visualpascal

So I was having a problem with my car, where after a short amount of driving, it would begin to buck violently when I gave it gas. After digging through the archives, I decided it was was the FPR, and took a crack at replacing it. Difficulties in removal/installation notwithstanding, I got it in there, and went to start it.

Well, the car idled at about 400 rpm, and shot out puffs of black smoke when i revved it. So I come back to the forums, do some more surfing, then decide to put the old FPR back on. As I begin the removal, I get the brilliant idea to check the vaccum lines. Turns out, the one going to the FPR is leaking!

So I replace the connector, and try to start it again. No go. I remove fuel pump fuse so I can spill as little gas as possible while re-changing the FPR. Starts fine with the fuse pulled, but to my surprise, the car continues to hold idle (the correct idle this time) indefinitely. I mean, I left the thing sitting there for a good 5-10 minutes and it continued to run. It did die when I tried to give it gas, however.

While I'm wondering what the heck is goin' on, I notice the sensor right next to the intake boot has been knocked loose. I reconnect it, and the car dies. Replace the fuse, and it starts up beautifully. Runs better than it has in months. I imagine I should still replace the FPR with a new one, but crimeny this car's got a mind of its own.

Sorry for the long post, but I felt that I needed to share the wonders of German engineering with the rest of you. It just hurts the head...

--chris

Mighty Shilling

Yeah...they do that...

Back when my car had similar symptoms, I was pulling my hair out... confused as hell... put a can of 44K in and replaced the DME relay.... it helped for about a month...then it happened again for about a week, then it ran fine...

about a year later, I replaced the FPR and Vac lines, and still haven't had any problems... they're wierd sometimes.

CO944

Tell me about it.. still fighting the oil pressure issue.

BigRed

You gotta be a little nuts to own one of these...if you're not, you will be!

visualpascal

Seems like the problem might also be because of the speed/ref sensors.... It wouldn't start again and jiggling those helped it to. Oh man, give me German ride quality with Japanese electronics!

--chris

mroberts

IIRC, Lucas Prince of Darkness and Bosch are connected somehow.

streckfu's

Change those ref sensors!!

nathan944

If I am nice to my car (i.e kiss it at night and drive it decently) it is great. Its when it gets abused and neglected (i.e left outside of the garage all night, and gets reamed on to much) it it gets pissed off and someting breaks. They are very sensitive.

Mighty Shilling

they really are...

Sadly, I have not a garage in which to keep my 924S... But it likes being garaged when it gets the chance...

Mike C.

Have any of you owned an old British sports car? I really don't think you can compare Bosch shortcomings with Lucas. My '70 MGB was fun but the electrics were the absolute pits. My 944 has been a paragon of reliability as far as electrics go in comparison. Those Lucas jokes are around for good reason...

superloaf

Think Porsches are sensitive? Try owning an Alfa! My Alfetta needed a lot of little things fixed on it when I bought it, but as I tried fixing seemingly simple things, they got so involved and complicated. Everything from the power windows (it's a push-pull cable with puleys, etc. etc.) to an easily accesible caster bushing (or so I thought.) And I won't even waste your time going into the Spica mechanical fuel injection. You Bosch-only people would not understand. Italian engineering, I guess. A German would sell his family before he would design something like this! So I became very frustrated and slightly angry--I am Italian also, after all!

Then I found something sort of strange. As I took out my anger on the car by driving faster and more recklessly (Italian issues again), things began fixing themselves. The fuel injection problems, the brake lines, the electrics, everything got better the harder I drove it. Ahhhh, to be in love in the spring in in an Alfa. . . .

FWIW, Chris, you might want to check/replace your throttle position switch. Sounds like that could be your problem--those switches do weird things and always seem to fail.

Or buy yourself an Alfa, drive like a maniac and life will be good (until it won't pass smog, gets put in your backyard, gets mad at you for not driving it, and starts melting jumper cables when trying to jump it with your Porsche--but that's another story all together . . . .)

mroberts

That's funny, back in the ethnically sensitive land I call home (Australia), taking a car out and driving the p!$$ out of it was called an "Italian tune-up", and it's amazing how often it seems to work

my84-944

Yah?
Well I have to tell you about a Fiat 124 Sport Spyder I had:
In tracing a rear blinker issue, I discovered that there is no "good" wire diagram, because at the factory, they would plug in the next link in the harness by what fit the plug. Italian logic I think. So the color of the wire changes sometimes like 3 times from the box to the back. When I sold it, the rear left tail light was not working, the driver side headlight was not working and it would not start. Though the blinkers were working. All electrical. When the guy came to get it, they jumped it to the cables as I had not battery in it. Guess what; they took off the jumpers and it still ran. They drove it out and BOTH the head lights worked. As he was leaving BOTH brake and tail lights were working and it ran GREAT.
Maybe it just hated me?
GIVE ME A PORSCHE ANY DAY.

CO944

These stories are just too funny.
My first car was a 1976 Lancia Beta..
I too have been down the italian wiring road. Talk
about brain damage. That is why I own a bunch of
VW's now.. their wiring is easy. Color coded and never
really changes. You can only plug certain connectors
into certain receptors and all the wiring only reaches to
its respective locations. Luckily Porsche adopted this theory
back in the 70's too.

superloaf

yeah, guys, but you're forgetting the best thing about Italian cars: the engines. My Alfetta engine sounds incredible and just loves to rev. And my brother had a Milano witha 2.5 liter v6. Neither car is very fast, but I swear that v6 is one of the sweetest engines ever. If you've ever happen to have heard Jameriquia's (or however the hell you spell it) first album, he has a song which starts with his Lamborghini Diablo accelerating. This sounds just like an Alfa v6 only 2x (which is pretty much what it is.)

I mean I love Porsches and for a practical sports car which can be driven daily you can't beat them. But if you like sports cars, then you've got to like Alfas, Ferraris, or most Italian cars. They definitely have a soul and I'd take one any day over a japanese car or american even with all their moodiness.