Sudden problem with 84 911

Kurt B · 12-12-2004, 06:53 AM

Normally, car starts instantly as soon as you turn the key, regardless of the temp.

Now, it cranks for 2 or 3 seconds before firing, and if you don't hold it the full time, it will die.
When I lag it in 2nd gear or even in first (and by lag I mean, slowly and gently press the gas) it will buck on me big time, usually just once. Won't stall, but it will buck or seem to cut out. This is completely random. It doesn't happen consistently, but does seem to happen only when i don't have the full throttle open. If I'm racing off, it doesn't happen.

Before this problem, I had hooked up the oil overfill hose: I had disconnected it and extra oil did squirt out over the engine bay making me think I had a leak. But that has been hooked up. To do so, I had to take off the AFM and screw connector back into the air filter cone that would accept the over fill hose. I checked the AFM connection, and it's fine.

Since this problem, yesterday, I changed the fuel filter which was at least 2 years old, and I changed the distributor cap and cleaned the rotor. Checked all of the connections to the distributor, and they're all just peachy. But it still, even after being warmed up, won't start instantly. It wants to keep cranking and doesn't want to effin start.

Also, I checked the coil connections, and they're all clean and perfect.

Any ideas about where to look?
98% of my driving time, it's still running good, but there is something clearly amiss.

Bad gas?

kqw · 12-12-2004, 08:11 AM

When was the last time you changed out the DME relay?

Kurt B · 12-12-2004, 08:16 AM

Probably 5 years ago.

kqw · 12-12-2004, 08:22 AM

Do you have a spare one to replace it or a fellow pelicanite that will loan you one?

3.2 CAB · 12-12-2004, 09:04 AM

Pressure regulator? Sounds like it is loosing its fuel pressure when shut down.

Kurt B · 12-12-2004, 09:51 AM

I have a spare DME around I think. Pressure regulator. Okay, I'll check it in the manual. I can swap out a DME relay and see if it makes a difference.

jester911 · jester911's Garage

Kurt, I know you said you checked or changed the distributor cap and rotor but the description sounds alot like the symptoms I had recently.

I removed the dizzy cap and found it to be so bad at the top I am not really sure how the thing was getting spark as well as it was.

A new cap fixed the problem.

Kurt B · 12-12-2004, 12:11 PM

Thx...yeah, I thought that too. It acts like it's not getting spark, but after making the changes I made, it's got to be a problem with not getting gas....we'll see when I investigate the pressure regulator.