jsabatini

Friday evening, after getting home from work, loaded the family into the 911 to go out to dinner. Car started up no problem, about a mile from the house, as we were getting on the expressway, the engine quit. Could not restart it, pop the clutch while rolling to restart, nothing. Rolled to the side of the road and let it sit for a few minutes and tried again, car turned over, had power to radio and accessories, but it would not start. Got out and checked the engine to make sure all the wires where tight, throttle cable was working, etc, everything was tight and working. Got back in the car and tried to start it again and it cranked right up and made it back to the house without any more problems.

Thoughts??

ivangene

DME?
I really dont know if they fail and then self repair??

pingman

jsabatini,
It is the DME relay under the driver seat. I also have an '87, and had exactly the same symptoms. Mine would start and get me to a destination, then not start but would turn over. Took about a month of this and two tows home to figure it out. That's when I joined rennlist. You'll find a long list of threads on this little relay that is so cheap but can be very expensive in tow truck fees. Then you get home and the car starts and you feel like it's laughin' at you! Mark

Makmov

Nope it is in the trunk, mine is anyway.

German cars do have a special property of sometimes repairing themselves - sometimes - kind of like Christine. Spoooky.

Need to check all your ground straps too.

I guess a DME relay could fix itself. When they start going bad they get hot and maybe loose a contact and then cool and regain that contact.

ron mcatee

Makmov, are you sure your DME Relay is in the trunk? 84-89 carrera's are mounted on one of the studs where the DME brain box sets under the driver's seat. Just curious. what year is your car?

ivangene

I saw mine under the seat - I should re-phrase my original post to DME "RELAY" not DME -

Makmov

Yeah I have a new car (964). The brain box is under the seat but the relay is in relay box under the bonnet.

jsabatini

Thanks, just ordered a spare DME Relay

rusnak

Try a bit of soft foam under the DME relay next time. The theory is that this will help support the base plate, which is cantilevered out and can over time, crack due to vibrations and road shocks.

theiceman

Makmov i think you are in the wrong forum .. this is the 911 forum you own a 964 . a lot of the information is different . Yes the DME is under the drivers seat. After you change it get another as a spare .. and come back if it doesn't fix it.

yumyum1667

Same thing happened to me and it was the DME relay which is under the drivers seat in my 88. I like the foam idea. I will have to give that a shot.

Ed Hughes

Yes, Makmov, please don't make definitive statements about things such as this. We get new people here all the time, and don't need them searching for parts in places they aren't...ice is right, this is the 911 forum, and answers should be pertaining to these cars.

Same would be for you to say your A/C works well, we don't want to start rumors on that system.

Makmov

I momentarily forgot where I was, and it wasn't exactly definitive.

In any event, my AC works fantastic! It get so cold I have to turn it down, or up?

jsabatini

Next question, what do I do when I get the "spare" DME Relay? Replace the old one imediately or wait until it acts up again and then swap it out?

Ed Hughes

Put the new one in, and save the old. Although if yours is going, you may be better served to order two and keep a good spare in the glovebox.