Power door locks :

In my 944 there were these Nylon link rods in the door mechanism, they join the servo to the lock mechanism. The Nylon links wear out eventually, they have a socket into which a metal ball in the lock mechanism fits.and the socket wears eventually resulting in the link rod disconnecting itself.

Take the door panels off and check that these rods aren't just dangling. I paid $10 each for new ones from the Porsche dealer.

Try listening as you lock the door manually : can you hear a faint clunk inside the other door? Thats the solenoid operating while connected to nothing.

Mark

Mark

First put the year and model of you P car in your signiture.
You may have had a big woodie for your VR4. We don't.
The year and model will (hopefully) keep people from telling you how to fix an early 944 with late model solutions.

Second there is nothing more expensive than a cheap 944. On the other hand a cheap 944 can be made into one formidable track warrior.

Window switches. Those suckers are 20 years old. Replace them they are worn out.

Rear end clunking: IF the PO replaced the clutch check the CV joint bolts. Some may not be tight. Warning! These require a 12 point allen type bit to tighten/loosen. Get a quaility bit.

If the head lights will not go down then the relay on the motor is the first thing I would replace. After that I would take off the motor and clean the contacts under the round plate covering the gear reduction.

The rear hatch it a PITA especially if the glass is pulling out of it's frame at the top by the hinges. Sometimes you have to push down while you turn the key. Then holding the key over bump the rear spoiler with your knee.

Headlights, clean connections. I fixed mine (they wouldn't come all the way up all the time) by plugging and unplugging the electrical connector on the motor.

I once had a loud grinding clunking sound when I operated the headlights ....

I had forgotten that I spliced in a suppossed " will fit " winshield washer pump that would not stay on the tank , so I just left it hang on top of the tank.. well it got down in the headlight... DOH !!!!

plus the darn thing didn't work

Could be worse, my sister replaced the ignition coil wire (after she lost it while trying to disable her car) with a longer one and zip tied it to the motor arm. When she turned off her headlights, the motor arm would pull the wire out of the cap. 3 months later, she called and asked if it was okay to tape the wire to the cap, a couple questions later i found out what she'd done.

what's her occupation, airline mechanic????

Hey i also have a few questions.

#1 Is there anything special i should knwo when i am replacing the timing belt? will i need new rubber 'gears'
#2 Am i going to need special parts
#3 What will i need when changing the water pump, i.e. gaskets, thermostat
#4 should i replace my stock radiator with an aluminum one

when i replace my speedometer am i going to need an adapter or anything? i want to get an autometer.

Thanks,
Shawn

Pelican parts has kits with most everything you will need to to a timing belt/water pump job.

You will need a tool to check the belt tension. Kriket is a reasonable after market belt tension tool when you compare it's price to the plus $500 Porsche tool. You also need to search this forum for the balance belt alignment diagram that I have posted many times.

Your stock radiator should aready be an aluminum one.

Check out www.clarks-garage.com for instructions on doing the water pump and belts.

Your shift knob is held on with a special rubber bushing and clip. The shift lever is a flat bar all the way to the top. This makes it difficult to put the threaded aftermarket knobs on it unless you modify the shift lever. The pin that fits into the linkage to the trans wears out and requires either a new shift lever or a replacement pin (3/8" bolt) and the bushing of the end of the long shift linkage.

Yeah, 944s are in NO way drag-cars. They are just fast in the twisties. There may seem like alot of things that are wrong, but actually thats not that bad. Alot of them should be able to be fixed pretty cheaply and easily. When I bought my 944 for $800, nothing (and I do mean nothing) worked, it didn't run and when I got it running it would not hold oil or coolant. Check out my website for what I've been through. Welcome to the group.

I'm not dissappointed at all with the things wrong, that's why i bought it, this is what i do. I love to fix things. Usually there are 'tricks' or 'quick fixes' for some of the common problems of every car. Like a few cars have had nuetral saftey switch problems, or ignition wiring problems and the easiest fix it to run a hot wire to a push button then to the correct pin on the starter relay.

Nice website, i love the heads :) . I am a little better off then you were so i definately don't feel overwhelmed.

Quick review: Seafoam = AWSOME

i sea foamed my engine today using the brake booster line.
Let it suck in 1/3 can, let it sit for a half hour, reved engine to 2k rpm and held until less smoke started pouring out, then let it suck up another 1/3 can. Let it sit for an hour, then took the car out and ran it hard for about half hour, no more smoke. Then i let it suck up the rest of the can and it's going to sit over night. You should do this process until you get no smoke after letting it sit with sea foam in it. That will give you best results.

The gas mileage was below 20 in 3rd gear around 30mph, now its a little above 30 so either it broke the gauge or really cleaner out the engine. It idles alot smoother and has much better response and power. I highly reccomend this to anyone who hasnt tried it. Sea foam is a pertroleum based cleaner 100% safe used on any engine, 2 stroke, 4 stroke, gasoline, diesel, any size and application. add to oil, gas, or directly into vacuum hose. From what i understand, the carbon asbsorbs this cleaner and becomes flamable so it burns off, but i will admit i do not know for sure.

If you use it in oil, do it about one gas tank or 400 miles before oil changes, then replace the filter. Do it about 3 or 4 times and your oil will stay very clean from then on as long as you regularly change it. In the gas it cleans the injectors, gunk in the fuel lines and rails, plus the fuel pump. I would reccomend 1/2 - 3/4 can to a full tank of gas and then replace your fuel filter afterwards.

I've used it on every car i've owned, and it has shown no ill effects, even on high mileage vehicles with alot of carbon build up. 1990 F150 with 210k miles and 1992 VR4 with 178k miles. Definately helps.

I only reccomend because so few people have heard about it, and it's works so great for so cheap. you can get it at Advanced auto for about $5. Sorry for the salesman ranting, just trying to help :)

Since this is an electronically controlled engine I seriously doubt your mechanical treatment changed anything. The GPH/MPG gauge is run off of the DME (electronic brain) as a calculation between the injector timing, rpms and forward speed.

Also the block is not just aluminum. The pistions are aluminum but coated with iron. When one does rings you don't hone the cylinders.

Seafoam!?

Well It seemed to make a pretty big difference. Try it out and see for yourself, it will work.

No such thing as a $800 944.

What you have my friend is a $4-8k car waiting to be rehabilitated.



I have said it before...If doing it over again I would pull the engine and replace all gaskets and seals. During that job all the rest of the small stuff can be sorted. Use ebay, pelican, paragon, etc. Dont take shortcuts.

Welcome to the board.

Wait...you don't hone the cylinders?

I would pull the engine if i had the time or money. I bought this car because it seemed rather reasonable. It runs, drives, and seems like it's going to pass inspection. I figure i can fix the little stuff on the weekends and such. This will be my daily driver as i am planning on getting another porsche to build with. Would you reccoment a 944 turbo, or a 928, or a 928/944 conversion? I would prefer the conversion since i could get a frame for less than a $1,000, and then i could build the engine from scratch. Any idea of the limits on the 928 engines?

Shawn, Me thinks you are approaching this from the wrong direction.

If you want a track car with a different engine and a frame chassis then build one from the ground up. Depending on it's wheel base you can find most any fiberglass body to put on it.

If you want a fun stock road car then restore the 944 and tweak the suspension a bit. You will find a vast resource here on this board for doing the latter.

Yeah the 944 is pretty awsome. I was just out in my yard again, burning up the last of the sea foam, and it handles better in the grass than my VR4, which is amazing. It's alot easier to drift, and it corners like nothing i have ever driven before.

The reason i wouldn't want to work on this is becuase it is the only car i have right now. I was going to have this as my daily driver, then build another car on the side so that i am not without a car, and i can take my time building it right. So far i am into this car about $980 which is more than worth it to me. If i do want to build it up, are turbo conversions hard, or can i make a custom one? I still haev the 9b turbos from my VR4 which only have like 26k miles. They flow 380cfm each i believe. Thats about the same as the K turbo on the 944's correct? I figure with twins it would reduce lag, and it wouldnt be to hard running them directly off of the separate headers.

there are a few problems i noticed today

The oil pressure is around 4 or 5 at idle, but after i ran it hard for 45 minutes it dropped to .5-1. Is this bad? Can i just add a 15w 50 synthetic oil? That's my favorite kind :)

Also my fans don't always kick on and my car makes it to the white bar at the end. I turn the a/c on which doesnt work, and the fan will kick on and it will cool it down, but every now and then the temperature will suddleny drop which i suspect is both fans running. One fan stays running when i turn the car off as well. Is there anything wrong?

You better fix the over heating problems NOW! Or you are going to add the 944 to the list of cars to take to the junk yard.

Your oil pressure should be at least 1 bar at an idle. Again this could be from over heating or your contamiation of the engine oil with your SemanFoam crap. Bet you ruined your CAT.

You don't turbo a stock 944. If you want a turbo 944 buy a turbo 944. Actual model is a 951.

Your dash gauge may not be indicating properly. Need to clean the ground wire contact surface from the chassis to the back of the engine. Also check the single wire to the temp sender on the front of the engine block. It's under the intake runner to the #1 cylinder just behind the DME temp sender.