Yay, my car started and ran

[trucker677]

I finally got my car started and it ran under its own power, The only thing is I had to pour fuel down the intake to do so. I wanted to take it for a drive but my girlfriend didn't want to run beside the car. a lot of black smoke came out of the exhaust, I would think carbon build up. After a while of different idles I tried to start it without pouring fuel down the throttle body and it wont start on its own. so I would think I have a fuel pressure problem. My fuel pump is pumping 1400 ml for 30 secs from the return line. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to look at now.

also what does the "!" mean on the instrument panel, I have one on my dash display and one above the radio

[stepson]

there are 8 different things that are monitored by the central warning system that will set off the "!" Oil pressure/ oil level/brake fluid level/brake pressure/coolant level/windshield washer level are 6 of the 8 that I remember.

[jstobo]

Your injectors could be clogged. Or not enough fuel pressure either from a bad fuel pump or a bad pressure regulator or clogged fuel filter. It may be electrical and the fuel pump relay isn't staying energized. At least you know you have a fuel problem for sure.

Check your fuel pressure at the front of the passenger fuel rail at the test port. This is also where I think you should check fuel flow because it is down stream of the pressure regulator. Opening the return line means all the pressure the pump has to put up is enough to circulate from the fuel tank to the front and back-essientially an open loop.

[SolReaver]

Your Girlfriend didn't want to run alongside the car pouring gas?

Well first thing is a new Girlfriend.
With a 928 running that well, it will be easy

First check fuel pressure, +1 jstobo, next check signal with a noid, unless it is CIS, then you will need the fancy shmancy fuel gage stuff.

[trucker677]

I told her I would make her a chair to sit on and attach it to the fender with duct tape, she asked why duct tape, I told her it holds the universe together. she still wont go for it. I guess it is back to the testing today.
I think i am going to buy one of those fuel pressure test kits today at the local parts store. It doesn't say it works for porsche but it does says all imports and including vw. off hand does anyone know what the pressure is and where do I "break" into the line to put the guage. I am going to think at the front end of the drivers side or passengers side fuel rail.

[jstobo]

Test point is end of passenger side fuel rail. Careful it has a sealing ball inside. Don't lose it. You have an L jetronic not CIS. All you need is a pressure gauge (with a metric fittings of course) the injectors are electric. Specs are: 2.5 +- .2 Bar (I think Bar is 14.5 PSIA could be I atm which is 14.7 PSIA) with fuel pump bridged. Means relay out and jumpers in pin 30-87.

Are you sure your tank isn't varnished up. My gas was so old when I got the car the gas varnish stuck the float in the sending unit , plug the filtor and made the fuel pump inoperable. I had to pull tank and replace everything. Good way to check is to pull the sending unit and see if it is coated or not with that awful smelling gas varnish for lack of a better term.

[Maleficio]

Also, try a bottle of Amsoil Performance Improver. This stuff kicked my 928 square in the ass. I could barely keep up with traffic before. Now the car hauls ass and gets better gas mileage.

AMSOIL - P.i. Performance Improver (API)

[SolReaver]

OK, My bad, I thought that an 82 was CIS. Let us know what FI system you are working with. Yea, a good start is to check the filters and the pressure to the rail. you may need some funny fittings if it is CIS. The CIS system has a Fuel Distributor, the Ljet has a Mass air flow (MAF) under the air cleaner and the LH jet (which I really don't think it is) has a can like AFM under the air cleaner. To be absolutely sure the right FI system is on the engine...Check the engine code.

For future reference...Duct tape, although a great boon to mankind is usually not enough to suspend a moving girlfriend unless you place her spread eagle upon the hood. If so...I want pictures!

First step is fuel filters, next make sure the fuel pump is working and delivering good pressure and volume. We can go from there. How long has this thing been sitting? These cars HATE to sit around. So, there may be a bit of work to bring them running again. A good gas line de gunker might be in order and there may be a bunch of crud in the tank. I dunno, I am really far away and guessing.

Give us some pics so we can see what you are doing.

Later duuude...

[trucker677]

the system I am running with is the L jettronic system, Yesterday I mixed some fuel injector cleaner and gas and drizzled down the intake and the gas started and stayed going, after 30 seconds or so later the bar started coughing and sputtering and then a minute later settled right out. after that it ran on its on and didnt stall out. I shut it ff and started it again and fired right out and kept on running, My neighboe three doors down came over and told me he had to shut the windows, his house smelled of old exhaust fumes. I think I am going to run some sea foam in there and clean out the carbon and see if that helps. It is supposed to be pretty good stuff. And the other thing I did was top off the coolant overflow, only a litre though around the same time with the fuel injector cleaner.
I asked my girlfriend about pics and she still said no, she is scared a june bug will hit her in the cracker. Of all the things to worry about. not worried about the cops or the neighbors seeing her, a freaking june bug.

[SolReaver]

yea, when doing a wake up there may be other issues such as timing belt, old fuel lines...yada yada....keep a fire extinguisher ready and keep checking for old parts failing. You will want to do a timing belt if you don't know how old the old one is. As you don't have an interference engine it is not crucial, but it is still better to be safe than sorry and breaking one stinks.

[SolReaver]

oh and FYI the guts inside a cat are worth money as scrap. More than most people realize, so DON't throw away a cat or the contents, recycle responsibly. Do the environment and your wallet a favor. Yea, a lot of generic Cats are pretty good I have had good success with them but cannot speak with certainty on this model. Should you accidentally break into the cat material, please wear face mask and eye protection.

[trucker677]

there is a question that we were talking about today, cats. For my car I do not need emissions testing, it is too old for it. Can I run without a cat, can I just through in a piece os straight pipe in there and have a performer exhaust on there. I know there is a O2 sensor but I heard of people welding a but in there and screwing the O2 in the nut.

[SolReaver]

ERF! that is a LEGAL question...and I cannot advise you on it. Hypothetically...you could run without a cat, what federal and or state laws that might violate, yes, depends upon where you drive the car, the age of the car, what it came equipped with, what state, and even what county you live in. There exist Cat "test pipes" that allow one to run briefly without a cat for diagnostic purposes.

[trucker677]

I live in Kingston, Ontario. The good thing about living in the province of Ontario is the only time you have to get a vehicle safetied is when you are purchasing a vehicle. We don't have yearly inspections like some other provinces like Nova Scotia, New Brunswick. If a vehicle is 20 years of age or older it is considered a antique and 25 years is a classic, It does need emissions testing for that age as well. So basically you can run a straight pipe exhaust but we do have noise pollution bylaws here so you would get nailed for that, but I want to eliminate the cat and run a good muffler set up. hopefully that explains it a lot better.

[bwmac]

Hey Trucker, brother canadian. Here is what I did.
I saw this cross pipe
928 Motorsports - Exhaust Parts - Header-X Pipe For The Porsche® 928
928 Motorsports - Performance Parts - X-Pipe Crossover Pipe for the Porsche® 928
This muffler
Porsche 928 Muffler at Auto Parts Warehouse

So after seeing that I took mine off, went down to the local shop and they built me this for just over 1/2



I haven't tried it out yet as I'm still waiting for some crank seals so that I can complete my main bearing replacement.
After I'm back together and hear it, ILL decide on the type of muffler unless it rumbles enough.

[Maleficio]

What's the purpose of the connecting pipe between the two mains? Pressure equalization?

[bwmac]

Ya, one helps the other, and its a good spot for the o2 sensor