Porsche 996 starter problems

[wesley_817]

1999 Porsche 996 6sp

Car drove fine the night before and I have not had any starter issues in the 6 years that i have owned it. Here is a little more info.


-The battery is about 4 months old and is fully charged

-When turning the ignition key I hear a loud click coming from the engine compartment. Sounds like the solenoid is engaging but not the starter isn't turning

-This click is not the low click you hear from a dead battery.


any suggestions on how to figure this out without removing the starter?

[jwgn777]

Hello Based on what you said, It sure points to you starter solenoid on top of your starter or just a worn starter motor Or the start lock relay but I doubt that. Or your engine is frozen! No I think we will go with the starter. LOL You said 6 years on the starter. I don't think you can get behind the starter through an access panel to check it i believe you have to remove some of the plenum tubes and throttle body to get to the starter. If someone know different I would like to know.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by wesley_817

1999 Porsche 996 6sp

Car drove fine the night before and I have not had any starter issues in the 6 years that i have owned it. Here is a little more info.


-The battery is about 4 months old and is fully charged

-When turning the ignition key I hear a loud click coming from the engine compartment. Sounds like the solenoid is engaging but not the starter isn't turning

-This click is not the low click you hear from a dead battery.


any suggestions on how to figure this out without removing the starter?

Two things to consider:

First, the Bendix drives on these starters are well known for going bad due to a lack of lubrication. The fix for this is both simple and cheap: Clean the drive and lubricate it (we prefer DuPont dry Teflon spray). But this requires pulling the starter.

Secondly, and probably closer to the truth, it that there is a TSB out on these cars for bad OEM cables between the battery and the starter (loose and/or corroded cable ends lead to high resistance that causes exactly what you are describing). This requires replacing the cables with the updated versions that correct this issue. This can be a DIY project, but does require pulling some stuff to get at the cables.

[wesley_817]

Sorry guys I thought that I replied to everyone but I didn't. I just wanted to let everyone know that I did remove my started and had it tested and there was not any problems with it. I reinstalled the started and have not had any issues with it. I just wanted to thank everyone for the quick replies. I am not having problems with misfire on #6 when downshifting and hitting about 5K RPMs.

[Hurdigurdiman]

That's good news. Maybe a loose connection on the starter which could have been rectified when reconnecting.