996 Indicator stalk

Hi guys. My 2003 C4S has developed the common fault of indicator stalk failing to return. It has cruise and computer stalks also, so the part to replace direct would be the four stalk assembly. Two stalk assemblies are much cheaper to source. Is it possible to salvage the internals from a two stalk assembly to repair my four stalk? The indicators work, but when indicating right the stalk fails to return, and when left I have to hold it in place to keep the indicator flashing. Any ideas much appreciated...

You cannot open the stalk assembly easily as its riveted together. Nothing susggets you couldn't try it but I have a feeling you won't be able to get it back together. It might be a bit more money but do yourself a favor and just pick up a new one. If you can source a 3 stalk cheaper, you can remove your fourth stalk with two screws and retro fit it to the three stalk.

I did take apart our old one when I had to swap our 01's for the same reason. You'll have to do something to close it again and i'm not sure there is enough surface area for glue to be reliable and there isn't clearance (between the assembly and what it sits against) to do something like running bolts through it. Also looks like it would be easy to screw up putting the parts back together. Certainly something that could be done, but the cost of a new one was worth it in my book.

twills99, I bought a 4 stalk assembly a few months ago. I removed the lower left stalk (computer) to put it on my 3 stalk assembly of the 996 a bought to control the computer. Now my 3 stalk is a 4 stalk. I have no need for the assembly now. Like another poster suggested, you could replace your broken one with this 3 stalk and then put the 4th stalk (computer) on it from your broken one. Let me know if this would help. Don't know what 3 stalks are going for, but I'll make you an offer you can't refuse if this is the way you want to go.

I have the original 4 stalk from my C4S - It was replaced with new 4 stalk when the cruise control stalk broke - cruise control stalk is just hanging by wires. Turn signal stalk is fine as well as other 2 - I can dig it out of garage and send photos if you can use it.

Thanks guys - really useful info as always. Much appreciated, along with the kind offers -I will reply to them by PM. II am in the south of France, although I am a Brit (at the moment a european, but that may change later in June!). Drive safe and enjoy the summer. Warm regards. Tim

Groovzilla - you have the identical car to mine! Only difference is mine smells a bit of garlic, here in France, and yours maybe apple pie! Drive safe.....

tim - cool we have the same cars - yours a 2002? here are the photos - the previous owner broke the cruise control stalk and is just hanging on by wires. he had a new 4 stalk installed. everything on this stalk works fine - the cruise stalk could be repaired by drilling small hole and using metal dowel/epoxy for repair. Its yours as a gift - just take care of shipping which may be close to $25 or so - if you want it i'll package it up and ship today - send an address and i'll let you know shipping cost later and just paypal me as friend so no % is taken out

Hi Groov, that's a very nice offer. Please let me know if twills99 passes the offer. I'm interested in the onboard computer switch (lower left in your first photo) if that part can be harvested and transferred. That switch is broken on Cringely's 996 (the one I'm rebuilding). Thanks in advance.

Groovzilla. What can I say. You are a star. Mine is late 2002, same colour, same trim, no sunroof ( I think the roof was an extra here in Europe, so its not infrequent to see 4S without). Covered 100k miles now, I've had her over two years without major issue. She is a frequent visitor to the Alps where she really shows her metal. Here in France the local P club meets at a tiny rural bar/caf� every Saturday morning for 'cars and coffee' - a name borrowed from the US meets, and very unusual for the French to happily use English words in their language. Ill post some pics of the next meet. Any Rennlister always welcome if you find yourself in the Bordeaux area, and Groovzilla, special wine tour promised if you ever venture this way :-) Will PM you .

Ahsai - I dont require this stalk on my one to be removed, so will happily post mine on to you when I do the switchover.

tim - probably best to email me directly: [email removed]

That would be great! Thanks Groov and Twills in advance!

Stalk en route to France - Should arrive in 10 days

You are a gentleman Groovzilla. Thanks. I have Paypalled you the postage. Ill post on mine as soon as I replace it, to Ahsai. Ahsai, perhaps drop me a PM with address.

PM sent. Thanks!

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Fast shipping!!

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I had mine go it was a three stalk and I took the old one apart, the plastic was flimsy on the return I would suggest un repairable at this time - but I'm still thinking about a solution! I took photos you can see the missing part at the bottom of the spring photo 2 & 3 hope this helps or is at least interesting O_Sr

Does anyone know if the suspect plastic pieces for the turn signals have been updated when you buy a new OEM stalk? I'm about to replace one of the $200+ 4 stalks and was just wondering if the same part still applies and I just need to be gentle when applying turn signs. Thanks, Scott

darn, I just found this thread. I too have signals that don't return. All stems works fine, just have to manually return the signal post. I also have a 4 stock. Groove, that was very cool to help France out. Is it a PIA to remove the wheel? And also, u think I will need the whole 4 stock structure to replace the signal one, or maybe could get that as a separate part ? I can't tell from your pics. Your opinion on this is much appreciated, or anyone's for that matter- Thanks in advance! marcus

marcus - the PO of my car had the shop install the new stalk so not up on removal procedure but heard it's simple.

This may help lingpoen - its for a right hand drive but the procedure is identical... Porsche 986/996 Indicator Stalk Replacement - YouTube

danka!

Move to Florida - nobody uses turn signals here, or if they do, they ignore them for miles and miles. Blink, blink, blink..center lane I-95.

funny...I lived in Ormond Beach. May go back... m

Well, project complete thanks in a large part to Groovzilla for sending the part across the ocean..... All done. I ended up striping down the unit (as earlier photos) and switching some of the internals. OK to do if you have a good rivet gun to recluse the part. I found it possible with a thread of cotton to hold the sprung internal parts of the indicator in place whilst putting the top back on and securing with rivets as from the factory. So, now I have removed the computer stem for Ashai and will post it over the next few days to the address already supplied. To economise on postage I have removed the stem and will post it with the Porsche allen bolts for you to attach when you get it. All you will need is a thin cable tie for the wires, which follow the same path as the existing ones already tied in there..... Thanks again to the RL community and in particular Groovzilla......

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Glad to hear you were able to repair the internals of yours. Thanks for sending the computer stem to me and I'm more than happy to pay for the shipping to the US. Really appreciate your time! Thanks Groovzilla again!

Jumping in here because this thread is awake. Curiously, the cruise control stalk on my '99 996 is in German, while the other ones are in English. Anyone know why this might be?

you're welcome! glad the old stalk was able to help out 2 RL owners. safe driving!!

Thanks Groov and Twill! The switch has gone around the world from US to France and now back to US It looks brand new and should fix my switch problem right up. Very busy these days so won't be able to complete this repair any time soon though.

...just thought i'd keep this going if anyone on the planet has an extra blinker stalk they think could help repair mine...just seeing if u wana send it to sunny socialist southern calif??? m

Quick question for this thread - if you replace the entire assembly with a used one, does it need to be programmed or is it a plug and play deal?

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Plug and play because these are just mechanical switches and nothing more.

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Lingpoen. Where in Socal are you? I just replaced my 4-stalk due to the non-returning symptoms. Stalks and electronics themselves are fine. It's just sitting in my garage at this point. You can have it if it would help. I'm in Orange County. Irvine/Orange area. -Don

Amazing detail on repair thanks all .. so just to confirm the individual stalks can be ordered separately right? Has anyone managed to fix the broken tabs on the indicator stalk related to the return M shaped spring as in the 2nd 3rd pics above in post #18... or it it a waste of time?

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To the best of my knowledge, you cannot order an individual stalk from Porsche (or anywhere for that matter). They come as complete assemblies, with three or four stalks. In the case of this thread, these are used units that were taken apart by poster and reassembled, but this is not what Porsche had in mind.

The one point I would like to clarify is about the fourth stalk (computer stalk). If I bought a new 3 stalk, could I easily remove my 4th stalk (computer one) from my old assembly and bolt to the new one? From the pics, it looks like the computer stalk bolts on externally, without drilling out rivets and such?

yes JTT - I did read of someone doing that here (maybe not this thread but another similar)

Success! Unit can be drilled open and then once the fix is done it can simply be re-riveted with regular ali rivets. To fix the broken return function see pics below ... plastic was expoxy glued with re-inforcing powder to hold the M shaped spring correctly again ... the key to a quick fix is the video and pics above (again thanks!) and finding the broken plastic tab floating around inside the assembly so it can be reused! Some more detail below. I added some regular loctite to my main nut as it wasn't properly tight .. not high strength but medium This is the remaining tab on the one side of the indicator stalk .. note it is also cracked and soon would fail. Could be a clear case of designed to fail type manufac as it seems odd how the tabs are thin and flimsy when they could just be completely part of the unit - the spring is so stiff it compresses these tabs completely anyways ... I used the gap in the orig design between tab and the main section to add some strength with the expoxy ... working well so far. File it rough, apply glue, file it down a bit .. done re crack see here the problem - as above per other posts - the one tab breaks off - hope you can find it when you strip! fixed another pic of the gap for the missing tab once replaced the M spring is again square and this drives a peg which will now be straight - said peg is the nudged by the steering wheel return nib and this spring loaded peg then release the spring loaded in mechanism and the M spring forces the return (apologies for my rough descript) orig part number on my 3 stalker 2 or 3mm rivets do the job of re-securing the face .. make sure the unit is well secured else the springs will cause it to open even once replaced behind the wheel (AMHIK ) ... also careful of the 2 springs behind the brass contact plates when you disassemble - they won't fly but they need to be held down when you replace the indic stalk in the unit.

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Congratulations !! Someone should 3d print a couple hundred of these plastic spring mounting pieces for all us frugal DIY'ers..

Thank you to everyone in this thread. I wanted to encourage my fellow plastic-fantastic era Porsche owners not to put off this fix. I had bookmarked HiWind's solution when my indicator stalk caught fire. I didn't know a turn signal could catch fire. I think the broken part dislodged one of the two springs that push against the bottom of the stalk (opposite the M spring), and the increased impedance caused it to get hot and burn through the unit and into the wiring harness (see picture). I had to get a new unit, and I epoxied the tabs as a preventative measure. Save your lungs from breathing plastic fire fumes on the highway.