Starting problem

[Guest]

Fired up the 3.2 last Saturday morning - first time as usual even after three week layoff- backed it onto drive , switched off and left it for a short while. On trying to start up - nothing! Only a load click - all lights look OK and all electrics are working, Trickle charged the battery overnight to eliminate that - now fully charged - the engine is still dead. Help!

 

[steh]

sounds like a stuck starter motor, have you got an immobiliser fitted.
try putting it in gear and rocking it, then try to start again, if its the starter this somtimes frees it up.
good luck
steve

ps, can i ask, did you use to have a 944 about 13/14 yrs ago?

 

[Guest]

Hi Steve - thanks for advice - will give it a go. The 944 owner is not me honest - the 3.2 is the only Porsche I've owned ( 7 yrs to date) and I intend to keep it for many more years ( unless I can persuade the boss that a 993 makes so much sense!)

 

[rooksy]

If you're still having problems, do not discount it being the battery even if the trickle charger states the battery is fully charged. I would have the battery checked out by an auto electrician or local battery supplier, they should do it for free.

I have had a problem with starting. Charged the battery and the car would start, 1/2 hour later nothing, apart from lights etc. Turned out to be one faultly cell. The pevious owner in their infinate wisdom overfilled the battery with tap water!!

Hope you get going

Sean

 

[adamtsobek]

I had the same problem last year. Bought a trickle charger as only used the car every 2 weeks or so. Car would not start had to use booster battery to start it. Eventually, someone told me that the battery gets damaged when it is run down over a few weeks of idleness over and over . I changed the battery and continued to use the trickle charger and no more problems

Battery seems to be most likely problem in my view.

Adam

 

[Geoff_Fields]

Inactivity kills more batteries than any other cause. Often the first cell next to the positive terminal gives up accepting a charge first (don't know why). Get a battery conditioner/charger and connect it whenever the car is going to be idle for more than a week. These devices, especially the Porsche one's come with a cigar lighter plug, which is useless for 3.2 Carrera's. The socket is dead when the ignition is off. So you will have to arrange connection directly to the battery instead.
To test, turn on headlights and try starter. If they dim down significantly get a new battery, if not the starter is more likely to be the culprit. If you can hear the solenoid clicking (quite loud) try tapping the starter with the shaft of a hammer a few times and try again. If starter then spins on next attempt it also has suffered the ills of inactivity. Get it replaced, you will not regret the outlay (about £120) plus fitting or a few scraped knuckles. They can be a little tiresome to remove.
Good luck!

 

[Guest]

A successful conclusion to this saga. I put the car in second ,rocked it backwards and forwards and hey presto it started first time! I think it means a new starter motor though - I am told on the G50 model you have to drop the engine /gearbox slightly to get at the retaining bolts holding the starter motor .
I agree with the comments about keeping the battery on a charger if the car stands idle for periods.I leave the battery connected with the immobiliser active when charging, I don't know whether this is good practice or not.

 

[Geoff_Fields]

No problem leaving alarm/imob active when trickle charging.
To remove starter you will have to release the gearbox mounting to drop it down a little. This will enable better access to the starter top fixing. It can be done without dropping the gearbox, but very fiddlely!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bones]

Sounds like classic fuel evaporation - why do you think it isn't? If you've never never replaced the accumulator it might be time to, might as well change the fuel filter whilst you're at it. If you can't do the job yourself get your hot fuel pressures checked and then they can diagnose accumulator/filter or even a fuel pump problem. Can't think of anthything else simple it could be off the top of my head.

 

[calisa]

why not fuel evap?
Any time i've had that it was possible to eventually crank the engine into life. Can't do that this time. The engine temps are also not very high after a short run and the weather has been cool when I had the probelm.
Also, no sign of a spark.
One suggeston is the sensors that pickup the signal from the flywheel. When warm, their resistance increases and the signal pulse is weaker. It is enough to sustain running but not enough to when the engine is being cranked over to give a signal to allow starting.
So no signal from the sensors, the DME then doesn't allow a spark, no spark and the fuel system doesn't activate.
all sounds very logical, but could be complete tosh!

 

[bernard tester]

Could well be the crank sensor. I think the part no is 911 606 215 01 or the Bosch no is 261 210 003 Regards Berny.

 

[Guest]

I had an identical problem. I had everything checked including fuel pressure. Turned out to be the crank sensor. The casing corodes squeezing the sensor and damaging it. The problem only shows itself when the engines hot and been allowed to cool slightly - not sure why but mine wasn't the first case I heard of with these symtoms and this solution. Its not an expensive part but it does have to be set the correct distance from the fly wheel to ensure correct running.

Rgds
Antony

 

[nathan 1981 930 G50]

I don't think the 3.2 has an accumulator?
Does it have a check valve at the front pump?

 

[peanut]

it could be the fuel rail pressure regulator .it might be malfunctioning when hot but thenit could be lots of other things like your fuel pump non return valve

 

[electricracer]

exactly the same symptoms as mine, turned out to be crank sensor

 

[peanut]

ORIGINAL: electricracer

exactly the same symptoms as mine, turned out to be crank sensor

I suspected my crank sensor too for a while but mine turned out to be crud in the fuel system .
I would expect the sensors to either work or not work. They are only magnets after all so would not be effected by heat although the electrical leads are . I have heard the when the leads get brittle from heat they go high resistance. Sometimes wiggling the sensor leads gets the car going again.

 

[Big_nige]

Sounds like CHT sensor to me, though a faulty ECU can throw back all sorts of oddities, if you can borrow a ECU I'd try that before much else.

 

[Geoff_Fields]

If the engine will run after bump starting I can't see how the sensors can be faulty. You have not indicated what response if any you get from the starter motor. Does it crank or click when starting is attempted? If not check for volts at the motor when trying to start engine. Check earth and connections are sound.

 

[chas3.2]

Hi Sean

So dose the starter motor turn the engine over ????

Charles

 

[rooksy]

Hi, thanks for the replies. The car turns over and tries to fire (engine shudders then dies) then back to turning over. After a while I managed to get the car running very lumpy at first, but then ticks over okay. I'll check the connections as advised. Could if be a fuel issue - when I first bought the car I had a similar starting issue and changed the fuel filter and added fuel cleaner to the tank?

Thanks

Sean