Car won't start - any ideas?

B'gad · Mar 12, 2016

993tt started perfectly this morning. Drove a brisk 60 miles to pick up daughter from school for the weekend, got back in the car..... Dead as a Dodo.
All dash lights light up after pressing immobiliser and turning key, but just a click then nothing. All lights lit, including 'check engine'.
Abandoned car at school but will go back Sunday night to see if I can put into effect any helpful hints!
many thanks.

IndischRot · Mar 12, 2016

DME relay?

You say there's a click - does it sound like it's from the starter or from a relay somewhere? And you need to check the obvious - battery voltage.

B'gad · Mar 12, 2016

Thanks, I'm not sure what a DME relay is but I will do some homework. Could it be the battery? It had been on charge for weeks and started fine in the morning?

wilsonny · Mar 12, 2016

Can't be sure but sounds like what mine does when the battery is dead. When it first gets below voltage i get rapid clicking when i try to start, then after one or more tries it gets so low that i get the symptoms you describe. I had a battery last year that appeared to charge but wouldn't hold that charge. Learnt my lesson and bought a new porsche battery, trickle charger and also carry a lithium emergency starter now for good measure (brilliant thing, no bigger than a bag of sugar and starts the car with ease multiple times)

Cheers

Andrew

Hacki · Mar 13, 2016

wilsonny said:
Can't be sure but sounds like what mine does when the battery is dead. When it first gets below voltage i get rapid clicking when i try to start, then after one or more tries it gets so low that i get the symptoms you describe. I had a battery last year that appeared to charge but wouldn't hold that charge. Learnt my lesson and bought a new porsche battery, trickle charger and also carry a lithium emergency starter now for good measure (brilliant thing, no bigger than a bag of sugar and starts the car with ease multiple times)

Cheers

Andrew

+1
...if you can jump start it, it´s the battery. Also, when you get the car running, check, if the alternator is charging properly. Voltage on the battery should be between 13.6 min and 14.4 max, when the engine is running. And, is the alternator belt ok?

gpm993 · Mar 13, 2016

Try repressing the immobiliser, it may not have worked when you were trying to start 993 at the school - hopefully it may be that simple!!

B'gad · Mar 13, 2016

Thanks everyone, as usual very helpful and very quick replies. I expect it is the battery, though goodness only knows how it went flat from being fully charged in 60 miles. A new battery and a fancy jump starter on order. Taking daughter back to school in a much more reliable 1999 Landrover Defender which has done 200,000 miles and started first time every time!

B'gad · Mar 16, 2016

It seems that the culprit was a failed alternator. Hopefully a new one and a new battery and maybe a new immobiliser and perhaps a new DME relay and possibly a new............ See next instalment!