944 Central Electrics — Relay Arrangement & Assignment
Factory relay layout for the 944's central electric system from the 1984 model year onward — what each numbered position on the main relay carrier does, where the additional relays live, and the Central Electrics Unit position codes (G-numbers) for the plug-on relays. Includes the factory correction to the 1987 wiring diagram sheet 10. This complements the fuse lists; for fuse assignments see the fuse references.
Factory reference for the relays in the 944's central electric system (the panel behind the driver's-side kick panel that also carries the fuses). This page covers the relay arrangement from the 1984 model year onward and the Central Electrics Unit position codes (G-numbers) used for the plug-on relays. It is the relay companion to the fuse lists — for which fuse protects which circuit, see the early fuse list and the late fuse list.
Where the relays live
Pick your car (top-right) to see which panel it has; both layouts are shown below.
The 944 used two central-electric layouts over its life:
Not every relay is on the board: power-window and radio relays sit below the glove box, the fog-lamp relay in the centre console, the A/C and lifting-roof relays under the instrument panel, and the blower shut-off relay in the luggage compartment.
Main relay carrier — Model 84 onward
The main relay carrier sits on the central electric board. Positions are numbered 1 to 11 as printed on the carrier. Match a relay's job to its numbered position rather than to its physical shape — several relays share the same case.
| Position | Relay |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fan |
| 2 | Fuel pump |
| 3 | Blower |
| 4 | Headlight cleaners * |
| 5 | Warning-time relay with gong (USA) / catalytic-converter monitoring control unit (Japan) * |
| 6 | Rear window defogger and seat belts |
| 7 | Plug bridge (term. 56 – 56 b) |
| 8 | Additional high beams |
| 9 | Horns |
| 10 | Intermittent action (wiper) |
| 11 | Flashing lights |
Note: Positions 4 and 5 changed content from December 1983 — a car built before that date may carry different relays in those two positions.
Position 7 is not a relay: it is a plug bridge that links terminal 56 to terminal 56 b, so if the headlights fail to switch check that the bridge is seated before condemning a relay.
Additional relays and where they live
Not every relay sits on the central electric board. Several are mounted around the cabin, and their location matters when you are chasing a dead circuit:
| Relay | Installation point |
|---|---|
| Power windows | Below the glove box, on the trim panel behind the knee guard |
| Radio, or radio and lifting roof | Below the glove box, on the trim panel behind the knee guard |
| Front fog lamps | Centre console, at the bottom left behind the trim |
| Air conditioner | Underneath the instrument panel, next to the steering column |
| Lifting roof | Underneath the instrument panel, next to the steering column |
| Blower shutoff | In the luggage compartment, on the left side behind the trim panel |
Central Electrics Unit — plug-on relay positions (G-codes)
The central electrics unit accepts additional plug-on relays in lettered/numbered bases. The relevant bank is coded G. On the 944, 944 Turbo and 944 S wiring diagram for the 1987 models (sheet 10), these G-position assignments were printed incorrectly. The correct assignments are:
| Position | Relay |
|---|---|
| G 17 | Air conditioner relay |
| G 18 | Unoccupied † |
| G 19 | Unoccupied |
| G 20 | ABS relay |
| G 21 | Tilting-roof (lifting-roof) relay |
| G 22 | Turbocharger pump relay |
Note: † On USA cars there is a relay fitted in base G 18 of the central electric system that flashes the fog lamps and brake lamps as a visual warning alongside the alarm horn. On cars without that feature G 18 is unoccupied, as printed above.
Not every G-position relay is present on every car: the ABS relay (G 20) is only fitted to cars with anti-lock brakes, and the turbocharger pump relay (G 22) only to the 944 Turbo. See the ABS reference and the air-conditioning reference for the systems these relays serve.
Reading this against the fuse side
Relays switch the load; fuses protect it. When a circuit is dead, confirm the fuse first, then the relay in the position above. The fuse assignments for the same central electric system are listed separately — early cars in the early fuse list and later cars in the late fuse list. No part numbers are given here; identify a relay by its position code and function, then look it up in the parts catalogue.