1983 944 AFM Troubleshooting (Won't Stay Running)

[Michigan944]

Hey all! Looking for some second opinions on some troubleshooting I've done on my 1983 944 over the past couple of weeks. I was driving home from work when after about 5 miles the engine fell on it's face after shifting into second. Kept on surging like it wasn't getting fuel, put the transmission in neutral and it idled just fine. Ended up getting a tow home and tinkered with it some.

The engine would start and idle smoothly. If I gave it the slightest amount of fuel I could get it up to 2000rpm before it sputtered and died. Started looking for a vacuum leak with starting fluid but didn't seem to find one. Referenced Clark's Garage next and tested the TPS. Looked like the TPS was not reading the way that it should. Just got the new one installed today and the problem is still there.

I just got done taking apart the AFM and following Clark's instructions on testing, cleaning, and adjusting and wanted a second opinion on the results that I saw. Clark mentioned that with 9V battery he was using (9.41V) he was getting a reading of 0.46V with the barn door closed and 8.45V with it fully open. (Delta of about 9V at closed and 1 V when open).

When I tested mine with a brand new 9V battery (reading 9.7V) I got a reading of 0.16V with the barn door closed and 7.9V with it fully opened (Delta of about 9.5V at closed and 1.8V when open). I cleaned the track and adjusted the arms so it wasn't on a grooved section of the resistor array and the measurements were basically exactly the same.

Would anyone agree that the lower voltages i measured from the AFM could be an indication that it's bad? Especially considering the voltage source I was using had a higher input voltage than the battery Clark used in his guide.

Open to any thoughts or suggestions! Thanks!

[944 Ecology]

Don't overlook the electric connection at the AFM. Over the years, the terminals are subject to fretting, resulting in a loss of signal to the ECU.

[Dano944]

Vacuum leak? Get a smoke detection test done.