Another won't start question

[JonT]

I took my car on a road trip this weekend--around 750 miles round trip. Everything was going fine until my drive home when after about 3 hrs on the road I pull in to refuel and when I turn the key nothing happens. There seems to be enough juice to run the oil aux fan and windows, lights, etc but the engine wont even turn. I ended up roll starting it and it ran fine the remainder of the trip home but now the car is in my garage and won't start again. Battery seems to be fine. Is there something in the starter that may have overheated? Thanks

[Jim Sims]

Check flexible ground strap from body to transmission (underneath on passemger side at front of transmission); starter gets it's ground through this strap. Also solenoid or Bendix mechanism on starter could be worn and dry (lubricant gone) so they stick when hot. Also brushes in starter motor could have failed. If starter won't turn over when cold I'd check connections (hot lead and ground strap) then suspect the brushes. Good luck, Jim

[targa911man]

Jon--

Sounds like a typical hot-start problem. I had the same problem, but it seems to have been cured with a new starter. But don't start there. Do a search on the board and you'll find plenty of info. Pelican and others sell a bypass relay kit (I think it's Bosch WR-1, about $15)) for the starter that can get around the problem in many cases. Opinions vary on whether this is a cure or a stop-gap measure. I assume you've got a DME unit with the 3.6, so you might also try a new DME relay ($40). Many of us post-SC guys carry an extra DME relay because many starting problems can be traced to its failure. Good luck.

[stlrj]

Do a search on the starter solenoid, much has been written on the subject.

Joe

[dean]

Clean and check all your battery and starter and ground connections first.

[stormcrow]

Mine did the same thing last year on my way home from SC Motorsports. Shut the engine off to gas up and it wouldn't start. Roll started it and got it home - started everytime until just last week.

This weekend I am going to get in there and find out what's going on. BTW, after I tried starting it for about 10 minutes or so, it started. Go figure. Sounds like there may be a loose connection.

Steve

"A Porsche does more then just go fast in a straight line"

[Adam]

If the starter solenoid is flukey, then giving it 10-20 minutes to cool can sometimes cure the problem. I had a similar problem on my 535i, whilst driving it to College. These sort of problems manifest on a long trip where you can get some serious heat into the starter. A gentle tap with a metallic object can usually prime the solenoid into position to allow the car to start. I carried around half a star picket in the boot for such an occasion, since the problem was very intermittant.

It's very uncool to pop the hood and hammer the starter motor with a large steel pole on campus. Ask me how I know...