be able to resart the car unless they know about the switch. Your clutch has a switch on it that is depressed when you push down the pedal to start the car. This extra switch is wired into the clutch start/interlock switch, which is why you also have to hold down the switch with your finger to start the car. Someone told me the switch is wired into the starter relay - but that is not what I saw. Perhaps on a tip they wire it into the relay as a tip does not have the interlock switch as it has no clutch pedal. Also been told (and this is old info) that BHP charges $250 or so for this modification. If the customer does not want to pay or the car is being shipped to another dealer then it is disconnected. Several of my Boxster owner friends in San Jose have cars shipped from BHP and, like I said, it was disconnected and they did not know what the extra wiring in the fuse box was for, and did not know there was a switch hidden in the carpeted trim panel until I pulled it off and showed them. My friend is the shop manager at my local dealer in San Jose. When I started to tell him about what I saw he knew exactly what I was talking about since they see the extra wiring when they service the cars. Mystery solved - secret is out. <img border="0" alt="[icon501]" title="" src="graemlins/icon501.gif" /> Jeff

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Tool Pants: <strong> Mystery solved - secret is out. <img border="0" alt="[icon501]" title="" src="graemlins/icon501.gif" /> Jeff</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Don't worry! We'll never say it was you that told us!

Personally, I'd be pretty annoyed to buy a new car and then see that a dealer's been fooling with the fuse box (stray wires and electric tape) and pulling out panels to install this silly switch - weither it's active or not... Thanks Tool Pants - the end result was simple enough - put you had me stumped!

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Tool Pants: <strong>...or if they go on a test drive and do not come back they will not be able to resart the car unless they know about the switch.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Nor would I be able to start it if I stall it in traffic, or merely stop somewhere and shut it off to take a look over it. Can I say "stupid as hell" here?

Not sure about anywhere else but here in the UK you can start your car without touching the pedals. Anyone care to tell me why it should be different anywhere else. Or is it just UK cars that are like this? Or even worse, is it just my car? Aaarrgghhh, don't tell me I've got a fault. Steve

The clutch starter interlock feature has been around the US for about 30 years in all cars thanks to our goverment. Goofy. But it is easy to disable. Porkers = Porsche in the UK = Pig in the US. Your Porkers need toys. Saw this on the UK Boxster board. Jeff <a href="http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_744757.html?menu=news.quirkies" target="_blank">Porkers and their toys.</a>

UKSteve, Don't panic. My Porker's clutch is the same as yours :-) It's not a fault. BTW, I have also experienced cars in the US that won't start unless you have the handbrake on either. I recall one car I hired (can't remember which) that wouldn't even let me unlock the steering column without the handbrake on!

I'm exhausted! While we're on the subject, does anyone else have a strange switch??

Don -I just got finished reading this entire thread and came to your question. I read strange 'switch' as strange 'twitch' which is what I had when I completed the thread! Assuming this is the defacto at BH Porsche, it was probably started after the 996 launched off the display platform and into the street in Gone in 60 Seconds!

For what it's worth.... My 01 C4 has a toggle switch inside the glove box, rear wall, so the A/C compressor can be fully disabled during the winter months, or anytime you chose. Without the switch the A/C runs, and cannot be over-ridden, in defrost mode even though the icon doesn't indicate so.

Damn! nice kill switch! Now you just have to figure out how to activate the "option"