06-22-2014, 12:13 AM
Finally got around to getting the PIWIS diagnostic interface and wiring up an adapter to plug into the 968. Not that there was anything wrong. I runs fine and has no warning lights on. So I plug into the 19 pin diagnostic connector and find it has two codes. Strange, no indicator lights are on. One code for the vehicle speed circuit and one for an air bag sensor.
Now, I must say I never paid attention when starting the car to see if there was a Check engine, air bag or whatever light. If it starts, runs and goes with no lights on, I’m gone. Yet this perplexed me. I should have had both a check engine and air bag light. Plus, I read how difficult it was to reset the airbag light when a fault was triggered. So I went to the owner’s manual and saw during the bulb check both lights should have been illuminated with the key on. Neither were. In fact, where the Air Bag, Check Engine and Tiptronic lights were supposed to be, I had only a servo light.
I have just bought a spare 968 cluster for the light tubes because mine were shot, so it was time to do a little diagnostic work. Removing the cluster takes me less than 15 minutes because I have been trying many different things to get the I/P lighting were I consider it acceptable for these tired old eyes. LED’s are not an option because I like dimming the dash at times. I have made much progress along the way and will publish the finding in a different post later. For now, I disassembled the original cluster and took the Oil/Volt gauge out. Shining a light through the back, I found it did not have any of the indicator lights it should have. Plus, the date on that portion of the gage was for a 1985 944, not a 1994 968. The area for the air bag and check engine were completely black. Even if there was a light on, it would not show through. I swapped the cluster housing(for the light tubes), put in the original speedometer with a new odometer gear kit, cleared the codes and all is well. By the way, I've made it through emissions the last two times missing that pesky check engine light!
Now, I must say I never paid attention when starting the car to see if there was a Check engine, air bag or whatever light. If it starts, runs and goes with no lights on, I’m gone. Yet this perplexed me. I should have had both a check engine and air bag light. Plus, I read how difficult it was to reset the airbag light when a fault was triggered. So I went to the owner’s manual and saw during the bulb check both lights should have been illuminated with the key on. Neither were. In fact, where the Air Bag, Check Engine and Tiptronic lights were supposed to be, I had only a servo light.
I have just bought a spare 968 cluster for the light tubes because mine were shot, so it was time to do a little diagnostic work. Removing the cluster takes me less than 15 minutes because I have been trying many different things to get the I/P lighting were I consider it acceptable for these tired old eyes. LED’s are not an option because I like dimming the dash at times. I have made much progress along the way and will publish the finding in a different post later. For now, I disassembled the original cluster and took the Oil/Volt gauge out. Shining a light through the back, I found it did not have any of the indicator lights it should have. Plus, the date on that portion of the gage was for a 1985 944, not a 1994 968. The area for the air bag and check engine were completely black. Even if there was a light on, it would not show through. I swapped the cluster housing(for the light tubes), put in the original speedometer with a new odometer gear kit, cleared the codes and all is well. By the way, I've made it through emissions the last two times missing that pesky check engine light!
