early 85 944 from fire to almost fire up

Iwhiplashed2 · 10-24-2003, 02:05 AM

I would first like to say, I've found this site very helpfull as well as entertaining. Any way I bought an early 85 944 about four months ago that was fire damaged (fuel fire engine compartment) then I also bought a parts car that was pretty clean and complete. It had a bent frame rail on the pass. side. Long story short, I've gone about and made one nice car out of the two. Its time to begin testing but I cant get spark. I'm getting the fuel pump to power but not the plugs. I'm just starting to go over the wiring again to make sure I didn't make any mistakes seeing how I had to swap the front, mid, an engine harnesses. Any suggestions would be most helpfull. thanks

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

The two sensors on the back of the engine, speed and reference, may be plugged into the others harness. Or the harness wires, specially shielded, may be broken inside. Try swapping them first then checking for spark. Also check that the rear most sensor, speed, is 0.8 mm off of the starter ring teeth. The front sensor, reference, looks at a pin on the flywheel and will just follow the rear sensors adjustment. Also use an ohm meter to check from the center pin to one of the outside pins on the sensors for 0.6k to 2.0k ohms. The other side should be an open circuit as this is the shield.

The other things to look for are voltage to the coil and the injectors with the key on. This should be the same as the battery voltage. Check both sides of the connector to the injectors as the one going to the electronics (DME) will read low. The connection opposite the green wire on the coil should have battery voltage.

If you get battery voltage at the injectors then the first set of contacts in the DME/fuel pump relay are closing. The coil voltage comes directly off of the ignition switch. The voltage going to the injectors is the same circuit that powers the DME.

The fuel pump runs when cranking the car. You should be able to hear it run as the DME trigger circuit times out just after you stop cranking. Open the drivers door and lean over with your head almost under the car. You can bypass the DME/fuel pump relay and run the fuel pump directly by using an alligator tip test lead between aux fuse #3 and #2 (fuel pump fuse).

What year is the donor car?

TCMdocs944 · 10-24-2003, 08:23 AM

Wow, can't beat that answer.

Welcome to the board!

and thanks for bringing one back from the dead.

Iwhiplashed2 · 10-24-2003, 12:42 PM

donor car is same vin. # early 85. Thanks, I'm going to check these out now.

Iwhiplashed2 · 10-26-2003, 08:05 AM

Well I got her running, changed fuel relay, ignition switch, two wires under fuse panel, and she came to life.. thanks SoCal Driver for the detailed tips and good luck with the employment status! tt later

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Which two wires at the fuse panel? You don't want to have the fuel pump running if the ignition switch is on. This has to be controlled by the DME through the relay.

Iwhiplashed2 · 10-26-2003, 02:33 PM

They were two leads that ran behind the panel (green, black/purple-green, all with speaker termial type plugs, fuel pump is running off dme. Also had to tighten up grounds up above fuse panel, they were loose.

FLA944 · 10-27-2003, 05:37 AM

Congratulations! and welcome to the site.

SoCal is all knowing on the earlies. His wisdom is only outshone by his generosity.

"Ya gotta love the red ones"

Rick

CT944 · 10-27-2003, 05:29 PM

How difficult was the ignition switch to replace? I am having the "no spark" syndrome, and have just about replaced everything. Will the engine crank over if the ignition switch is bad? Or should I assume that if the engine cranks, the ignition switch is good??

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by FLA944
Congratulations! and welcome to the site.

SoCal is all knowing on the earlies. His wisdom is only outshone by his generosity.

"Ya gotta love the red ones"

Rick

Don't applaud, throw money!

FLA944 · 10-28-2003, 04:36 AM

LOL!

Hugh, how's the smoke over there?

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by FLA944
LOL!

Hugh, how's the smoke over there?

Yesterday was not so bad. Day before was a nuclear winter!

I live about seven to ten miles off of the coast in Orange County California.

Still not as bad a smell as some of the peat bog fires you get down your way.

FLA944 · 10-28-2003, 01:07 PM

yup,

seems like the fires go from one coast to the other.

The rains came back this year so we are OK for now.

You are right about the the smell. The swamp behind me went up and stunk like hell. The critters were running all over the place as there home burned.

I hope you and yours are safe thru this one

Rick

Iwhiplashed2 · 10-29-2003, 04:20 PM

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Actually Its been a little too warm at home, seeing how I've been evacuated from the house. I do, well at least did, so far live in Angelus Oaks off the sr 38. This fire is getting closer all the time. I guess well have to wait and see how this works out. At least I brought my dog to the office that day, just in case.

Iwhiplashed2 · 10-29-2003, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CT944
How difficult was the ignition switch to replace? I am having the "no spark" syndrome, and have just about replaced everything. Will the engine crank over if the ignition switch is bad? Or should I assume that if the engine cranks, the ignition switch is good??

I've found that my ignition switch would turn the car over but when I releast the key, there was too much play in the switch and would slip by the run position and act as if you turned the car off. Too much play in switch, had to replace.. Was fairly easy, remove plastic cover, steering wheel, plastic sleeve on steering shaft, turn signal assembley, then you can remove switch after removing the allen bolt from lower left side.