Tried everything - car still wont start

[kinematics]

I backed my, new to me, 95' Carrera out of the garage to wax it. I Got it all slicked up and.......nothing. The car hasnt started since. The fuel pump starts but the motor doesnt turn. It doesnt even sound like the solenoid is engaging.

I ran voltage tests between the battery and terminals, between the battery and starter, between the ignition and starter and between the starter terminals. I checked the yellow wire. Everything looks fine to my amateur eyes. I pulled the starter and took it to the shop to be tested. The test came back "inconclusive". That was enough to convince me I should replace the starter anyway. So I did. And...... nothing.

I have had the car three weeks and I am new to the forums and to Porsche. I have searched the forums, paying particular attention to the posts by Warren. I think I am missing something, something painfully obvious.

I paid extra to buy an immaculate car that had been meticulously maintained. I hate to be terribly frustrated and disappointed this early in the honeymoon, but it is setting in fast. I have offically spent 10x as much time working on it as driving it.

Got any ideas? Your input is appreciated.

[911quest]

Does the car have an alarm? Also in your voltage tests how many volts did you get on the yellow wire with the key in the start position? Put the car in neutral or better yet jack it up and jump from the battery wire on the starter to the single terminal on the starter solenoid if it cranks this will give you an idea where to start troubleshooting.

[kinematics]

I think I responded to Tony'spost in a new thread so I'll repost here

Tony,

Thanks, I'll try that. I'll post results. The car has an alarm but I have checked it. I'll do it again as I am sure it is something simple right under my nose. I'm going to call PO again.


By the way, the car is an 85' not a 95'. I was incredibly tired when I posted the thread

[scottb]

Have you checked the various grounds. These cars are notorious for having problems with grounds, which could lead to a no-start condition.

[yelcab1]

OK, if you confirm that the alarm is working OK and not screwing up your solenoid voltage, then other things to check are:

1. have someone turn they while you meausre the voltage level at the terminal where the yellow wire attaches. is it 12V or at least more than 10V? If nothing is there, then back to the alarm, or the ignition switch.

2. If there is 12V at the yellow wire, and there is battery voltage at the big terminal of the starter, then the starter should crank over, if your starter is already replaced. If not, take the starter back.

My guess is there is no 12V at the yellow wire because of either the ignition switch or your alarm.

[moneymanager]

Very much a longshot, but I had the very similar problem with a 73 a couple of years back. There were two problems: a tiny bit of corrosion on the battery cable where it attached to the battery itself, and...the main culprit...a poor connection in one of the wiring harnesses where it passes thru the firewall at the front of the car. It was a simple matter of separating the two cable ends, cleaning the contacts in the several pin connector, and replacing. As I say, likely a longshot...

[85eurocarrera]

Have you tried to jump it. My battery was strong enough to run lights, radio ect. but could not perform under load. Brought it back to Batteries Plus, they diagnosed it as a bad battery, could not perform under load. Luckily my Optima red top came with a three year warranty which I made by about 28 days!

[Sapporo Guy]

+1 on the battery check

Check the fuse box in front.

Recently, the line into the box had corroded so badly that not enough current was pushing through the green'ed wires

[rusnak]

kinematics, when you say you ran voltage checks and everything is fine, do you mean you are getting 12 volts to the yellow wire when you turn the key?

Also, +1 on what Money Manager and Sapporo Guy said. The corrosion builds up resistance and prevents enough current from flowing to kick out the starter solenoid. Also your battery should be charged up to 12.7 to 12.9 volts at engine rest.

This topic probably deserves a thread dedicated to the 3.2 911.

The 3.2 cars in particular have a problem with corrosive salts building up on the positive battery cable. You have to clean off the positive cable at least once a year or more. This problem does not appear on 911SCs or other 911s as much, for some reason. Just the 3.2 cars. Eventually the problem will mean you have to cut the end off of the positive battery cable, and replace with a solder on type, or a high quality Monster Cable battery clamp. Don't get the bolt on kind, or you will be cleaning the cable end more often than you have to now. Coat the outside with dielectric grease.

[Sapporo Guy]

does vaseline work

Could always rub the pole a bit

[kinematics]

I had 12.6 v at the yellow wire. The terminals are spotless and I checked the ground strap. The battery is strong as a mule. When the key in the start position I was getting 12.5 v across the solenoid. I cant see any earthly reason the starter doesnt work. I will go back and recheck everything now that the new starter is in. It could be that after the install I now have a bad connection or just reassembled something wrong. I guess I could have replaced a bad starter with a new bad starter, but unlikely. I didnt have any time to work on it today but I'll get some more readings tomorrow and repost

I'll try the leads at the firewall but if the voltage is OK at the starter it seems unlikely

I dont want to even think this but could the flywheel frozen and the solenoid cant even budge it enough to engage all of the way. I would hear it click, wouldn't I?

Remind me what the correct wiring arrangemnt is on the starter. I have the black 12v lead from the battery, the yellow wire with spade connector and the red 12 v wire. Where does the red 12v terminate on the other end? Just want to make sure I didnt rewire it wrong.

Thanks for the tips guys. When this thing fires I'll buy the first round

[yelcab1]

Black goes to battery, red goes to the alternator, and yellow is the solenoid - ignition switch.

Here is a hint, if your starter turns, the battery voltage WILL drop to less than 12V.

Back to basics tomorrow: Check and clean battery terminals and the connetors to them. Use a battery terminal cleaner. Check and wire brush the ground strap 1) from transmission to body, and 2) from battery - terminal to body (both ends). Temporarily short the battery terminal to the starter terminal to see if the starter spins.

If all that works, then when there is 12v at the solenoid, and you hear a click, the starter must turn. If not, it's the starter/solenoid.

[911pcars]

8 AA batteries provide 12 volts too. Is the battery fully charged? Are the headlights bright when ON? If so, do they dim slightly when cranking the engine? If the headlights don't dim, there's a connection problem with the starter, i.e. battery cable(s) or ign. switch.

If the headlights are dim or not working, remove the battery and take it to a place where they can test it.

Let us know what you discover.

Sherwood

[Tyson Schmidt]

I've seen this before on 964 and 993's.

The battery ground cable is crimped on. Corrosion builds up between the cable and terminal, and this is what happens.

[sixbanger]

I have a problem much like this but I have no ignition when I turn the key. I can lock the doors with and the light blinks but after I unlock the door and get in to start the car I get nothing. Battery is fully charged. I just replaced the ignition switch(used) and put the old one back in and get the same,No power to the switch or ignition lights. Is this a alarm problem. Does the alarm turn off the power to the switch when it goes off? Thanks for the help in advance. The car worked fine before. I checked all the connections. Can some one explain how the alarm works as I lost the book that came with it that explains the alarm.
RT

[911pcars]

My guess. If you have an alarm system that disables the starting system when armed, then triggered, the car will not start.

Maybe your alarm system could be the answer. How do you normally deactivated the system?

That's one of the drawbacks with alarm systems that do this. If there's a malfunction in the system, is it the starting system or the alarm?

Sherwood

[jsilvernyu]

My 2004 911 won't start. When I try to jumpstart lights go on and i hear a repeated clicking sound but engine won't start. If problem is battery why won't jumpstart start engine?

jack

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by jsilvernyu

My 2004 911 won't start. When I try to jumpstart lights go on and i hear a repeated clicking sound but engine won't start. If problem is battery why won't jumpstart start engine?

jack

Possibly, battery current can't reach the solenoid and/or starter due to a loose or corroded connection. This can occur in the battery cables or inside the starter/solenoid. The clicking sound is probably the starter solenoid. You can verify this. Could be a faulty connection inside the solenoid or insufficient voltage to adequately energize the solenoid.

Sherwood

[3.2 CAB]

Have you checked the wire plug connection where it plugs in to the bulkhead behind/below the dash? I have seen those get bumped, pulled on, etc before, and it was like you did not have a starter. But you said the the yellow wire that attaches to the solenoid, had 12.4v+?? This was measured at the starter, when the key was turned to the "start" position?? It should only have voltage when you have the key turned to the "start position" I have seen many people with starting issues with that yellow wire in the past. I had to replace my "yellow wire" several years ago, after my car had starting issues due to the yellow wire. There has been a lot of good knowledge bestowed to you so far in this, or the other post. Hopefully, you will be able to find the problem soon. Good luck!! Tony.

[3.2 CAB]

I forgot to ask, have you tried to push start it yet?