Advice for new owner ???
10-15-2010, 11:45 AM
#31
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Hi Kerry: John forwarded me your link as I just went through the same problem with my 88 Turbo.
Like you, I ran all the checks on the "no start" checklist, then I went through all the checks listed in the factory service manuals, still no start. After doing everything multiple times, I finally took the DME and plugged it into a friends car. His car would not start. I opened the DME box and looked for loose solder joints, burned parts etc, and everything appeared to be ok. Then I wiggled the ribbon cable (cable that connects the two boards), and the DME chip socket (your chip should be soldered directly to the board I believe), closed the box, and the car started. Sometimes you cannot see the bad solder joint. I replaced the DME and now the car runs fine.
You mentioned that you tore the metal housing off one of the sensors. Did you find the small steel rod? There is a steel rod in the bottom of the sensor, and if that is still in the bell housing, DO NOT ATTEMPT to crank the engine until you get this out. It will get picked up by the ring gear, and become jammed between the ring gear and the starter gear, and break the nose of the starter. If it is still in the bell housing, remove the starter, and with a small magnet (the ones you can extend) fish around under the flywheel inside the bell housing and GET IT OUT. I know this, because I had to replace my starter after I tore apart a sensor.
One last note, you asked why you should tape over the holes in the bell housing, again the voice of experience speaks, if you drop anything through the hole, unless you are extremely lucky, you are going to be dropping the exhaust, transmission, etc, to get the bell housing off and retrieve whatever you dropped in there. This time when I changed my clutch, I made a small aluminum cover, drilled and tapped a hole in the bell housing, and bolted the cover in place. End of the "factory black hole".
Oh, since you are new to these cars, as soon as you can, buy a new DME relay and keep it in the glove box, they have a habit of going out in the most inconvenient of places/times....usually either 100 miles from home, or when you are in a hurry.
Register with the pelican parts bulletin boards too!!!!!!
Good luck, and enjoy your car
Like you, I ran all the checks on the "no start" checklist, then I went through all the checks listed in the factory service manuals, still no start. After doing everything multiple times, I finally took the DME and plugged it into a friends car. His car would not start. I opened the DME box and looked for loose solder joints, burned parts etc, and everything appeared to be ok. Then I wiggled the ribbon cable (cable that connects the two boards), and the DME chip socket (your chip should be soldered directly to the board I believe), closed the box, and the car started. Sometimes you cannot see the bad solder joint. I replaced the DME and now the car runs fine.
You mentioned that you tore the metal housing off one of the sensors. Did you find the small steel rod? There is a steel rod in the bottom of the sensor, and if that is still in the bell housing, DO NOT ATTEMPT to crank the engine until you get this out. It will get picked up by the ring gear, and become jammed between the ring gear and the starter gear, and break the nose of the starter. If it is still in the bell housing, remove the starter, and with a small magnet (the ones you can extend) fish around under the flywheel inside the bell housing and GET IT OUT. I know this, because I had to replace my starter after I tore apart a sensor.
One last note, you asked why you should tape over the holes in the bell housing, again the voice of experience speaks, if you drop anything through the hole, unless you are extremely lucky, you are going to be dropping the exhaust, transmission, etc, to get the bell housing off and retrieve whatever you dropped in there. This time when I changed my clutch, I made a small aluminum cover, drilled and tapped a hole in the bell housing, and bolted the cover in place. End of the "factory black hole".
Oh, since you are new to these cars, as soon as you can, buy a new DME relay and keep it in the glove box, they have a habit of going out in the most inconvenient of places/times....usually either 100 miles from home, or when you are in a hurry.
Register with the pelican parts bulletin boards too!!!!!!
Good luck, and enjoy your car
Last edited by 89-944NA; 10-15-2010 at 12:02 PM.
10-15-2010, 12:00 PM
#32
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Kerry,
There are BMW interchange sensors that sell for half the price of OEM. Only cable is shorter.
There are 3 small pins that stick above the flywheel. None will interfere with the reference sensors.
Something else is happening if the sensor bracket is not damaged or installed wrong.
John
There are BMW interchange sensors that sell for half the price of OEM. Only cable is shorter.
There are 3 small pins that stick above the flywheel. None will interfere with the reference sensors.
Something else is happening if the sensor bracket is not damaged or installed wrong.
John
10-15-2010, 02:49 PM
#34
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I'm sort of glad this happened to you too. I thought I was going crazy.
I was afraid of pieces in the bell housing too! Only one piece was in there. I reassembled the broken pieces like they do a plane crash. Just to make sure everything is accounted for.
Thanks for your help too. I like the cover plate idea! That's going on the list. As far as the DME, I just bought another one. I have no one around here to swap DMEs with. Hopefully I will meet some Porsche owners in the area soon.
I was afraid of pieces in the bell housing too! Only one piece was in there. I reassembled the broken pieces like they do a plane crash. Just to make sure everything is accounted for.
Thanks for your help too. I like the cover plate idea! That's going on the list. As far as the DME, I just bought another one. I have no one around here to swap DMEs with. Hopefully I will meet some Porsche owners in the area soon.
10-16-2010, 03:55 AM
#35
Rennlist Member
Great thread. Subscribing.
When you refresh it and make the 944 reliable, no matter what it takes, it'll be worth it.
We had an 85.5 car that we got with over 200K mi and it still was a pleasure to drive.
Do pay special care to the fuel hoses. You can buy a kit or rebuild them with high-pressure fuel injection rubber lines and appropriate clamps. Too many toastings have happened to the 944, 951 and 928 cars. Some drivers, including some rennlisters, have just barely escaped.
When you refresh it and make the 944 reliable, no matter what it takes, it'll be worth it.
We had an 85.5 car that we got with over 200K mi and it still was a pleasure to drive.
Do pay special care to the fuel hoses. You can buy a kit or rebuild them with high-pressure fuel injection rubber lines and appropriate clamps. Too many toastings have happened to the 944, 951 and 928 cars. Some drivers, including some rennlisters, have just barely escaped.
Last edited by Landseer; 10-16-2010 at 06:19 AM.
10-16-2010, 12:01 PM
#38
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Kerry check all of your fuel lines specialy those in the engine bay ,the one that goes over the intake as seen int he pic (red tie-wrap) after a while the tend to die from old age & if they leak there is danger of your car catching on fire,also follow all the hard lines & check for sign of leak where they connect to the rubber one.Pay attention the the one in the fuel pump /filter area (#15-24-10-2) .Also sending you a diagram of the fuel lines route(from Pelican) on an early car.
Last edited by ernie9468; 02-04-2013 at 06:48 PM.
10-16-2010, 01:57 PM
#39
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Hopefully your problem is a failing DME, I know these things can become frustrating. If in-fact it is your DME, have the faulty one repaired, and put it in your spare parts box. If you don't already have a spare parts box, believe me, you will start one.
What is going to happen, and I'm sure most posters here will agree, is that you are going to start accumulating all sorts of small stuff, switches, relays, seals, etc. I eventually picked up a 6 drawer tool box at a yard sale, then added another 4 drawer box ( again from a yard sale), and they contain things like seat motors, new motor mounts, cables, all sorts of things....I spend a weekend a month, hitting all the wrecking yards around here, and when I find a 944, I start grabbing parts. There are a lot of great deals to be found from time to time...Like my electric sport seats for $60 for the pair, climate control modules for $10, I even picked up a complete set of GOOD koni adjustable shocks (2) and struts (2) for $125.
What is going to happen, and I'm sure most posters here will agree, is that you are going to start accumulating all sorts of small stuff, switches, relays, seals, etc. I eventually picked up a 6 drawer tool box at a yard sale, then added another 4 drawer box ( again from a yard sale), and they contain things like seat motors, new motor mounts, cables, all sorts of things....I spend a weekend a month, hitting all the wrecking yards around here, and when I find a 944, I start grabbing parts. There are a lot of great deals to be found from time to time...Like my electric sport seats for $60 for the pair, climate control modules for $10, I even picked up a complete set of GOOD koni adjustable shocks (2) and struts (2) for $125.
10-16-2010, 07:28 PM
#40
Rennlist Member
Kerry,
Good post, above, showing the fuel lines. I differ with one point. Don't check them. Just replace them.
X psi + hands in the engine compartment + ethanol in the fuel + 25 years old ---- just do it.
928 suffers more because, with two halves of the 944 engine, it has a deep valley that can pool the fuel before it ignites. So, we have gone pretty deep disecting the lines and realizing, ultimately, that the composed look of the outer shroud is not usually indicative of the inner line. 944 seems to share the line composition.
Sounds like you are on the right track for everything.
Best of luck
Good post, above, showing the fuel lines. I differ with one point. Don't check them. Just replace them.
X psi + hands in the engine compartment + ethanol in the fuel + 25 years old ---- just do it.
928 suffers more because, with two halves of the 944 engine, it has a deep valley that can pool the fuel before it ignites. So, we have gone pretty deep disecting the lines and realizing, ultimately, that the composed look of the outer shroud is not usually indicative of the inner line. 944 seems to share the line composition.
Sounds like you are on the right track for everything.
Best of luck
10-16-2010, 11:57 PM
#41
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10-19-2010, 09:12 PM
#42
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I will do! Thanks for all the great information. I'm STILL waiting for the new DME to arrive. So, in the mean time, I've had time to do some repairs to the interior as well as a thorough "nuts and bolts" on everything else. I am getting ready to tackle the sunroof. I need some advice....
The sunroof has not been opened in 4 years. It looks good. It's all there and doesn't leak. I'd like the remove it now, clean everything and put it back together. What do you think? Should I give it a go, or wait until I have a new set of seals in hand?
I already know that the electric mechanism doesn't work....So that's first.
How would you approach this?
The sunroof has not been opened in 4 years. It looks good. It's all there and doesn't leak. I'd like the remove it now, clean everything and put it back together. What do you think? Should I give it a go, or wait until I have a new set of seals in hand?
I already know that the electric mechanism doesn't work....So that's first.
How would you approach this?
10-19-2010, 09:22 PM
#43
Proprietoristicly Refined
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http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/ign-02.htm
10-19-2010, 09:26 PM
#44
Proprietoristicly Refined
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The sunroof has not been opened in 4 years. It looks good. It's all there and doesn't leak. I'd like the remove it now, clean everything and put it back together. What do you think? Should I give it a go, or wait until I have a new set of seals in hand?
I already know that the electric mechanism doesn't work....So that's first.
How would you approach this?
I already know that the electric mechanism doesn't work....So that's first.
How would you approach this?
http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/body-03.htm
GL
John
10-19-2010, 10:57 PM
#45
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Sorry, I meant the reference sensor. If you set the gap by the wrong (reference) sensor, the speed sensor will rest on the ring gear teeth, and rip apart when you turn it over. That's what I did.