Help needed....car won't start

[daveimme]

Laying down resting and watching NFL.....wife has to take daughter to a party and goes to take my car....dang thing won't start.

Turns over and all...but does not start. I figure the DME relay is the culrpit, as most of you had said earlier, so I get me a flashlight and get under the dash....locate the dme relay (in a tight place, man!) I put my hand on it to disconnect it, but it feels like the backing of the relay box is not holding the relay in place If I pull on it, the whole connection part (that the relay plugs into) wants to come with it. I'm thinking that the backing of the relay box is definitely not holding the female connections for the relay.

It is in a tight spot...what do I do? Can I undo that one little screw at the bottom of the box and pull the front part out and down? Are there cables behind it that are not going to be happy if I do that?

I'm not really mechanically inclined (as you probably already guess by now), and don't want to bust it....but I don't know what to do here.....and yeah, I'm desperate.

[AFJuvat]

Disconnect the battery first thing.

THen, undo the screws (there should be more than one if memory serves) and CAREFULLY lower the board - you should have enough room to move it down an inch or so - just enough to see whats going on behind it

AFJuvat

[mjadair]

Could this be a DME relay problem? Unless you don't have spark and or injector pulse, why would you suspect DME?

[daveimme]

Actually, I do NOT know exactly what it is. But here is its' short history:

When I first got the car, it ran without hesitation for about 70 miles (over a few days), then one day in the neighborhood, it died on me as I was rolling along at about 35-40. Pushed it home and then tried it and it cranked right up

Drove it for the next few days. One day, while stopped at a light, it died as I was idling (short wait for light, @ 2 minutes). No one was behind me, so I pushed it off the road....tried it again and it cranked right up

All last week was uneventful...except for a busted gas line near the back, which was replaced (Friday). Drove it that afternoon and Saturday...no problems. Sunday afternoon, wife getting ready to take daughter to b-day party and no start. Cranks fine...just won't start. I go back to it an hour later, zilch. Several hours later....nada. This morning.....Nothing. It cranks fine and all, but just does not run.

So, getting a tow truck to bring it to my mechanics' and let him look at it.

I don't like how that DME relay in there is not firmly in place in the box, which makes me think it has been an issue in the past. If anybody has a light bulb going off, I'd like to hear it. I'll keep posting as to what is happening.

[daveimme]

Well, as a follow up to my situation; th car is back in my driveway.

My mechanic listened to it trying to crank. Took some starting fluid and sprayed it into the box, and it fires up. He thinks it is the cold start plug (??). Sunday, down here, was pretty cool (70) and rainy, and since the car had been sitting up for a while, he thinks this is the problem. We will clean the injectors soon, but right now he poured some berryman b-12 into the tank. The car has a new fuel pump, fuel fliter and fuel screen.


When it is running, it runs well. I've had the car for a few weeks and I guess I'm just timid here, but I've not gone past 5k rpm. I don't find the car very fast in the ow rpm's, but really like the rush when it is up there. I'm just taking it easy til I get the first oil change (this weekend) from the long sitting up period. I also need to get an alignment and wheels balanced....then I'm betting it will be tons nicer.

I'm still waiting to get a hold of a dig camera (since I lost mine) and snap a pic of the beauty...

[mjadair]

I am certainly glad it was not the DME. It's very expensive to replace. There are places that will rework them, but still costs a hefty sum.

[todwic]

Cold start injector looks just like the rest of your injectors except it's at the back of your motor and by your throttle body. It just sprays fuel untill your motor gets to a certain temp.

[tholyoak]

Get a new mechanic, the 944 doesn't have a cold start injector

Test your air flow meter voltages with the door open and closed at pin 7 with the connector connected
Should have a couple hundred mV closed and smoothly increase to greater than 8 V when open.

Many of these cars have worn AF meters with the mileage and age they have on them now and the carbon strip that makes up the variable resistor strip on the AFM is inevitably worn causing many different starting and running problems.

Just my guess.

Todd

[todwic]

actually, the '83-'85.5 have a cold start injector with a thermo-time switch, after that they went with the Temperature sensor II that widened the pulse width of the regular injectors.

[tholyoak]

Sorry to disagree but none of the 944 series of cars had a cold start injector

Todd

[daveimme]

Well, to keep you guys posted. My mechanic said he "thinks' it was the cold start 'something', but did say he has not worked on that many porsches (many bmw's, VW and MB's, though) and will consult his buddy that works for Porsche here.

The car ran fine.....then at home the other night, after I washed the exterior, I was moving it in the driveway and it died. Would not start after that....If I sprayed starting fluid, it would run momentarily....so I think it has something to do with the fuel delivery. But, what to test for that, I dunno, and he will find out. And, like I've read here somewhere....don't get rid of your dependable daily driver; cuz you need it when the 944 is being worked on.

Anyway, he is gonna get the car, consult with his buddy and check the fuel pump, filter, etc... As I mentioned before, the car sat up for a good 2-3 years and he's thinking the injectors need to be cleaned and all....but will test the AFM and will check with his buddy to see what to do. I will also tell him to test the afm voltages as well.

[todwic]

It's ok to disagree, you just shouldn't do it when your wrong.

I just read what the Bosch book I have said, paraphrased it, and then got it totally wrong. That thing that I thought was a cold start injector, upon closer inspection, is the Auxillary air valve data port, and that takes the place of the cold start injector, which is why, I'm guessing the 944 doesn't have as many hot start problems as the 924 did?

AND SO, THOLYOAK, I todwic, STAND ERECTED! YOU ARE RIGHT AND I WAS WR....NOT RIGHT.

Dave look in the pelican parts catalogue and see a pic of the relay in question, and yes, get a diff. mechanic. your 944 doesn't have a cold start anything.

[Paul Stewart]

Make sure the fuel filter is not installed backward. If its is, throw it away and install a new one.