Jerry Feather

I very recently purchased an 87 S4 ( I think it might be pretty early 87) and it is said to start, idle but wil not rev. I haven't picked the car up yet, but expect to on about May 1st. In the meantime I have been searching to find some threads about this problem, but with no success. I actually remember reading in a recent thread, or in a recent thread search, about an LH failure, where I think one of the docs posted about testing the LH by pulling a relay and jumping a couple of pins which would result in the car starting and idling but would die when given more air. Now I can't even find that thread or post. I haven't had this problem with any of my cars before and wonder what anyone else thinks might be the problem and/or cure.

The car has been in storage for an unknown time up until about 4 years ago when it was sold to my seller in a storage unit auction. Since then it has also been in storage or otherwise idle. I don't have the VIN yet, but from the pictures I am pretty sure it is early 87 since it has the early version of the cowl cover. I wonder if it has the folding wing and maybe the squirter block. It is silver in color with a dark blue interior. It is also missing the jump post cover. The paint and interior are in very good condition, but it has 122K miles.

John Speake

I wouldn't recommend 'jumping' any relays as it can lead to damage to other components if you get it wrong.. When you get the car, you will probably find it is 'limp home' mode which is indicative of MAF failure (no output)

How ever in limp home mode you should be able with care to get the car to rev higher with gentle application of throttle Look in the MAF and see if the hot wire is intact.

Jerry Feather

Thanks, John. I'm not panning to remove a relay and put in a jumper, but I am kind of hoping when I get the car to look in the glove box and find a loose relay and then find a jumper wire in one of the relay sockets. Then I expect to replace the LH with one of my spares and see it that is the problem. But so far I kind of doubt that it is in limp home mode. Thanks again.

Mrmerlin

Jerry do you have a running S4 at your ranch
If so remove the computers from the new silver car and connect them to your running car then start the engine .
disconnect the battery first then reconnect it in the running car before you start it

Jerry Feather

Thanks Stan. I could do that, but what I am thinking of doing is simply trying a newly overhauled spare LH in the new 87. Is there a downside to that?

ammonman

If the electrics in the dead car are FUBAR you could fry the rebuilt LH. Better to put the suspect LH into a known running vehicle and see if it still runs.

Mrmerlin

What Mike said

Jerry Feather

Thanks, good to know.

Jerry Feather

I know, this thread, blah, blah, blah, . . .

Jerry Feather

I made the round trip this weekend to get the car. It was in Reno and that is 800 miles from here. I got there in just over 12 hours, took about an hour and a half looking the car over, going over some paperwork and then loading it into my trailer. The whole time I totally forgot to take any pictures of any of the process. I headed home, but by a different route that is slightly longer. Actually the routes I took were Hwy 50 through much of Utah and all of Nevada, but that is so bleak and desolate with almost no cell phone access the whole way, and that is about 775 miles; then I came back on I-80 and that is about 815 miles, but travels about as quickly. I made the whole trip in just over 28 hours. It wasn't quite an ordeal, but was interesting. I had to stop about three times in the last half of the trip back to nap for 30 to 40 minutes to cure my sleepiness. I don't think I have ever driven that much in that short a period before, and probably wont ever again. Nice to be home with the car. Now to see if I can clean it up and get it running. It cranks but does not even fire.

Billu

Danger, Will Robinson......
Turning the key with no jump post cover.....
Good luck with this one
(anyone that doesn’t get the reference in the first line is too young to own one of these cars)

Jerry Feather

Or maybe illiterate? I am the oldest active member on this forum, and I don't get it, , , yet. But I am borderline illiterate.

I do have a **** load of Jump Post cover Kits, that I made, so I am safe there.

Jerry Feather

OK. I googled it and find that I am actually probably TOO OLD because I don't even remember watching that movie.

I do remember learning that the author of the phrase in question was a computer named HAL, which was a take off of the name IBM, being one letter before each of those letters.

Shark2626

It was a television show that aired from 1965 -1968, with reruns for many years. The movie came in 1998.


Why the Robinsons never murdered (legally executed) Dr. Smith is beyond me!

Jerry Feather

Now I'm not even sure that I am thinking of the same movie/program. I think HAL may have come later?