'87 Carrera no-start

[mikehinton]

I hopped in the '87 Carrera today for my short commute to work. The car started normally, idled for about 10 seconds, then died. Would not restart. There is plenty of fuel in the tank. Should I start with the fuel pump relay?

TIA

[darrin]

do you have a spare dme relay? I'd start there

[mikehinton]

I do have one of those, but I can't recall where it plugs in.

[kuba_kuba]

Under the driver's seat. If you slide seat all the way back and (if you have height adjustment) all the way up you should be able to identify it.

[darrin]

it's just behind the dme computer

[mikehinton]

Thanks, everyone. I hope I can get to it without removing the seat. That exercise is just too much fun for words!

[Jesse16]

Just unplug from the current and plug in the replacement, don't bother unbolting the questionable unit to start. Its attached by a single bolt to the floor, you'll see on the "new one. Can go back and forth as you troubleshoot.

[mikehinton]

Thank you again to all who responded. Replaced the DME relay (I did have to remove the seat), and all is well again. This community is the BEST!

[Crude Rudy]

Go buy a loto ticket

[Joe Bob]

Buy another spare. Consider the solid state one they sell on eBay....

[Trakrat]

Is this fuel pump relay prone to failure?

If so, I'll buy one off ebay as a spare 'just in case'

[jlex]

Those bosch fuel pumps are pretty robust and easy to find. I'd consider replacing it only if you start to hear funny noises coming out of it. They'll usually do some complaining before just dropping dead. Some people like to do a voltage drop test as an advance warning to check the condition of their pump.

[mikehinton]

I will definitely be buying a replacement DME relay to carry in the car. I also do carry a fuel pump relay, but have never had to replace it in the 9 years that I've owned the car.

[jlex]

If you're really anxious to change something out that may go bad, then check your speed & reference sensor wires. The insulation was crumbling off them in my '88 so I replaced them and the cylinder head temperature sensor this past summer.
You can see the condition of those wires by looking in the driver's side of the engine bay. If they fail, you'll get the same no start condition.

[mikehinton]

Thanks for the tip. I'll check those wires out, and replace if necessary.

[Quicksilver]

Originally Posted by jlex

If you're really anxious to change something out that may go bad, then check your speed & reference sensor wires. The insulation was crumbling off them in my '88 so I replaced them and the cylinder head temperature sensor this past summer.
You can see the condition of those wires by looking in the driver's side of the engine bay. If they fail, you'll get the same no start condition.

The insulation was crumbling off mine over a 75K miles ago. Still running perfect. I guess I will do something about them when I get the 3.5 done.

[jlex]

Yeah, that thick black insulation is the outermost layer. Underneath, there's another silver layer still protecting the wires. I wasn't so much worried about the insulation causing a short as the age of the sensors was probably going to give me a no start eventually. When they go, you're really stuck...