major problem with my 914 help!!!

[shorty10]

hey i have a 1973 1.7 914 with 116,000 miles on it a engine rebuild at 106,000 well during the winter my car ran fine and started like new but when it started to get hot it wouldnt start up all the time got new sparkplugs cap roter button and wires and it will still not start unless i roll it into gear the smallest push and it starts right up if i dont push it it wont start up . now during the night when its cooler it will start up say 70% of the time and idling is really low i have to gas it a bit when at idle if i dont it will go down to 200? and start to stall , if i ever catch it starting to stall ill push the gas peddle down 5 times before it gains any rpms after the 7th time each time i hit the peddle it will go to 1000 then to 2000 them at 3000 ill let off the gas and push the peddle a little bit so i can control the idle at 1000 ( remember im doing this if i see im about to stall) its like the engine is not getting enough gas when its hot outside im thinking i need to get all of the gas lines replaced . Oh and also the starter is turning the engine over thank to all that help

sorry forthe crappy typing im in a rush to get out the door

[david c.]

Is your engine still fuel injected or are you running carbs? What fuel pump?

[shorty10]

its still FI i just got mome now the car is now sitting on the side of the road 13 miles away i heard a high pitched back fire and the engine stoped i started it again when it was still coasting and it poped again then it stalled in 4 hours its going to be towee and looked at funniny thing is is that the guy that picked me up looked over everything "quick" and said that the ignition coil is way to hot ???

sorry im 22 and its my 1st porsche still learning about them

[jhadler]

First things first, you probably have at least one (if not more) vacuum leak. There are a lot of vacuum hoses, and a leak will give you problems. Not a big deal to solve, you just need to be thorough.

The next would be to make sure all of you electrical connections are solid. Having a bad connection on something like the Head Temp Sensor (passenger side, between the two intake tubes) can be the cause of some really annoying problems.

One way to find a vacuum leak, if the car will run at idle, is to use a can of carb starter fluid (or brake cleaner) and give little squirts at places where vacuum hoses join up to the plenum and sensors. If it's a leak, the revs will jump sharply. Just a short squirt, and wait a minute or two, then to the next spot. It's a handy way to find vacuum leaks.

-Josh2

[david c.]

If you use Josh's good advice (it will work) be careful, wear some safety glasses and have a fire extinguisher handy. Not trying to scare you but many of us have had singed eyebrows or worse from leaning into the engine bay on these wonderful old cars!

[jhadler]

Yeah, very good point. Definitely use the extension nozzle on the spray cans and do your best to keep all vital body parts as far away from the engine bay when you do it.

A) If you spray too much, you can get flashback from vaporized solvent/starter fluid.

B) The fumes can easilly overwhelm you if you stick your head in there and take a good snort.

Yes, do be carefull when attempting this technique. It works well, but it's one to use with caution.

Step one? Get the vacuum hose diagram off the PP website, and learn where all those hoses go. Then start hose clamping them. Not all of them neccessarilly neeed clamps, but it's one way of eliminating vacuum leaks if you don't know where they're coming from. And it's safer than a burning cloud of brake cleaner fumes...

The sysmtoms you describe really sound like there might be a bad electrical connection with the head temp sensor, Been There, Done That, in heavy traffic. Definitely check that connector. It's a stubborn one, but if it's corroded, or the wire's broken, or the connector simply isn't connected anymore, that will make the car behave VERY poorly. Backfires and stalling would certainly be symptoms.

-Josh2

[lmcchesney]

Shorty, do I understand correctly. Prior to the backfire events, the car would not start unless you pushed the car in gear, but would start up quickly? If this is what happens, it points to a starter system, not simply a starter, problem. A faulty/intermittent ground will produce this. Check if the grounding strap(s) are intact. Sometimes, during a rebuild, the transmission-grounding strap does not get included. You can cross the solenoid on the starter to bypass this. Long screwdriver, under the car, with the screwdriver, connect the small connectors to the 12V big connector. This applies 12V directly to the starter. IF the starter works this way, then it is the solenoid or wiring, including the ignition switch.
Hope it is helpful.
L. McC

[shorty10]

the mechanic said my ignition coil was bad
just ordered a bosch blue and just to be sure i also ordered a temp head sensor. He also said that i have a air hose leak and that there was some water in one of them

[shorty10]

found out what it was the electrical part (where i turn the key) went bad it was turning the engine over but would not send electric current to the distributer