Hi everyone, new here, but unfortunately my initial post is about a problem. I just bought a 88 951 off E-Bay( I know, I know) and was picking it up today from car courrier. The car was supposed to be in top running condition but when I got there, the car would not start- battery was dead and no fuel in tank. I had to go buy a new battery and 2 gallons of fuel. It started cranking with the new battery, but would not start, as if no fuel was being supplied. It would keep cranking but not firing up. The fuel gauge was all the way down low. The seller swears it was running great and drove it onto the car carrier. What could be the problem? Where should I have the car towed to, in NJ/NY? Thanks in advance.

 

it could be a whole range of things. spark plug problem, ignition coil, no fuel pressure. heck it could even be a broken timing belt. there's sooo many things to check. don't worry though ebay is not all that bad. i would be extremely upset with that seller though and tell him to go sit on something that wouldn't be appropriate to post here. anyway, good luck my friend. one of the NY rennlisters should chime in soon and tell you where to go.

and WELCOME TO RENNLIST!

 

DME relay... try the easiest thing first. Do a search on jumping the DME relay to see if thats your problem. Could be an easy fix.

 

Azndrvr447- Thanks. The seller/private dealer has many positive feedbacks and seemed sincerely concerned when I called him about the situation- I was hoping there was some sort of trick that needed to be done to start car, but he was unaware of any. He suggested I check all the relays ( I was aware of only the ones in the engine bay) and make sure all the plug wires were secure. I was worried that since the battery was completely drained and the gas tank was completely empty, some computer self defense mechanism kicked in and prevented car from starting.

Travis- thanks for the tip. I did a search and found plenty of interesting reading, it might definetely be the problem. I had done a search for 'fuel problems' but nothing relevant came up. Only problem now is that one of the employees had started chasing me out of the 'unauthorized area' of the shipping company, so I'm not sure I'll be able to tinker on the car- unless I have it towed home. Hell I might just tow it to PAR Porsche and have them also do a complete post PPI and bring things upto date.

 

Have it towed home, most of the technicians in Porsche dealerships have never seen a 944 let alone actually worked on one.

You should be able to hear the fuel pump running with the key in the second position. Some are more quiet than others. Try the DME relay jump first. Buy a Haynes manual, it won't be tons of help, but there is a section that gives a good description of how to check for proper fuel volume. If you have good fuel, then check for spark.

If you want to try a quick trick, wiggle the connections for the speed and refernce sensors, then crank. They are going to be the two square black connectors that are just to the drivers side of the cam tower at the rear of the engine. They are in a bracket with one round connector.

 

Actually, PAR porsche is a specialty shop, I think, and not a dealer. They seemed very familiar when I spoke with them several years back, when I had a red 86 951, although I had never used them.
Come to think of it, I was smelling fuel after all that cranking (probably flooding the engine?), so the fuel pump and injectors should be working, right? If I tow it home, or at the car yard, I'll definetely try the DME relay and the 2 sensors by the firewall. There were a couple of times when it almost started, but something was holding it back. Thanks again everyone.

 

if you smell the fuel yeah the pump and injectors should be working at least. it could just easily be that you have no spark. try replacing the spark plugs and checking the wires. that's a pretty cheap fix. and replacing the dme relay is a prety easy and cheap fix as well. keep us posted. good luck.

 

Before wholesale replacement of parts begins, get a experienced second opinion in diagnosis.

There could be 1 or 2 small problems creating a much larger problem.
Hmmm.. New to Porsche, New vehicle- It may be in your best interest to have a experienced wrench take a look at it.
DO NOT tow it to a Porsche dealership. Check out www.rennmech.com or solicit advice from others here if you choose this path.

If you decide to troubleshoot yourself, check out www.clarks-garage.com and get to the basics- Fuel delivery OK? Spark OK? DME Relay ok?
Even parts that check out within spec do fail --i.e my coil failed due to me putting in Bosch Plats (It was a long time ago...) which drew too much current, coupled with bad grounds forced the coil to do more than intended- and it stranded me. When I tested the "bad" coil it was all in spec.
Yes, I conceded and had it towed to my well trusted mechanic after chasing down potential problems OUTSIDE for 2 weeks in cold Illinois February weather.

Go configure. There are plenty of Rennlisters in your area- is it time for a get-together?

Whatever ypou decide, dont let your frustration get to you. Congrats on the purchase, Best of luck getting it back up, running and healthy- and Welcome to Rennlist!

 

Geez- I have over 7000 posts?? I just noticed.. I'd better be careful or I'll be back at ZERO for a while

Hi John D!

 

Check for spark also. Pull out the center wire from the distributor and stick a plug into it. Lay it on top of the cam-gear cover and see if you can see a spark when you crank. A bad DME relay will kill both spark and fuel.

 

If you try to start the car with the fuel tank completely empty, you can potentially fry the fuel pump.

Why was the fuel tank empty; did the shipper possibly empty it for safety reasons?

 

The easiest way to check the COMPLETE fuel system is a $2 can of starting fluid. If the car starts with that, then its your fuel system. If it will not start, then there is definitely something else wrong with the car.

 

No!, don't stop posting, that was just the type of info I was looking for.
Actually, this is my 3rd 944. The first one was an 86 944 na auto, then an 86 951. The 951 was fun and I always regreted selling it, so I bought this silver 88. I would never had sold it if the mechanic had not moved from Brooklyn (15 min away from me, very good and reasonable) to Conneticut. I got burned by the engine that was leaking oil all over the place (which previous owner had disguised with some sort of silicone?, till it started leaking). I stupidly brought it to the dealer and $2300.00 later
i decided to sell it. I never knew that forums such as rennlist existed, but now I know better.
The really crazy thing is, I thought I would learn to do the majority of the work myself on this car (except timing belt tesioning) so I could save some $$.
In terms of dissapointment, I'm used to it. I have been building a 92 mitsubishi 3000gt vr4 (hence the vr4 in my screen name) for over 2.5 years (actually by a mechanic) and it has driven me up the wall. It is almost ready though, but I took the insurance off of it to insure the 951. Have to figure something out.

 

Per newbie survival guide, I am close ending this thread. My problem was probably spark related. After 1 week at the car shippers location, they finally towed it to my mechanic, who just cranked it several times and low and behold it starts, but misses and dies. Changed sparklpugs and it idles smoother now. I do hear the fuel pump making uneven undulating noises, so it might be on the way out and a possible reason car was also not starting.
Now the next problem is the bottom of the car chasis. Either the PO had a severe bottom out incident ot the tow truck driver attached his j-hook to the sway bar, because it is completely out of its bushings, just dangling. Worst, the power steering housing craked and now it is leaning against the dangling swaybar, the belt is off, and there are 2 seperate noises comong fron the driver side of the engine bay.Now I have to go argue with the seller/tow company. Not a good start with this car, but from the brief moments I have driven it , it was fun !!!

 

Did you ask the PO how many miles were showing on the odometer when it was loaded on the truck?

Perhaps someone took it for a joy ride on the way to your house?