Now What!!!!!! Another Expensive Problem?

Well, for the first time since buying my first Porsche, I'm beginning to lose the warm and fuzzy feeling about Porsche ownership.

As you know, I've worked hard to get past some CIS issues, and after a major investment in a new airbox and other ancillary items (not to mention all the other work I've done already), I thought I could enjoy the car for a while. I feel like I've replaced damn near everything on the car, but unfortunately, my luck has not been good.

While driving the car yesterday, without warning I heard a horrible grinding noise coming from the engine bay. I immediately pulled off the road and turned the engine off. Thinking it might be wheel related, I turned the key, and to my horror, the key turned freely all the way to the right with no resistence as if something had broken in the tumbler mechanism. The starter engaged, and the engine started, but the starter did not shut off. I turned the key back, which turned like there was nothing in the ignition switch, and it stopped the engine and starter simultaneously. I then noticed smoke coming from behind the dash where the ignition switch is.

I unhooked the battery cable, and tested the ignition switch, and once past the click at the accessory position, it just rotates around freely. I hooked the battery cable back up, tried it one more time, and the same thing happened; the key turns all the way right with no resistence, and stays there, the engine started and the starter kept running. I tried rotating the key counter-clockwise to see if the starter would disengage and allow the engine to run, but it won't, as the engine and starter either run together, or turn off together.

It seems that somehow, the starter engaged while I was driving, however in my 22 years of car ownership, I've never had this happen. Also, the ignition switch seems to have "fried." I have no clue as to the chain of events.

Could something have happened to the starter that would fry the ingnition? Could something have caused the ignition to spontaneously break, causing the starter to engage? Could I have done something when replacing the airbox? Pinched a wire? I don't even know where the starter is!

I'm already sick about this, especially after pricing a new ignition switch. All the money I've been saving to have the car painted is now gone, and I feel like it would have been less painless to have spent the money on a washer and dryer (and yes, that excruciatingly painful).

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, as would a reason or two for me to keep the car at this point. Also, if someone is in the market for a great deal on a '78 SC that's nearly new mechanically, now would be a good time to inquire. 8(

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Michael
'78 911SC Euro

Damn Michael, you are having a bad run of luck. I spent about $3K on repairs to my '79 just after I bought it, but most of those problems were known about ahead of time. One of the repairs was the ignition switch. Since doing that, the car has been pretty well behaved, and reliable.

How many miles are on the car? I thought you had mentioned that it was a high mileage car (even for an SC).

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Bill Krause
'79 911SC Euro

Ahh, the joy of owning and driving old cars-if it's not one thing, it's another. Sounds like it's just your ignition switch-normally, the contacts for the starter and the ignition are both energized when the key is turned all the way to the "start" momentary position, then when the key is released to "run", only the ignition contact is hot. In your case it sounds like the switch is bad and allowing the starter contacts to be hot all the time, which overloads them, causing the smoke you saw from under the dash-(bet it smelled funny, too.) Replace the switch (check Pelican's price) and check all the wiring there for burnt insulation before you hook the battery back up.

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Clay McGuill '66 912, '97 Jeep Cherokee www.geocities.com/the912guy

Micheal,
Good thing you had the presence of mind to pull the battery cable before the starter burned up or (!) the whole car. It's happened to many owners of older Porsches.

Your experience is the very reason I installed a battery disconnect switch. Fact is, these cars are getting old and things are gonna fail; especially electrical things.
Ever notice how brittle the insulation is on much of the wiring?

Don't give up on your SC, just be glad you don't own a 928.

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Doug
'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Canada West Region PCA
members.home.net/zielke/911SC.htm

[This message has been edited by Doug Zielke (edited 04-13-2001).]

hopefully the electrical part of the ignition switch fixes the whole problem. sometimes the starter drive gear and the ring gear on the flywheel/clutch ass'y gall each other so bad in a situation like yours , that they tend to hang onto each other. or possibly be very noisy when cranking. just replacing the starter in a case like this is only addressing half of the problem. the cheap half. you'll know after the ignition switch is fixed.

I know that ignition switches are spendy when they come with the tumbler also, but I did not think they were that spendy by themselves. It sure sounds like the guts of your switch have fried so that the starter gets juice any time the ignition is on.

I'd replace the switch (switch only), check for any damaged wiring and see if that takes care of it. As Mr. Walker mentioned, your starter may have been damaged by the experience also. Hang in there...

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'83 SC