CVR_Rally

Belts are going to be the same procedure. The sensor won't effect anything. Mine was already removed when I bought it. Luckily my J-tube was already metal.

Careful you don't over-torque the tensioner bolts or cam cover bolts. The aluminum is pretty soft. It did happen to me but I ran up to the local hardware store and got longer bolts for the tensioner, re-tapped them and all was well. IMO they should have used the longer bolts to begin with.

dannyzabolotny

I'm not too worried about over-torquing, I'm quite handy with a torque wrench and I have a torque wrench that measures in inch pounds so I can be super precise with it. Most of the BMW engine components and bolts are aluminum as well, so I'm more than familiar with how soft those suckers are.

dannyzabolotny

Just got word from the seller that the title should be ready to go, so I'm driving down to Tucson tonight after work with my girlfriend to pick up the 944S. I have fuses, a new DME relay, and a new fuel pump with me, along with all of my tools, so that car is going to drive come hell or high water.

Dan87951

Watch it be as simple as the DME relay! I think any 944 owner can relate to that one! Always keep a spare in the glove compartment or buy one of the solid state ones.

dannyzabolotny

I just saw that thread, kinda wish I saw it a few days ago before I bought my OEM relay haha. I'll buy an upgraded solid-state pump primer relay at some point in the near future and keep this new one as a spare.

I'm willing to bet that it's either the fuse or the relay, but I have the new fuel pump as an extra bit of insurance.

This reminds me of when I met a guy at a gas station with a 1984 944 in Guards Red with 188,000 miles. It had the Turbo body panels, a fantastic condition black interior, and it ran beautifully. The kicker was that this guy only paid $300 for the car since it was non-running, and of course it turned out to be "a simple relay" aka the DME relay. What's funny is that shortly after that encounter I bought my 2000 BMW M5, thinking I'd get a 944 in the near future... flash forward a month and now I have a 944S in Guards Red. Even better!

Dan87951

Enjoy it! These cars are addicting. I have had mine since 99' and added another 86' Turbo last year just because it has fuch wheels. Lot's of cars have come and gone in my garage but the 944 has always stayed put.

Good luck!

StoogeMoe

What? Better than an E39 M5. No way!

dannyzabolotny

So I went down to Tucson, got the title to the car, and then got to work on getting it running.

The fuel pump fuse looked fine but I replaced it, and then I replaced the DME relay. The engine didn't want to start. I then added some more gas to the tank, but still no luck. I did the DME jumper trick, which showed me that the fuel pump was fine, since I heard it running. I tried to start the car with the fuel pump running, but that didn't do anything.

It was getting to be pretty late, so I called it a night and drove back home. I'll see if I can get my friend to tow the 944 home over the weekend, because driving 1.5 hours each way to Tucson and back is not a very good use of my time.

One last thing I checked before I went home were the timing belts. I got the front timing cover off and inspected the belts. Both looked intact to me, with no cracking or visible wear. However I noticed that the front timing belt felt a little loose when I poked it, whereas the one behind it felt pretty tight. Is that normal?

Once I get this car towed home I'll do a bunch more tests to try and figure out why the engine isn't starting.

AZ520

The belt tension sounds normal, balances shaft belt is in front of timing belt, it is set looser than the timing belt. Crack fuel line at rail for quick check and how about spark? Better to tow it, I was afraid to drive mine home from Sierra Vista when I bought it, made it home and did the belts, asap, fixed oil leaks, old belts were oil soaked.

CVR_Rally

Did you see if the Tach was bouncing while being turned over? You also may have a dead DME which won't be fun to locate for a 16v.

A quick shot of starter fluid in the intake will tell you if you're getting spark. I'm most curious as to the no-start reason on this. You're narrowing it down for sure.

dannyzabolotny

Good to hear that the belts are probably fine, I was more worried that they had snapped and ruined the engine. I'll definitely do some more tests when I get the car home, like a fuel pressure test, a compression test, and a spark test.

dannyzabolotny

The tach was bouncing for sure when I was trying to start it. The gas gauge is showing the tank at around a quarter full, and the oil pressure gauge goes up when starting too.

I didn't try starter fluid this time, but the last time I was down there the seller shot some into the intake and it seemed to be working a little. I'll narrow it down once I get the car home.

Speaking of towing, what's the recommended procedure for these cars? Can they be towed using a dolly, or only with a full trailer?

951Dreams

Full trailer. RWD and Transaxle.

CVR_Rally

That's good news and if it tried to fire with a little starter fluid that may point to a fuel delivery issue. Maybe the filter is blocked or the check valve is frozen. This is where the Fuel Pressure Gauge comes in.

dannyzabolotny

I read a bunch of posts on this forum saying it can be towed with a dolly in neutral though... What'll really happen to it in neutral? Normal wear and tear?