911 Starting Woes

Please be gentle... I'm new to the Porsche experience, but loving every minute of it. The posts here are both generous and informative, and I thank all who give their stories and experiences so freely. You truly are a special kind of folk... I can only hope that some of you might bring that knowledge to bear on my current woe.

I bought a roughed-up 1985 Cabriolet last fall. Front end is crunched a bit, left headlight is missing, reverse gear is gone (as is the parking brake), interior is trashed, odometer quit and speedo is way off, oil leaks in a couple of spots, motor needs tuning, and the floorpan has a few gashes evidently caused by a sharp rock that the PO ran over. Other than that, it's great! (Actually, I wanted something that I could really work on, and this little gem is giving me all that and more!)

My current problem is the car won't start. I replaced the battery a few weeks ago (after the old one died at a most inopportune time AND after I left the key in the ignition for a few hours), but still no start. I could hear a whirring sound in front of the dash when I turned the key. Plus, all the electricals worked with the new battery (that is, all that were functional BEFORE the battery change!), but the engine just wouldn't crank.

After that, I checked the Pelican bulletin/technical boards and decided that I might need to replace the fuel pump relay. I ordered it from Pelican (the red relay), then looked under the seat as instructed to replace the part, but quite honestly couldn't find where it was supposed to go. All I saw was the DME, the seat belt relay, and the round altimeter relay. However, it was all very dirty under there (remember those gashes?), so I cleaned it up.

Earlier tonight, I tried cranking it again and -- Voila! -- it fired right up! I was so excited that I lowered it off the lift, and ran it around the block a few (or ten) times! When I returned to my driveway, I turned it off and on a few more times, and everything worked perfectly. I don't know what I did in cleaning things, but I guessed that I did something good!... that is, until I left the key in the ignition for a few minutes again, and my woes started all over again.

Sorry for the long diatribe, but is there some connection between leaving the key in the ignition awhile and the fuel system shutting off? Also, where exactly does that relay go? I am truly stumped; what's more, my car is in the drive blocking the way into the garage, so I can't protect it like I should.

My thanks to any and all who might have some insight into this little gremlin of a problem...

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John "Cotton" Clark
1985 911 Cabriolet
(that needs some TLC!)

check a few things and get back to us.. remove a spark plug wire and insert a spare spark plug. Ground the metal threads of the plug against the engine case. Have someone crank the car and see if you are getting spark. If you are, then you have a fuel problem. I guess though that it could be a loose/corroded connection at your DME box or relay. Also, there is a wiring harness to the left rear of the engine (there is a plstic cover on it. I had a problem recently with the engine wiring connection coming loose. This is a 12 pin square connector located on the front (as in front of car) side of the bracket.