A tiny little fire.....1974 914 1.8

[Chewable]

Was working on getting my 74 started yesterday. It is so close. We put a little starter fluid down the throttle body and there was a backfire. There was a tiny fire in the engine compartment. I got it put out with water pretty quick, but it did char a little of the Throttle Position Sensor wiring.

Also I think that the problem I am having right now is not enough pressure in the fuel lines. I do not have a pressure tester.

I should be able to get this to start if the throttle position sensor is not functioning, correct?

I just need the car to run. It does not have to run well, but I need it to be able to move under its own power. I can rebuild the harness once I get it running.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

The TPS is not needed for the car to run. If the wires leading to the TPS all short together, you could get some odd things happening, like extra pulses because the ECU 'thinks' the throttle is opening. I don't think it will completely keep the engine from running, but it might (possibly?) be enough to flood it.

--DD

[TheCabinetmaker]

It might run but it wont run well with the throttle switch messed up. I am more familiar with the D jet than L jet.

If the fuel pressure is too low, you may not be able to run at all or run poorly. if the pressure is too low, starter fluid wont help you drive it, maybe it will get it to run for a moment, but it wont run right with low fuel pressure. If you have to move it with all these problems, I'd get it towed to where it can be worked and repaired.

if the pressure was so low that the car did not run before the fire, the problems with driving will only be worse with the fire damage.

buy or borrow a pressure gage and check the pressure is the best advice now. find out if it is indeed low and then find out why, clogged fuel lines or filter, bad pump, broken or out of adjustment regulator are the things that could cause pressure to be too low.

good luck

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Rats, I missed that this was an L-jet in my first read-through.

The TPS in the L-jet cars is only used to tell the FI that the throttle is closed. I don't know for a fact that the engine should run with the wires shorted together, but I believe that it will.

Is it possible that you knocked a hose loose? Any unmetered air that gets into the L-jet intake results in a lean mixture, and it can easily be lean enough to keep the car from running.

--DD