Stranded - assistance please!

[twin plugged targa]

Hi guys, am stranded in the UK whilst picking up my new car-
87 930
symptoms: car either turns over and starts perfectly or
does not turn over at all
When it does not start, it drains the battery down to 8volts when trying to turn key

Have removed and load tested battery - battery fine
Have removed and abraded/Cleaned + and - terminals and attachments including some + connections to the battery which were a bit corroded
Have removed battery ground strap and cleaned bodywork connections and terminals
Car has just had a new starter motor installed by garage.
Alternator charges battery to 13.2 volts indicated on tester and battery holds charge

I am going to try and start the car tomorrow after trickle charging battery and hope to get there without stalling/ needing to restart- fingers crossed!

Any tips of what to check apart from new starter motor/ starter motor attachments?

Many thanks
Ben

[Gwyn911]

DME relay

[zippy_gg]

I would suspect the latest work done on the car: new starter motor!
While I doubt the starter motor itself is the issue I think the solenoid or the wiring may be the cause of not turning over.
Hopefully the garage did not install anything Lucas! But I would definitely contact them and ask what was replaced exactly. Also is the "garage" a Porsche shop, or at least well versed in P-cars?
I am afraid you will have to crawl under the car to gain access to the starter... Try using a screwdriver to by-pass the solenoid and see if the engine turns over.

[twin plugged targa]

Dont think there is a DME on the 930? is there?
As it is CIS injection not motronic.

How easy is it to access the solenoid/starter motor?
I was told it is on top of the gearbox?

I do not have a jack and so access underneath is not really possible- factory jack missing

The garage is an experienced Porsche specialist having worked on Porsches since the early 70's

[pete3799]

Was this problem happening prior to the starter replacement?

[Joe Bob]

Whack the solenoid with a Spanner, Mate....

[twin plugged targa]

It is possible that this was happening prior to starter motor replacement - only drove it for 1hr prior to garage visit of 3 months!!
As it had major fuel/emissions issues, the car was stalling and very unreliable prior to garage work.
Engine is now running much better (not 100%) but garage mechanic says they did not experience any issues after starter motor replacement.

- how accessable is starter motor/solenoid? any pics
Can I access it without a jack? poss by driving half on a sidewalk?

[john walker's workshop]

"not turning over" needs to be clarified. either the starter does not crank the engine over at all, or, the starter does crank the engine and it will not fire up and run.

[jpnovak]

Ignition switch. There is a pot metal tab that can get bent with age. When this happens the car will Key on and not turn all the way to start.

[jasons]

If the battery drains- there must be a short or equivalent. Does the starter motor get hot, can you smell burning/melting aromas?

[pete3799]

Check the ground strap on the front of the trans. to the body. A bad ground here can cause this problem.

[big911fan]

Ask the garage if the starter motor/solenoid they installed was rebuilt or new. If it's rebuilt I wonder if it could possibly have a flat spot on it. Rebuilts can be unpredictable sometimes.

[twin plugged targa]

Help!!
Stranded AGAIN!!!!
Now in champagne region of France
Took car to garage this morning and we could not replicate problem
Drove car about 1hr to and from garage no problem
Car was stopped and started about 30-40 times testing and retesting and using the car
Drove to the cross channel tunnel 3 hrs drive
Stoppedand started several times again no problem
Drove from Calais in thedark about 3 hrs and stopped for gas and car would not start
To confirm what I mean starter motor would not engage or turn the engine
Checked voltage on battery again and it is 12.3 volts
If I try to start with lights on (I would not normally do this) the lights disappear and of course no other starting symptoms - no sounds and no action
I did notice the headlamps on low beam were not constant beam - slight flicker
Plus the rev tach gauge is dimly lit and disappears completely when I go to high beam- related?
The battery was load tested again at the garage (after being left on trickle charge overnight) and he said it was fine however the green indicator was not lit on the top of the battery

I managed to bump start the car in reverse on my own (there was a good gradient) and engine fired up no problem and made it safe to a hotel for night 11pm here
Tomorrow I will buy a new battery and some jumper cables I can either parallel using old battery or get help from Somone to start or just. Bump start it again
I am parked on a slope over night!!!
Sorry this is a bit long but want to tryand give you all details as sometimes it it is something insignificant that causes the huge problems!
Hope you can help
Have another 600 miles to go tomorrow to get home!
Thanks to any help possible!
Ben
Ps I will check again in 20 mins for replies then again tomorrow morning
Thank god for IPhones and PP BBS

[JerP]

Sounds like it could be a bad battery.

[Joe Bob]

I'm NOT kidding, whack the solenoid....

[dipso]

alternator belt?

[kfosburg]

Sounds like solenoid is sticky and the little bit of extra juice after the full night trickle charge was enough to get past the static friction point (which is what whacking it as suggested by Joe Bob helps with). New battery is not a bad idea, but I would just park on a hill and have jumper cables handy until you get it home.

It will just be one more automotive adventure to reminisce over soon...

Good luck!

Karl

[Aurel]

Make sure your battery connections are clean. You could have a big ohmic drop that causes your symptoms. The battery voltage will look OK when it is not under load, but will drop too low when you try to crank. That would explain why you lights go dim too.

I had the same problem, and in my case the ohmic drop was at the ignition switch. Note that if this is the case, you could bypass it with a remote starter, as a way to evidence the source of the problem. Since the weather is cold, chances are you just have a weak battery.

[twin plugged targa]

Last night before trickle charge I did sand the battery posts and the cable terminal ends and the body where the ground strap attaches
Hi Bob I know what you are saying but the car is lowered and so getting underneath is tricky!
I am missing the factory jack
I will keep my trolley jack in car when I get home until solved
I will get new battery and if possible new battery terminals etc plus a set of jumper cables
I am still not convinced the battery is good even though it was load tested by 2 different people - auto centre and garage mechanic
Wish me luck!
Gonna need it!

[Joe Bob]

If you can get the parts, take a look at this.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-914-914-6-technical-forum/182022-hot-start-relay-kit.html

Hot start has been a problem for years.....whacking will gwt you going, this will cure the problem short of replacing the starter.

I've used a Ford relay in some cases. Oh yeah...get a jack, too.