84 911 Won't Start

[wolf76]

Hello everyone. I did do a search on this but didn't turn up the same symptoms as mine. I went to start the car this afternoon and nothing. It doesn't keep spinning it just lurches a bit and then nothing. All the accessories work(lights etc.) . I haven't started the car in about 2 weeks, it's about 38 degrees here today. The fuel pump and refernece sensors were replaces lst year. I am a complete noob and just wondering where to start. The leads on the battery look good, maybe the starter? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if I didn't include enough info but as I said I don't know where to start.



Thanks,

Chris

[Mitch Leland]

Chris,

You need to be more specific about what your car is doing.

1. The starter will not keep turning over?

2. The starter turns over, then stops?

You could have a low battery and with the cold temps and thick oil the starter might be having a hard time turning over, yet the lights still might be working. Are the lights full bright?

Have you checked the battery post for corrosion? Have you put a charger on the battery and tried to start the car? I would check the battery for water level if it a non-sealed battery, then put a slow charge on the battery for a couple of hours and try again.

You might have a starter that is going south. It sounds like it has to be either the battery or starter.

[wolf76]

Thanks Mitch. I will hook the charger up now and check in later as you said. The starter does not seem to do anything when I turn the key. The battery posts don't show any corrosion.Sad to say but I have no idea if my battery is sealed or not, I don't see anywhere would I could check the water level though. I think you're right though regarding the colder weather.

Chris

[ChkbookMechanic]

Check the DME Relay underneath the driver's seat. It sometimes goes bad and it never hurts to have a spare on hand.

[tcar]

Do you hear a fast 'clicking' noise when you turn the key?

[kidrock]

sounds like the battery is not giving enough juice to turn over the motor appropriately. Put the battery on a charger for several hours, then give her a go. Could be a sign that the battery is about to take a dump on you, or just a result of cold temperatures and not enough driving.

[CT944]

Yes, charge the battery until it is completely full. When my battery is even a little bit low, it will crank but not start.

[FinallyGotOne]

+ 1 on the low battery. More often than not the batter is the culprit. I've had them where they seem to be strong as everything is powered up, but I cannot even get a click on the starter. The starter requires a LOT of amps to turn, the lights and radio and all that require very little.
I had a issue that turned out to be a loose negative cable. I would reach down and check and it appeared very tight as I could not move it, but then one day the cable was completely off.
weird, but once I rewrenched it back on tight, never had an issue again.

[wolf76]

Thanks everyone. It was the battery. I hooked up the charger, let it sit a bit and then she fired right up. We have had some pretty cold weather in addition to the car sitting for a while must have been enough to drain the battery. Thanks again for all your help.


Chris