1999 Porsche 996 does not start

[dmetzler]

Went to start the car. Turn the key, the instrument panel lights and gauges come on, but the car will not start. No click, no sign of starter activity. Tried to roll start down the driveway, but that did not work either.

43K miles, drove fine and parked in the garage last week.

Battery was checked - full 12+ volt charge. Checked 25, 15 and 10 amp fuses in the panel but did not find any blown fuses.

Questions:

What should I check next?
Is there a starter solenoid to check?
Is there another fuse box in the engine compartment?

Thanks in advance.

Don Metzler
Louisville, CO

[dmetzler]

To follow up - I put the key in and turn it to on. The voltage reads just shy of 12v. When I turn the key to start, the voltage does not drop.

[JHoffman]

check grounds

[LanceGT4]

Manual tranny?
is the clutch interlock switch good?
this got me, sister drove the car and the carpet slid up behind the pedal! she couldn't push the clutch all the way down:-)

[dmetzler]

Yes - manual transmission. I thought of that, but I hear the click when I press the clutch in, so I presume that is okay.

How do I check the grounds? I am in need of a repair manual.

[racer]

Bad ignition switch? they are known to fail. Can't recall the symptoms. I imagine search could be your friend.

[bxtech]

You can try to "bridge" the ground to see if that's the problem. Use a jumper cable (or maybe two of them if not long enough).............and connect the negative of the battery terminal to somewhere on the transmission case close to the starter. If the car starts, then there is most likely a grounding problem.

We tried this setup previously on a car (not a Porsche) and were able to find a bad ground strap going from the body to the engine.

Good luck!

[bxtech]

Also, to check your ignition switch........try starting the car using an external remote starter. Be careful since the remote starter will bypass the clutch safety switch. Make sure the car is out of gear and everything is safe before starting! Remember............Safety First!!

[Britwrench]

By pass the clutch switch, it's the most common problem, ignition switch failure gives different symptoms.

Just try moving the clutch pedal about as you turn the key.

Batteries last about 4 years, how old is yours?

[eric523]

My first guess would be clutch switch. then check the connections on your immobilizer under your seat, maybe unplug and plug back in. Have seen this exact problem a couple times.
Think you've ruled out battery... ignition switch has different symptoms.

[bxtech]

Did you ever figure out your starting problem? Inquiring minds would like to know!

[atwal87]

Hey guys, ive been reading some of your suggestions and im having the same problem. I purchased a porsche 911 996 year 2000 I dont have the remote control only was given the key. Im having problems starting the vehicle, I have power to the starter and I hear the click of the carborator opening and clicking but wont fire up to start the engine. At first i thought I had no spark going to the coils, but I do have spark. Ive checked the grounds they seem to be okay, as well as the clutch.

Ive tried turning with the key no luck, I manually tried to start the solenoid it tries to turn over but wont ignite. Do you think I need to demobilize the alarm perhaps to get it to start, or is there a reset on the DME i might have to take off the switch and plug it back in.

Something is telling it not to fire...any possible suggestions guys...im REALLY STUCK.

Thanx
Gavin

[atwal87]

to follow up- My air bags where deployed do you think this could be a problem?

[CliffBrown]

Originally Posted by dmetzler

The voltage reads just shy of 12v. When I turn the key to start, the voltage does not drop.

It may have nothing to do with your problem but 12v is a nearly dead battery.

A fully charged battery is closer to 12.8v and anything less can give you plenty of starting problems.

Charge the battery for a couple of days just to be sure, it cost you nothing and it's the easiest thing to do.

[UtahPorsche]

I have just had my '99 996 returned to me after 4 months at the local dealership. It turns out the every time I went to start the car I was blowing fuses, and it was related to a bad DME.

The reason this took 4 months, was that Porsche AG has had all dealerships get new computers that were "reverse compatible", this is a lie. After having all pieces related to the DME replaced, AG finally sent an old computer to Utah to program the 996. I would talk to your dealership before going down the rabbit hole. This is a case that a third party re programmer or older shop would have been a much better option.

It is BS that the DME would go out a car this "new"

Even with dealership concessions for the delay I was out of pocket $3600.

[FPB111]

Originally Posted by atwal87

to follow up- My air bags where deployed do you think this could be a problem?

Yes. when the airbags are deployed the car will not start until
someone with the factory computer resets the electronics.