ccoleymd

My 82 targa has been sitting for some time and now (today) I am unable to get it started. It will turn over and fire but will not start.
Any help would be appreciated!!
Thank you.

Droops83

Ok first things first . . . is there gas in it? I am not trying to be insulting, but it has happened to the best of us! Next, can you hear the fuel pump running when you turn the key on? If not, check the relay and the pump itself. If you can't hear the pump, also try unplugging the connector for the airflow sensor plate safety switch on the back of the airflow sensor/fuel distributor housing and see if that wakes it up . . .

Of course, checking for spark would a a logical next step. When you say "fires" but won't start, it sounds fuel-related rather than ignition-related. Nonetheless, always check the basics!

Now if you can hear the pump, make sure your airflow sensor plate isnt stuck. Take off the airbox cover and reach up in there and see of the lever moves smoothly for its whole range. Also check that the injectors are getting fuel by turning on the ignition, pulling out one of the injectors (with the line still attached) and pushing up on the lever and see if fuel sprays out. Of course be very careful doing this!

I have more suggestions if your car passes all these tests, and still won't start, but try this stuff first and let us know. Good luck!

---Chris A.

ccoleymd

Thanks. I know it has fuel. I will check the fuel pump and spark. As far as the airbox, that will be my next step. I'll let you know.

ccoleymd

OK, still will not start. It will fire and occasionally act like it is going to start but nada. I removed the air box top, and yes the lever moves freely. I can hear the ?fuel pump "high pitched whine" with the key on. I removed one of the plugs and it looked like some fuel was on it. I'm charging my battery now!
I don't know if this will help, but in the past in the winter time the car would run rough for the first couple of minutes almost like running on less than six cylinders and surge a little. Once slightly warm it would fast idle a little until warm and then run fine. I have wondered whether this was a problem with the cold start valve or warm up regulator?? I have read a little about these two things, but honestly it is over my head! Please help.

Mike Murphy

Try flooring the throttle while cranking. If the cylinders stop firing, then you probably have a lean condition. If the cylinders start firing the engine starts and runs, then you probably have a flooded engine.

PorscheMD

Not trying to be insulting in any way but holding the throttle down while cranking the engine on a 911sc is not a good idea. You run the very probable risk of creating a lean condition and backfiring through the intake which will blow your airbox apart at the seam. He really needs to put a fuel pressure guage on the car to properly diagnose this problem givien the fact he had rough running problems in the past.

Mike Murphy

No insults taken I guess I was assuming that he has the pop off valve installed, since most CIS systems should have that by now. He has an '82, so I figured the chances were very low for real damage to occur (improvements made to the '81-83 air boxes dramatically reduced the possibility of backfires through the intake, or popback, which is a better term since it differentiates between a backfire through the exhaust or a popback through the intake.)

In any event, better to be safe than sorry, so it might not be a good idea to practice this procedure on an SC CIS motor. Good call.

madmmac

Don't go crazy and do this and that and this......just try some starting fluid and see what happens.

ccoleymd

I do have a pop-off valve.
When trying to start, I did indeed try everything from no depressing the pedal to pumping, to full throttle and still no start. During this whole event(s), the car did backfire a couple of times, very loudly!
What/where should I look for to see if these back fires did major damage??
Thank you.

ccoleymd

If I wanted to try starting fluid, where do you spray it??

Mike Murphy

You spray starting fluid into the air cleaner or air inlet, but be careful! Generally, you do this while someone else is turning the key, cranking the engine.

Droops83

Listen to PorscheMD he knows his stuff!!! A CIS gauge set would indeed be a great investment at this point. You can pull the plug for the airflow sensor behind the airflow sensor plate so that the fuel pump runs all the time w/ the key on, and check system/cold control pressure w/ the key on/engine off. You will need a manual for the specs of course.

But, before you do anything else, do double check that the airbox isn't blown! The fact that you say there were backfires leads me to believe it is a slight possibility (popoff valves can be installed improperly, etc). A vacuum leak that large and your car will never start. Like PorscheMD said, check right at the seam, it is usually a hairline crack, hard to see. Closely check the whole plastic airbox.

If your pressures and airbox are ok, and you are sure that you have spark and are not flooded, it's time to check things like cold start valve/thermo time switch and auxiliary air valve (for example if AAV is stuck shut fuel will just dribble out of cold start valve since the normal rush of air helps atomize the spray). But check the other stuff first!

---Chris A.

RedShadow

Before you do anything, get a battery booster and try starting with that. If it's works - it's your battery and you'll need a new one. I just went through what you are and to turn out to be the battery after trying EVERYTHING else was quite embarassing.

My car would turn over but there wasn't enough juice for a full start.

ccoleymd

The beast is running!!! Thanks to PorsheMD and removing all the pulgs and cleaning them, the car started and ran like a charm. Next, I'll get all of the pressures checked and ? get a new WUR.

theiceman

You will find the WUR is not cheap. If you do find it to be the problem their are a few threads around pelican about woking on it. Technically it is not rebuildable but what do you have to lose ?