an odd thing my 944 is doing... intermittent start

[Obin Robinson]

hmm, this is very odd, and it's never happened before. i know a few people have had problems with their 944 being "dead" and not wanting to restart. while starting up to go for a drive earlier... my 944 "died" no electrical power, nothing. totally dead. i cleaned off the battery terminals... still dead. i tightened the terminals and cleaned them again and the car is fine.

was that just a fluke with the battery? there's no loose, corroded, or disconnected vacuum lines or wires. i'll be going over the engine compartment with a fine toothed comb though. i'll also be testing all the relays and fuses. could the DME be going south?

i have NOT done anything to the car in a long while. no tinkering, etc. i have only been cleaning it, and keeping it "preserved" while my life's savings flies out of my wallet into my wedding fund.

any help will be appreciated! thanks!

offhand, to all you unmarried guys: weddings are freakin expensive! i could have bought a 944 turbo, or built up a 200Hp NA engine with the amount of cash i've spent this year. at least i'm lucky that my fiancee loves cars as much as i do. my main concern is that the 944 is the car we'll be taking TO the reception and we don't want any stupid little glitches popping up. i've looked in the archives, but i've seen several solutions to the same "944 won't start" problem.

i can add this: the more i fiddle with the battery, the less it happens. if the 944 doesn't get the proper voltage because of corroded terminals... it acts like it's totally dead right? it's either ON and working great... or DEAD correct? DEAD as in no electrical system at all, not just a low voltage reading?

thanks!

obin

[stray15]

Alternator maybe? Check if its getting a charge.

---

Porsche, through and through
Tim
'83 944
http://community.webshots.com/user/strayer15

http://www.geocities.com/tstray15/Home.html

[mlue]

Intermitent electrical problems are a *****!!!

Get your self one of those testers that lightup or a multimeter and next time it happens start doing some checks to track down where the break is instead of shaking things up. The break or connection problem may not be on the positive side but more likely on the negative or ground side as cars get older the exposed ground wires corode. One ground usually serves more than one device.

Mark
'86 944NA

[Obin Robinson]

hmmm, you know... i'm going to start with the ground wire to my battery. those are cheap, and easy to replace. mine is a little cruddy looking. i think that vibrations in the engine compartment may have loosened it a tiny bit. the bolts on the battery cables are so rusted that i can't tighten them fully.

one more item: what's the best way to clean the aluminum in the engine compartment in a way that it will stay looking brand-new and won't get all oxidized looking? i think my budget will allow me to purchase a battery cable at least.

what are the symptoms of a DME starting to fail? other than hard starting, what else should i be looking for in the 944? the odd thing is that when i messed with the battery cables, the car starts up just fine. i'm also wondering if it's a bad DME relay. thse things are still original in my car because it was always babied before i had got it. i don't see a record of it being replaced either (i have all the papers).

let me start with the negative battery cable first and then work my way around. i know that in computerized cars like the 944... voltage can be everything! especially when the car is starting, or running.

thanks!

obin

[scoober78]

I had a DME failure just after I bought my baby... The b**** of it was it was intermittent. One day the car would run and start fine. The next I'd be driving and the engine would just die and then I would start it back up...sometimes it wouldn't start...it would however crank. If your having a DME problem you car should still crank but won't be getting spark or fuel. Check voltages there.(plug ends and injector harness) These are the same symptoms if your crank sensors (speed and reference sensors) are failing. Check and clean these connections. And I feel your pain about the wedding. WEll my in laws do anyway. I got married last year and we had like 275 people at the wedding...open bar reception...ouch

good luck
Erik

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Go the distance....

[ae1969]

If you have no power to anything.....or some power....but no ignition.....wiggle the stupid thing....it drove me crazy!!!!

....I had to replace my ignition switch about 6 years ago.......I used to have a huge key chain....with a ton of keys too heavy.....just wore out the switch.......

Just take a look

Maybe... maybe..not

Alex

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The love of my life.......

[944Driver]

If you want to spruce up the appearance of your aluminum engine parts, just repaint them. That's what I did. I bought some high-heat resistant exhaust paint, thinned it out a bit, and sprayed it on with my airbrush. Man, what a difference! I had previously tried the metal polishes, cleaners etc. but nothing looked good. They look brand new now.

[mlue]

Obin wrote:

one more item: what's the best way to clean the aluminum in the engine compartment in a way that it will stay looking brand-new and won't get all oxidized looking?





The car dealers dress up the engine compartments by degreasing and cleaning the engines then spraying a silicone based dressing to coat everything. I think STP makes a produce that you should look at. Makes the engine comparment look like a million bucks it works on the aluminum, rubber everything.

Mark
'86 944NA


[This message has been edited by mlue (edited 07-26-2001).]

[RaF944]

Obin at target they have Degreaser and Detailer spray.. they come 2 in a back for about $5-$6.... It really helped out my engine...after i degreased it and hosed it...i put the detailer all over..then i took Mothers Metal Polish and I polished the intake manifold and the thing that says Porsche... I aint no mechanic i dont know what its called. anyways it looks great

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85.5 Porsche 944

[newoldguy]

Just a thought--and from other experiences--when you wiggle a wire and things come back to life it seems to me that the problem could be inside the wire itself. Since all of our cars are "old", I'm wondering if we should replace the + and - battery cables????????
Curtis '87 944

[Drago]

Hey Obin,

I think that everyone's right on track with the + and - battery cables. While your in there you might want to pull the battery and take it to your local auto shop to have it load tested. Sounds like you may also have a bad cell in there.

Good luck...intermittent electrical gremlins are some of the toughest to accurately diagnose.


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1986 944 NA

[944pilot]

I recently had my DME die on me after it got wet- I am assuming that yours did not. But the symptoms were sort of what you describe- it would run sometimes but not others. My 914 had a very similar problem, but only when hot (resistance builds with heat). Replacing all the "big" wires (battery + and -) also make sure to replace the engine to chassis ground strap. It is problably as old as the car and if the resistance goes up in it (and you can bet it has), it will start to create problems- everything from what you described to inaccurate guage readings, etc...
Those cables are cheap and I'll bet most of the 944's on this list need new ones.
(IMHO)
Brian

[newoldguy]

Does anybody know where the main chassis to ground strap is located on my '87 n/a? I think I've got my problem there.
Curtis