Help Me Please!!!
 

85 early 944 : starter spins engine over but engine won't crank. can push start car and runs great until you switch it off. any help or suggestions greatly appreciated

update after car warms up it will crank by starter!!!!!!

Okay, so just to be certain, the engine itself won't turn over when it's cold, but the starter spins?

I would say about 90% sure it's the starter itself.

Had this issue in a couple older cars of mine, except they would usually turn over once or twice, then the starter would just take off, and the engine would stop turning. Turned out to be a bad bendix (or however it's spelled), which causes the starter gear to move forward, and lock into the flywheel teeth. Usually they don't just quit, they start acting up, like you are explaining. They will sometimes work when cold, or sometimes when hot, etc....

Your starter is about gone. You may get a few more miles out of it. Next time it doesn't start, give the starter a wack with a hammer....if it starts up after that, it is your starter.


Very easy to change out though..except for getting at those tiny wires.


One note...some new starters come with more terminals that you have wires. Be sure to mark your wires before removal or remember the orientation of the wires before installation.

starter has been rebuilt, computer replaced and DME. no fire to the distributor when cold. fire after it warms up??? will fire rolling it off when cold

Okie dokie, then I guess I misunderstood. If that's what the problem is, then the engine turns over for sure.
If the engine doesn't turn over, I'm not at all surprised that there is no spark.

If it turns, and you don't have spark, it sounds like the speed/reference sensors.
When it turns over, does the tach move? It should wiggle just a bit. If it does, then your speed and reference sensors are working properly. If not, give their connectors a wiggle, and try it again. Given the symptoms, it sounds a little bit like the sensors are gapped wrong.

If that checks out, make sure you are getting power to the coil. IIRC, the positive side of the coil stays at +12V, and it's the ground that is switched. Throw a voltmeter on the negative side of the coil. You should see it going between +12V (open ground) and 0V (closed ground).

tach moves, fire to the coil but not coming out, replaced coil same problem. about to drive me nuts never seen anything act like this