Nicole

On the way home from Sharks in the Park 2002. Slowed at a traffic light, then decided to switch to the next lane, which was empty. As I give it just a hint of gas, the engine revs, and no response from the car. I try again - same thing. As if the connection between engine and wheels had broken.

Luckily, this was a "T-Intersection", and I was able to roll to the right into a driveway. Tried all gears - nothing. Look under the car - can't see enough. It's getting dark. Called Bill - he thinks something might have broken in the drive train, and I need a tow.

Try to find the number for Farmers Towing Service, which should pay for the exercise. Can't find the number in the car, directory services can't find it either. Cell phone batteries run low. Finally get ahold of my roommate and instruct her where to find the number. Tow truck arrives, loads up the car on the flatbed and gives us a ride to DEVEK's facilities - the harshest ride I have ever experienced. Do tow trucks have shocks and springs? Don't think so...

Turns out the bolts that hold the drive shaft to the differential had fallen out on one side, and were lose on the other. The guys who replaced the torque converter seal probably didn't tighten them correctly.

If this would have happened at hiway speed... Don't even want to think about it!

hacker-pschorr

9:00 PM, coming out of McDonalds (by myself) climb into the 928....click.click.click. WTF? Never had a battery issue before. Call every body I know, no one is home. Oh yea, they are at THE BAR (actual name of the place) waiting for me with the phones off.
Across the street the Allcar employees are leaving for the day. You guessed it, 3 hillbillies with the pick-um-up-trucks come over to jump start the foreign job. It was fun listen to them argue with each other where the engine was before I showed them the battery in the rear with no engine.

My 928 goes nowhere without a jumper pack in the back seat now!

worf928

A few years ago with the '91...

Sunday. Replace brake rotors. Look at new clutch hose in bag. Decide, nah, tired. Would have to bleed brakes and clutch slave. Other stuff to do.

Monday. Morning rush hour traffic. Stop Light. Green light.

POP! Splash. Brake fluid under car.

Clutch hose RIP.

Normy

-As Jim said. Though I think its pretty obvious in my case-

Well, one day, on the way back from the gym, I stopped at a light about a kilometer/half mile from my house. When I pushed in the clutch...it snapped to the floor. Damn.

Diagnosis: failed clutch line. Well, to keep from rear-ending anyone, I quickly turned the ignition key off and pulled into the grass median next to the left turn lane. I knew what the problem was, so I walked to a gas station and bought a bottle of brake fluid. After filling the reservoir, I managed to get the car from 5th into 1st gear. Well, I jumped out and walked over to the car next to me waiting to turn. When the light turned green...he let me in. I started the engine with the car in gear [yes it did move forward!], tore the crap out of the grass/fire ants, and merged into traffic. I drove home at 30 miles per hour, engine screaming. When I got home, there was still grass stuck in the tire treads....

N-
'85 S2 5 Speed

Nicole

Hacker's experience reminds me of another one - with my first 928, an '88 S4 that had an aftermarket stereo with a large amplifier installed.

Well, I rarely took the car to work, but that one day... I had gotten out late for lunch, grabbed something at a deli place, and ate in my car, listening to the radio. Needless to say, the car did not start anymore ("click,click" was the only thing I got)

Since this was not the first time, I knew what was wrong, but there were not many people at the deli anymore at that time - until two guys from my work came out: The two most macho, bragging, teasing and BSing guys employed at my company!

I asked them for help, and after listeningi to a lot of BS, crap and other stupid things, the one guy pulled up his Ford Exploder or Excursion, or whatever that monster was, and gave me a jump start. I was soo glad when it was over...

Garth S

- Several summers past on a perfect evening, we in the '80 and another couple in a 'Vette were crossing the province destined for an Atlantic shore chowder house. The nearly deserted highway became a lot more fun when we caught up to a beemer - who really wanted to try!
Pushing ahead, I came out of a long sweeper pretty well warmed up in 4th: With that s--t - eater grin spreading ear to ear and only open road ahead, I pulled the lever into 5th, and pulled the lever into 5th, and pulled.....
I ended up pulling over because I had a handful of wiggly, disconnected gearshift lever - the ball socket popped off the torque tube, leaving the trans (fortunately) locked in 4th.

ViribusUnits

5 blocks from the g/fs house.

I ran out of gasoline.

And thats all I'm going to say about that.

Jim V

At a PacNW dyno day....

Owning an Old Bugger, I have that peculiar problem with the fuel pump fuse wanting to lose contact from time to time. The facility we are at that day doesn't have a pull-on dyno, but rather a raised unit with a lift in front which you must back onto. Back on the lift, no problem; lift up, back onto the roller, no problem; shut her down so they can strap the car down.

Here I am about 6' in the air with some of the guys watching and the operators tells me to start it up...nothing.

Easy fix, great dyno pulls, but of all the possible moments when that fuse could have picked...I think I heard the car snickering.

ErnestSw

Brand new 87 S4 driven from Houston dealership to Dallas by a little old lady who delivered the keys and immediately called a cab for the airport to fly back to Houston. Get into my new car at the end of my day and NO POWER STEERING! dump in a can of power steering fliud and immediately find a full can of fresh power steering fluid on the ground under my brand new car. Wonder how the hell the little old lady got it through Dallas. She never said a word!
One week later driving to a party, stop at a red light, clutch to floor----no return! Bad clutch slave cyllinder!

jheis

Shortly after I acquired my car, I began to experience a weird problem. After washing the car there would be a period of about one or two hours during which I could not turn off the factory alarm. As soon as I opened a door the alarm would go off and the car would not start because the alarm also interrupts the ignition and fuel pump circuitry. The problem progressed to the point where the alarm would, intermitently, protect the car from me - even if it hadn't just been washed. After being stuck in San Francisco (55 miles from home) a couple of times (not all that bad 'cause I could just go to my favorite Thai restaurant and have dinner before heading home), the last straw came on Fourth Street in Santa Rosa when it died in an intersection right in front of a Deli at lunch time. A couple of helpful citizens who could barely conceal their glee at the plight of an embarassed "Porsch" owner helped me push my wounded shark through the intersection and into a no parking zone. A meter maid who came along a few minutes later was sympathetic and declined to ticket me when I explained that the electrical gremlins would usually cure themselves if I could let it sit for a few minutes. When I got the car home I scoured the repair manual and found this:
"Note
A defect in the control unit could cause failure of the ignition or fuel pump ... if a new control unit is not immediately available ... pull off plug Z on central electric board and bridge terminals 1 and 6 on central electric plug. This will stop function of the alarm system"
I made up a jumper, plugged it in between terminals 1 and 6 - disabling the alarm system and the gremlins went away and have left me alone about 10 years.
James

UKKid35

My fuel pump had started to become very noisy over the previous few weeks, and one day the car coughed and spluttered and came to halt a few yards from a gas station. I knew the pump was probably gone so I had the car taken home on a flatbed.

My 928 buddy Jon928se offered to take his pump off his car so I could check before investing in a new one, as he was doing some work on his car, as long as I returned it within a few days. I got the train to London picked up the pump, and returned home. Next day I removed my pump, ready with a plug for the hose to stop the fuel pouring out of the tank - no fuel - what a plonker!

When Jon replaced his pump a couple of days later he couldn't stop a fuel leak. Consequently his 928 missed the largest ever 928 UK meet

Lizard928

I had one last night, was taking this gorgeous young woman out in the 924 with me was driving along right before the section of road where I was going to have some "fun" and all of a sudden no power foot on the clutch engine died, coasted along to a pull out pulled over, of course she is saying what is wrong, I jumped out popped the hatch grabbed my tools, popped the hood reached in, grabbed the fuel pump wire, it broke off the battery connector, shaved a small piece of coating off, and attached it back op to the connector properly, mean while I have NO LIGHT at all, all done by feeling

Jadz928

On my way to SITM '03, on the Ohio turnpike heading west, early morning dark foggy. There was deer carcass all over the road. I make an evasive manuever to avoid one pile to run staight through a large lump of carnage. Brace yourself... Thump! WTF is that smell? We pull into the rest stop to assess the damage. Nothing terrible, just a broken spoiler mount, and deer crud everywhere. Let me tell you, the stench was horrible! We get to a power wash and do the best to get all the **** out from under the car. No such luck getting out the smell.
So we're at SITM, pull into the picnic staging area, and park. I get out of my car to see people around me wondering what the heck is that smell? I mean it was really bad.
I know it's not a breakdown story, but is sure was embarassing.

Garth S

".....attached it back op to the connector properly, mean while I have NO LIGHT at all, all done by feeling...."

Lizard,
Are you describing the activities of your date, or the repair?

Lizard928

garth, the repair,