Stranded @ a Best Western

[naples911]

I'm in the middle of the state of florida and my car won't stay running. She's an '84 and the temp here has been around 90 degrees today. We were going strong for about an hour and a half, til we got to the first traffic light and suddenly i watched and listened to the rpm's go from normal to zero. I got her to restart immediately, but she died again.

I pushed her into the parking lot of an Advance Auto, and the guy there put the scope on her and said the battery was fine. She'll fire and stay alive for 30 seconds to a minute, then die out again. The guys at the advanced auto thought vacuum leak, my buddy on the phone thinks fuel pump, but i'm at the best western wondering what to do tomorrow. I'm an hour and a half from home.

Thanks for whatever help you can provide.

[szyzygy]

AAA?

Can anyone rent a car trailer and pull it back home with a pickup truck or something?

Do you know any reputable wrenches where you are?

best wishes

[john walker's workshop]

fuel pump maybe. the dme relay under the seat runs it, and they go bad a lot. there's usually a date on it and if it's an original '84, i'd be suspicious.

[not_hans_stuck]

What city? Maybe someone nearby can lend a hand.

[1986911]

What city in FL are you in?

Does the 30 second run interval happen after its warmed up or any time you start?

Have you checked the usual areas, fuses, relays, dme and one that I have learned about the hard way. Almost invisible corrosion on fuse blocks. I will drive you nuts.

Maybe cylinder head temp sensor?

[naples911]

It's horse country out here, no porsche wrenches out here. Closest would be palm beach over an hour away.

Dme should be fine as it was resoldered a few months ago before determining the reference sensor was cooked. but good thought, thx.

dme relay new as of a few months ago. good thought, but she starts then croaks slowly. thx.

I'm in Clewiston, south of okechobee.

[naples911]

I'll give the fuse surfaces a check in the morning. good thought, it got dark here and thought i'd try a laundry list in the am. it will run for 5 minutes of heavy revving and then die out after another minute or so. or sometimes konk out during the revving. strange, considering it has been going like a top for years.

btw, what is the cylinder head temp sensor? it does seem to idle well after it's cooled off a a bit and been sitting. then it dies out. Is that a symptom of the sensor going bad?

Appreciate the help!

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

If it were me I would swap some of the relays to see if anything helps.

I might be off on this, probably am, what type of spark control do you have? Bosch, permajunk, other?

This sounds just like when my permajunk went south.

[1986911]

Clewiston, you are not kidding your in the middle of the state. I have passed that Advance auto parts many times. Too bad you are not closer. Can you post some more specifics on what the car is doing. Maybe some guys can chime in.

Still curious, does it behave the same cold start vs warm start? I mention the CHT again as my 86 had the same problem. It would run for a few seconds then turn off. After letting it cool it would run fine for 10 minutes then same issues again once the engine warmed.

[naples911]

Bosch spark and unfortunately i didn't bring relays with me to switch in. The fuel pump relay was switched out a short while ago, and the car does start. Thx.

When she first croaked, she was running for over an hour at 70 mph. then at the first red light, while idling, died. Then at restart, she died again, and again. Then if i let her sit and cool off for 10 to 15 minutes and start her up, she would run for awhile, 10 min or so , then die. So, the longer i'd wait for her to cool, the longer she would run when started. Sound familiar? I know it's not an exact science but I appreciate the assistance.

My thought now is that if i let her sit overnight, maybe i'll get an hour out of her to get me home.

[1986911]

Originally Posted by naples911

I'll give the fuse surfaces a check in the morning. good thought, it got dark here and thought i'd try a laundry list in the am. it will run for 5 minutes of heavy revving and then die out after another minute or so. or sometimes konk out during the revving. strange, considering it has been going like a top for years.

btw, what is the cylinder head temp sensor? it does seem to idle well after it's cooled off a a bit and been sitting. then it dies out. Is that a symptom of the sensor going bad?

Appreciate the help!

Read link below,

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/6578-head-temperature-sensor-replacement.html

Limp home method described above should work fine. You don't want to do that repair in a parking lot. I used a resistor from Radio shack to test mine, some folks have actually jumped the sensor permanently by using a resistor. Do a search for the exact resistor value. Closest radio shack is in Belle Glade. Maybe advance will have some if not, try the napa on the on the south end of Clewiston.

Hopefully its something easy, keep us posted!

[chococrazy]

I would check if your cylinder head temp sensor is unplugged or chipped or something. The temp sensor is on the engine open the engine hood and near the left center you should see 3 wires. The-TOP of the 3 (Mine had a white head) is the temp sensor. Make sure it's plugged in
EDIT: IT'S THE TOP wire not the bottom on.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_cyl_head_temp_sensor/911_cyl_head_temp_sensor.htm

[1986911]

best thread I could find on cht issues. I really hope its that (or something easier to get you home). Read post #20

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/213741-engine-cuts-out.html

[naples911]

Thanks. A limp home tomorrow would be welcomed. And this sounds like it could be the culprit. If it were the fuel pump, would the engine keep starting over and over and stay alive for minutes at a time and then die?? I don't think so. And the same holds true for a vacuum leak. Why would the engine run for 10 min and then cut out? But, a temp sensor sounds more logical. Which means we're probably wrong. lol

[Lorenfb]

"what is the cylinder head temp sensor?"

If it's possibly the temp sensor, then just remove the white connector and jump with
a paper clip. Besides a DME relay in the glove box, a paper clip should be there too.

[wildcat077]

Just a shot in the dark here but if you can get some quick freeze and spray the coil while it's running to see if it'll keep it from stalling it might pinpoint your problem.

Coils can become intermittent when they get hot and near death,it's worth a try ...
I've troubleshooted a few coil issues using that method !

Cheers !
Phil

[naples911]

Thx for the locale on the temp sensor. I did replace the speed sensor a few months back and i remember that cluster of 3 wires then. I'll give it a little attention tomorrow a.m. and a proper cleaning and see if i can get a few more miles out of it. I will certainly keep you posted. Hopefully we'll see the inside of the garage by tomorrow night. Damn i hope this goes well. I would have tried to get back tonight but my fear of konking out in the everglades in the dark, would have been too much to bear, even for the non-carbio owner haha

[1986911]

Smart idea on waiting until tomorrow. Definite no mans land and don't get me started on the mosquitoes! Good luck

[naples911]

Phil, that was my first instinct, the coil. It was definitely hot to the touch. I'll pack a little bucket of ice from the motel when i leave early tomorrow. I don't think the auto place will be open at 6 am. Sounds logical..i've got some back-up contingencies now, thanks.

[diverdan]

Spot on suggestions. Od school still works. Spark or fuel.if fuel, don,t discount water especially if therens been heavy rain. Good luck. Dan