84 3.2 Problem?

[Golfin_Fool]

So I finally purchased my 911. I wanted "vintage" so I got a 1984 Targa. I love it. However, in CO you have to have an emissions test to get plates…I failed. Being new to the 911 scene, I took it to a local import shop. I dropped it off this morning. This afternoon they call me and tell me that the car will NOT shut off. That the key is pulled out of the ignition and the car is running. So they "popped" the clutch to kill it. However now the oil and ignition lights (when car is just in the "on" position) will not go off.

First they stated an ignition relay, then some wires under the dash are burned.

I know this is a 30 year old car. I know things are going to be wrong with it.'

Am I wrong for being skeptical? Am I wrong for being pissed off? Am I wrong for letting the owner of the shop talk me off the ledge? Am I wrong for leaving it for him to fix?

Thanks for letting me rant.

Frustrated Nube

[mike gilbert]

Ignition switch problems are common. I would not take any Porsche to a regular car repair shop, 911's are different from most everything else and most shops know nothing about them but will attempt to repair it anyways usually doing more harm than good. Since your not working on the car yourself I would find the closest Porsche or Euro specialist and take it to them. Sorry your finding troubles but these old Porsches are a labor of love and will require a lot of maintenance and parts replacement as you go along no matter the miles on the car. The best thing about them though is that you can work on old 911's yourself if your handy and everything you need to know is here on the tech forums. Does your car still have the cat. converter? A lot of people take them off between inspections and replace with a strait pipe because it is a fairly easy thing to do.

[DRACO A5OG]

Welcome Aboard Brother, Sorry to read your troubles.

+1, locate a trusted Porsche shop,

A 911 shop would know exactly what to do, like pull the DME relay under the driver seat, which would kill the spark and fuel.

Obviously the shop did something to the car's ignition and now damaged it.

As far as the Smog Check, what were the readings?

Take a deep breathe, we will do our best to guide you, we all have been where you are so you are not alone.

Jim

[gamin]

Welcome to pelican. You are at the right place for the best advice in all of Porschedom. And no question is a stupid question. We all have much to learn and here we find answers. Here's hoping a fellow pelican in your area will step forward and offer assistance. The best advice above is to get the car to a Porsche expert and it doesn't have to be a shop.

[Klax]

Sorry you are off to a rocky start. Your car is going to need to be running correctly (fuel, air, spark) with a functioning catalytic converter to pass smog test here. My advice is to get it to a specialist shop for a valve adjustment, plugs, ignition check, and consider having a new cat installed. This should be enough to get plates and get a chance to drive it. Eisenbuds, Dart Auto, 3R are a couple names of local specialists. If you search the forum for denver you will get a few more names.

[Golfin_Fool]

Thanks all. I know that the 30 year old baby I have fell in love with will take work. I am pretty handy with a wrench (I spent 20 years working on aircraft in the US Air Force). I have had my fair share of mustangs in the past to wrench on. However, I was hoping to get through the last few snowless days before having to go under the hood!

The shop I have it at is a local owned import shop. The owner has been a Porsche mechanic for 30 years. He has a SC, 964, and a Cayman himself. I was writing while frustrated and didn't want to put his shop on blast.

I have loved reading all of your posts over the last couple of years while looking for my joy. I appreciate that your all are here to help. I will help where I can too. I love these forums…what did we ever do before the inter webs came along?????

[mike gilbert]

Originally Posted by Golfin_Fool

Thanks all. I know that the 30 year old baby I have fell in love with will take work. I am pretty handy with a wrench (I spent 20 years working on aircraft in the US Air Force). I have had my fair share of mustangs in the past to wrench on. However, I was hoping to get through the last few snowless days before having to go under the hood!

The shop I have it at is a local owned import shop. The owner has been a Porsche mechanic for 30 years. He has a SC, 964, and a Cayman himself. I was writing while frustrated and didn't want to put his shop on blast.

I have loved reading all of your posts over the last couple of years while looking for my joy. I appreciate that your all are here to help. I will help where I can too. I love these forums…what did we ever do before the inter webs came along?????

Sounds like you can do what's needed yourself, 911's are not hard to work on their just different, their actually very simple and that's what some people don't understand you just got to think like a German LOL. These are the most service friendly cars ever made and that's why I think they are as popular now if not more than in the past. It really is a track car made for comfortable street driving. You have a lot of reading to do LOL just remember most car shops don't even know how to jack a 911 up properly for service.

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by Golfin_Fool

I have had my fair share of mustangs in the past to wrench on.

Ha, kinda like my evolution, I but my teeth on my 66 Convertible in High School.

I am surprised that an experience Porsche wrench did not know about the DME relay, hmmm, probably never worked on a 3.2. Lessen learned.

Okay, it is good you're a Grease Monkey, you are 80% there, the rest we can handle.

Bring you new old baby home and let's get to work, of course when it thaws out. If it is going to be stored, remember and you already know this, remove battery, drain the gas tank and/or put some gas stabilizer in it to keep moisture out.

Jim