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Motor wont start

J

johnedwards

New member
Hi
Can anyone offer some idea's please. My 1997 Carrera S Tiptronique has been sitting in my garage for three months while I have been away. The motor has been started and warmed through by a friend each week and just driven in and out of the garage to stop the tyres flatting.
Two weeks ago she refused to start. I have had a battery conditioner on all the time. All the instrument panel lights come on when you turn the key, the headlights work, but fully turning the key does not operate the starter motor.
The first time it happened he went back to the car five minutes later and she fired up. But the following week nothing.
He has taken the battery out and put it on charge but still nothing. The battery is less than two years old.
Any idea's would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
John.
 
If the lights don't dim when you try to start it and there is no click from the starter motor it's likely to be a problem with the immobiliser. Do you get the beeps after the small 'key' has been inserted into the slot on the dash?

If you get no beeps it's worth calling Hamilton & Palmer (http://www.hamilton-palmer.co.uk/) - they provided the alarm systems for UK 993's and they're very helpful.

I once had a similar problem (no beeps) and it was because the small 'key' had got wet and the dampness had got into the slot on the dash - it had to be left for about and hour or so to dry out.

Hope the above helps.

Regards
Anton
 


Has the DME relay been replaced at all John? This is always the first likely culprit in a sometimes starts, sometimes doesn't scenario and the symptoms fit.

If the DME relay is fine and there's no sound of relays clicking as you turn the the key to three then I would agree with Anton that it's probably an immobiliser problem.

 
I had a similar thing a while back, it turned out to be a faulty earth strap between the battery and the chassis,the cable looked like new, but when I tested it with a multimeter, it showed high resistance.put on a new cable, only a few pounds, solved the problem. cheers
 
Thanks everybody for your response.
The car has now started on my return. At the moment I am thinking that perhaps because the motor has just been started for three months and not given a good run out, that perhaps the battery conditioner has not been up to the job.
I will give her a good run in the next few days, if she continues to start that is.
All cabling on the battery looks good, so if it does not start again I will change the DME relay. As it started when I tried, I do not know at this time if there was any clicking or not.
The alarm is a Porsche block system. Don't know if this was anything to do with Hamilton and Palmer. It operates from the main key. It's a very late car, so perhaps Porsche had taken on fitting the security system themselves by this time.
Thanks again, for all the suggestions. If it continues to play up I will post when I finally find the problem.
Regards.
John.
 
Hamilton Palmer fitted all UK 993s Alarm System - i think - under sub-contract - always worth a call if in doubt they mega helpful !!!
 
Well rather more than a few days, due to other matters, but I started her this morning backed out of the garage to clean and then go for a run.
Cleaned the car, changed my shoes and then she wouldn't start.
Off to OPC tomorrow for a new DME relay.
Seems the first thing to change before I call the tow truck, to go to the OPC. They being the nearest experts. I hope.
When I turn the key there is no sound at all, ie, no clicking relays etc. Just nought.
B.............. I was looking forward to the run.
Oh well, later this week hopefully.
Regards.
John.
 
Not sure those are the symptoms of a DME failure - I think the engine still turns over but just won't start. It still seems more like an immobiliser problem - do you get the beeps as I mentioned in my earlier post on this thread?

Regards
Anton
 
Sorry signed on in a friends house. Not really Raymond Lynn, he has a 912.
The alarm, as said is a Porsche Block unit. Sticker on window.
I have only one key, well two actually. This has a remote which unlocks the car. Goes straight into ignition to start.
If you do not start the car in around five minutes it will not start until you have pushed the button on the remote again. This with it in the ignition.
Perhaps by 1997 Porsche had taken over the alarm themselves.
When I turn the key to three, I hear nothing. No clicking of relays, no dimming of lights.
Funny thing it played up the first time when we were in the Uk on hols, when we returned it started a treat.
Finally got around to cleaning the car. Moved it out of the garage OK then after cleaning it wouldn't start.
Tried to buy a DME relay today, fortunately I hadn't given my friend enough money so he could not persuade the OPC to part with it. 70€ in the OPC 29€ from a specialist here.
Now a little doubtful that that is the problem.
Wait to hear if another poster has any comments.
Trouble is it's bl.... raining here and she is outside and the cover leaks!!
Regards.
John.
 

You're right of course Anton; it's been a while since I had to replace mine and had forgotton that the engine still turned over.

Sorry for the confusion John.

Sounds like your alarm is the basic Porsche block system without the Hamilton and Palmer upgrade to cat 1. I take it that it's not a UK spec car?

Have you got a second remote for it? My German spec car has the Porsche block system with a full second Cat 1 system fitted for insurance purposes working alongside it. The after-market alarm remote opens the doors and disables the new alarm but I still have to press the old remote with the key in the ignition to disable the original immobiliser.

I had issues for a time with one of the remotes for the original system not always operating the alarm. I tried changing the battery. cleaning up the inside, etc but to no avail. Sometimes it would work, sometimes it wouldn't. For some obscure reason I had most issues with it when it was in a garage for work. I now just use the second remote and haven't had a problem for a while but I really must see about getting a new second one.

If you haven't got a second remote look in the drivers manual as it gives a sequence for disabling the alarm using the ignition key and radio buttons. Kinda convoluted but maybe worth a try?

 
Regarding drive block equipped cars , The emergency overide proceedure is done using only the ignition key first in the outer lock of the drivers door and then turning the ignition on and off in cycle to input the four digit code ,which is on the key tag with the key number(all documented in the owners handbook), and is not the same as the key number(thats for the mechanical barrels)
When the drive block is active i.e you try to start the car without disarming it , i am sure the fault code appears in the dme control unit "anti drive off feature active" It would be a good way of checking this .I think it could be the key fob which is faulty if it does not unlock the doors either? If the doors unlock with the "blipper" then the signal to "unblock" the engine will be recognised as well because it's all one message,so one would assume that its not the remote at fault. If you only have one working remote fob for an l,h,d drive block car this is very risky without the emergency code (which is not that easy to input to the car even when you have it) .Not many people get the chance to work on the drive block system or even know how to program keys to them.so make sure you take it to someone who is familiar with it ( not necessarily the opc!)
Is that the only alarm/immobiliser system fitted to this car?

Another thought ,As your car is a tip could the starter inhibitor switch be faulty ,It is operated by the shift lever, try moving it to the neutral position instead of park .It should crank over in both positions. this switch blocks only the starter motor,as your car cant be push started ,we dont know if the non turning starter motor is the only fault? It might be.
regards C
 
Did you ever get any joy with this?

The Porsche Drive Block is usually fairly trouble free. How bright are the headlamps when the ignition is on? Do they dim when you try to start the car?
 
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