308 Door Jam Switch

Does anyone know where I can get a new or used Door Jam Switch for my 85 308 QV? The spade connector broke off the switch. Mine is the "early" type, just a round metal ring you see and the white spring loaded push button. I believe you can get the "new" type with a mounting screw, but I would like to keep it like the original. It is for the passenger door. Both the Door Jam Switches on the Driver side are the "early" type without a mounting screw. Thanks!

 

Here is what it looks like...
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I have a small number of NOS switches. PM me if you are interested.

 

As I recall, they are the door jamb switch for a Porsche 356
Stoddard # 644.615.601.00 but contact them as I believe I read the pic isn't right for the part F#.

I can't seem to find the old post which had them. I know I bought a few and they were a direct drop-in replacement.

 

The Stoddard switch is slightly different and has a black plunger not white like the Ferrari one. Unfortunately exact to original is very hard to find and rather expensive when you do. Such is the curse of wanting exact to original.

 

You may want to do a search here as there is a stack of info on how to go about repairing these. Also, a lot on fixing the root cause as to why these bugger up (cease to function, break, etc.)... Been there, done that, managed to fix, took copious photos, etc.

Hopefully all you need to know. Let me know if you want further input.

Best,

John.

 

Thanks for the response. I managed to find one, but looking at my "broken" switch, I believe I can rebuild it and keep it as a spare. The Ferrari folks as we all know, were not big on packaging things, so there is very little space between the metal "Close Out" panel (held in by 2 self tappers) and the A Pillar face. If you are not careful re-mounting the Close Out panel, it tends to bend the Male tab and it finally broke off. Guess I am not the first person this has happened to. If you have any info about how you fixed your switches, please share. I looked but couldn't find a thread. Thanks!

 

See if the thread helps. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/308-328-sponsored-yellow-compass-group/515748-308-gts-door-light-issues.html

 

All,

I finally got around to working on the passenger side (for stereo installation) and, sure enough, the light switch was similarly buggered (in functionality) as had been the one on the driver's side.

So...

1. Partially remove the switch using finger nail to start, followed by small screw driver blade with masking tape to protect finish. Do not pull this fully out!
2. Ease the switch out just enough to see the connection. Use needle nose pliers to gasp the tab on the switch and remove the connector (i.e., such that the tab is not stressed). Put the switch aside (clean/lubricate and modify per other thread on this topic if you so desire).
3. Remove the black face plate that the switch fitted into
4. Pull the wires (there are two that are joined at the connector) gently out and straighten them if they are curled up or have a kink. Spray them with Silicone lubricant and spray the entire inside of the rubber tunnel from which they protrude.
5. Work the wires in and out of the rubber tunnel (applying more Silicone) until they move freely in and out with little resistance, i.e., they do not bind on the rubber.
6. Replace the black face plate such that the wires with connector protrudes from the hole where the switch goes
7. Carefully press the connector onto the tab using needle nosed pliers
8. Push switch back into place

This is just my strong recommendation for anyone that has this configuration as these switches are damn nigh impossible to find and I and convinced that the resistance to movement that the wires have is responsible for their destruction.

 

I also have this problem. Sounds like lots of folks do. Will try some surgery one of these days.

 

Rifledriver has posted much the same in another thread.

Downsize the wire inside the switch, to give it flexibility, against the plunger travel....

 

...I looked into doing that but even with a finer wire there was still resistance. In point of fact the second switch on the driver's side door (US Model) already had a finer wire and was exhibiting the same problem to some extent. Granted, not as much, but still...

 

Well I got a new switch, expensive, but... and fitted it last night. This is what I found:
1) The 2 Black wires coming out of the Rubber Grommet / Tube are very stiff and don't like to flex as someone else mentioned.
2) I made up a "jumper" line out of thinner more flexible wire with a female spade connector on one end and a "male" on the other end. I connected it to the "female" spade connector and taped it up, pushed all of it through the black rubber tube.
3) Now I had 1 thin, flexible wire coming out to the Switch (just like Rifledrivers suggestion).
4) Now I had a different problem. The new switch has a "male" spade connector at 90 degrees to the axis of the spring. When the Close Out Panel is fitted back to the A Pillar (with 2 self tappers), it is to close to the rubber grommet to allow the spring mounted switch to move in and out. Using one of those small cameras (from Harbor Freight), I could see the spade hard up against the rubber. So
5) I removed the Close Out Panel and Switch, very carefully bent the connector 90 degrees, so it was poking into the rubber grommet, connected the flexible jumper wire to it, and Bingo everything worked!
There is however one remaining problem!! When the Driver Door is open, both courtesy red lights, (Driver and Passenger door) lights come on. The Passenger Door when opened by itself, does not actuate the red courtesy light!!! So having fixed the switch issue, do I now have an electrical power problem, or is that how it's meant to work? Anyone know?

 

When either or both doors are open, both red door lights should come on (as should the dome light, if the switch there is in the appropriate position).

The fact that when the passenger door is open and the two red door lights fail to illuminate (and do when the driver's door is open) is indicative of an issue on the passenger's side.

My approach would be to do the following:

Gently ease the door switch on the passenger side out, just enough to expose the connector. Ground this (at the connector) and see if the red lights come on. If so, then it's a problem relating to the function of the switch, if not, then you need to trace the fault further upstream...

If grounding the connector turns the red lights on, then have a good look at the switch itself. If it seems to work OK when manually fiddling with it (e.g., by gently pushing/pulling/rotating the central white nylon actuating button in, out, and 'round), then it is likely that the wires are restricting movement: I.e., when the door is closed, the wires take a 'set' such that when the door is opened, they restrict the movement needed to make the connection in the switch.

My $0.02 is that even if you replace the heavy wires with something more flexible, even they can bind and cause the switch not to work. This is why I think that Silicone lube is your friend here...

Please keep us posted on how you get on.

 

I had to fuss with this as well... That darn vinyl sheath they put over the wire clusters gets so hard it won't bend without breaking... On my car, it fractured where it had to bend to open and close the door forcing the wires into the hinge slicing a couple and shorting out the door locks and mirrors. It literally melted the passenger door lock The light switch was also a problem so I stripped back as much of the hard covering that I could and gave the wires enough slack to move around. That helped a lot. I spliced the wires together and got all the accessories working again. I had to replaced the door lock. Same problem on the '86 911 so it is just an age/materials of the day issue. I'm sure it was just fine when it was new, but polymer cross-bridging has increased its hardness. I see it all over the car and I suspect it is to blame for some of the other electrical gremlins I experience.

Franny

 

I have a different problem! (1984 308 Euro) The red light on the Driver's Door ONLY stays on (it ruined a 4-year old Optima battery). The passenger side light works fine.
I completely disconnected the Driver's Door switch - the light STAYS on. The only way to turn it off (and save my new battery) was to first identify that circuit's fuse (left back, 6th from the left), and then disconnect the white plug beneath it. The white plug has two, red wires. One goes to the right (presumably to the passenger door), the other to the left.
Now, I can maintain the battery charge with a trickle charger in the cigarette lighter socket.

But - how do I trace down the short?

I will add that I've recently had a lot of problems with the driver's side DOOR STRAP, clanking loudly (see my queries on that topic elsewhere in FChat). I FIXED that problem simply - by tightening (REALLY tightening) the two small nuts that hold the mechanism to the back of the front fender. Presto! No noise.

Could it be that the wire shorted out just behind this mass of clanking steel parts?

Help great appreciated!!

Quasimotor