Random No start..3.2

88911coupe · 09-24-2004, 01:21 PM

my 88 3.2 will randomly not start when key is turned to the start position. All electrics work great and my first thought was DME relay but I think it may have something to do with the steering wheel since I accidentally rotated it while trying to whack the DME relay and it started up fine. One other time it happened I got it to work, apparently at least, by rotating the steering wheel about 30 degrees. My confusion is that if there's something wrong in the steering wheel would ALL electrical stuff stop and not just the starter? I did notice a part called the contact ring for the steering column electronis in the parts manual...could this be the culprit?
TIA,

makaio · 09-24-2004, 03:22 PM

If you haven't changed your DME relay I would start there. I don't think there is any relation to your no-start situation and a turning the steering wheel.

You can actually take a DME relay apart and check the solder joints for broken contacts.There was an article a few months back in 911 & Porsche world magazine on it.

Jeff Alton · 09-24-2004, 03:23 PM

Do you have an aftermarket alarm by any chance??

Jeff

bigrubberjeep · 09-24-2004, 03:25 PM

Solenoid - Seems to be the popular issue - I have yet to fix mine, I replaced DME but still have the issue on and off (about once every 20 starts)

Shaun @ Tru6 · 09-24-2004, 05:24 PM

if it's hot start only, you may just need the Bosch starter motor relay kit. Wayne's got'em here I believe.

Otherwise I'd look to the solenoid... new starter.

88911coupe · 09-24-2004, 06:12 PM

Actually, I DID have an aftermarket alarm which I carefully removed about a year ago. There are a couple of slightly exposed wires left from the removal where wires were spliced into the ignition. I was making sure all these were not touching anything when I noticed that turning the steering wheel seemed to allow it to start. What does the "contact ring" part in the catalog do?
Thanks for the suggestions,

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

The contact ring in your steering wheel is for the horn button.

88911coupe · 10-04-2004, 01:29 PM

Update... based on other threads I checked the heavy yellow wire from the ignition wire. This had been spliced by whoever installed the security system and it looks like the splice/connection was getting a little weak. I have respliced the connection and soldered it and it has worked fine ever since but the problem was pretty intermittant before. My question is does anyone know the approximate route of this heavy yellow wired connecting the starter and the ignition? It terminates in a connector in the lower dash and the ignition connects to it with a black connector about the size of a silver dollar.
TIA,

rcecale · rcecale's Garage

Okay, perhaps I'm having a similar issue. Please give me your thoughts.

Car has been working just fine. I had to replace a lense on one of my H4's so I pulled the light out of the socket and replaced it. Since replacing everything, I've been experiencing a "hot no-start" issue. The car starts up no problem, first thing in the morning, but by the time I get to work, it won't turn over.

All other electrical components work. It even push starts right away. The starter, however, will not turn over. I can leave it sit and come back at lunch time, or at the end of the day and she fires right up. But, again, by the time I get back home, she won't turn over again.

While I had the light out, I noticed an "extra" wire in the socket.
It wasn't connected to anything. It was a brown wire (I think) with a bare terminal on the end of it. Looked at the light before re-installing it and couldn't find any place where it could connect.

Is it possible the "spare" wire was part of the old alarm system that has been removed? Could this be the problem? Or am I looking at a starter solenoid issue...or something else completely?

Randy

88911coupe · 11-08-2004, 12:19 PM

I finally determined that, in my case, the starter wire to the battery had come slightly loose. I had to retighten the smaller nut on the outside of the positive battery terminal and it's worked fine ever since.

bigrubberjeep · 11-08-2004, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 88911coupe
I finally determined that, in my case, the starter wire to the battery had come slightly loose. I had to retighten the smaller nut on the outside of the positive battery terminal and it's worked fine ever since.

NO WAY!!!!!

I got to check mine like now!

ajackson · 11-09-2004, 07:59 AM

I seem to be having the same problem now. Every now and then (usually after driving for a while and coming back to the car) it just won't start. All the lights and other stuff is bright and I can hear the fuel pump but it doesn't even try to turn over. It also push starts fine. If I wait a while, usually it will fire right up.

I'll have to go through and check some of the conncetions...

88911coupe · 11-09-2004, 08:48 AM

YEP...and I did it to myself since I used this spot to hook up power to my stereo amp. I only noticed that it was loose in the first place b/c I was yanking on the battery cable to see if IT was poorly connected and causing the problem. It never occured to me (stupid me) that the heavy red wire was the one back to the starter! I was too focused on the yellow one coming out the back of the ignition gizmo. It's kinda a PITA to get it really tight but I managed to grind down a small open ended wrench and now it's really snug.

Mark sP · 11-09-2004, 10:24 AM

I just cured the same problem.

On close inspection of the yellow wire at the starter solenoid, I noticed the main cable to the starter was ever so slightly loose.

Tightened up and haven't had the problem again. I did also squash the spade connector on the yellow wire to make it fit really tightly. So I can't exactly say which fix fixed it. But over two weeks now without a recurrence of the problem.

ajackson · 11-09-2004, 12:35 PM

Update: Tried to start the car today and it wasn't happening. Waitied a few minutes, same thing. This is actually good -- I can try things and check to see if it starts. I tightened down a bunch of bolts (specifically ones coming off the battery terminals) and it started right up. Hopefully that was my cure.

ajackson · 11-10-2004, 12:21 PM

Update: Nevermind about fixing it, no start happened again last night.

88911coupe · 06:51 PM

Well...problem is back but I think now it's tied to the starter or solenoid. It has worked perfectly since I tightened the connection at the battery but lately the starter has made some odd sounds, sort of like it's dragging and not disengaging. Similar to a recent thread where someone said their starter was making a zzzzzt sound on occasion. The battery shows about 12.37 volts which a mechanic here says is too low...?

UPDATE...I used my portable battery charger and it fired right up. I checked the battery and it was about 12.3 which I, incorrectly, thought was good. Per Bently, this is somewhere between 50 and 75%. Looks like my next stop is the Interstate battery store. The battery is about 2 1/2 years old so maybe it's just getting tired.