Won't start and stranded in NoVA
 

Well, this is not my idea of a good first post...

But I'm stranded with my 928 near Winchester VA (woodstock to be specific).

I've had the car for 3 weeks, hasn't given me any trouble before yesterday. It was a regular driver before I got it, all the mechanicals looked good.

It's a 1985 928S, US, Automatic.

Car has been starting fine in all weather conditions, and other than dieing when it's cold (40s) and then immediately starting up, hasn't given me any other trouble. Car drove just fine the 5 hours from Durham, NC.

So I tried to start it yesterday, temps were about 32, dry, and the car had been out overnight. Cranked it, it fired started and died. After that no amount of cranking would get it to start. Battery started getting tired.

Tried hooking it to my dad's tahoe (not running) and use that battery, no joy. Cleaned the battery contacts, no joy.

Today I bought a new battery, no joy, it cranks better, but still it doesn't crank as strong as my 911 or vw. Pulled the intakes, and checked the plugs and those were totally fouled. Changed the plugs with the same bosch plat +4. Cranked it and it fired and died, now it just cranks but won't start.

I'm afraid of fouling the plugs again and flooding it.

When I pulled the plenums out to get to the plugs there was a lot of oil in the driver side plenu, and on the driver side plugs. I think I need a valve cover gasket a minimum.

Any suggestions to get me running and back to durham would be great. The FAQ listed 2 shops in Fairfax, anybody know any other wrenches in the NoVA area?

thanks a lot!

Britt

oh it's flooded, big time. pulled a plug stinks of gas. off to the search!

B

Relay. Relay. Relay.

Look at your fuse panel diagram on the back of the panel cover (or www.928gt.com), find the fuel pump relay and swap it with a non-essential relay of the same type determined from the diagram. (Most likely the horn relay.)

I'm smelling gas, would that still be the fuel pump relay? I'll try this regardless...

thanks,

Britt

Other than completely going over the ignition system, I can't think of anything to try. Just so you know, the prefered plugs are Bosch or NGK copper, not platinum and not multi-electrode. This should be something you can figure out on your own without paying a shop.

The only other 928 shop I know of in NoVA is Curry's in Sterling. I do my own work, so there are probably others of which I haven't heard. bgrabner is in Leesburg, he may have other suggestions.

EZF/EZK relay? When you turn the car to ON but don't start, are the injectors clicking?

I'm with Matt. If you are smelling gas and/or can hear the fuel pump humming then my next bet would be one of the ECU relays. I don't not recall if the 85 has a relay for each of the LH and EZF - but I'll bet it does. Unfortunately, those relays are IIRC singular - as in the panel does not hold another one of the same type.

If the simple fuel pump relay / horn relay swap doesn't (didn't) fix the problem then I'm also with Matt, again: Time to go through the LH/EZF diagnostic check-list.

Check for spark, as it seems you are getting fuel. Check each distributer cap and rotor, and coil wire. If all is good, then it might be the crank position sensor. I had that problem on my '86, New sensor and all was good again.

Look down through the vents in the cam covers to make sure your timing belt is intack and turning while someone else tries to start the car.

My kid brother, wearing his Cat Diesel Power belt buckle (he's a coal mine mechanic) decided it was flooded, so he pulled the plenums, and the plugs on one side, cranked it a few times to dry it. Then we put the plugs back in, and pulled both plenums, cranked it until it ran, cut it off when it backfired, shut it, off, put the plenums and the air filter back on, and fired it back up. Voila, drove it to Advance to get the core charge on the battery, runs fine now.

Does the computer have a clear flood mode, where it cuts off all the gas when you crank it with the pedal floored?

thanks for the suggestions! Lets hope it runs tomorrow!

Britt

Britt Bolen... check 928 Specialists ( a Rennlist sponsor)
Relay page for your '85. Some of the relays are
swapable (horn, eg)

G'luck.

something i found on my shark may or may not be relevant....Had similar problem where would start for a sec then flood out. Inside of gas tank in the sending unit tube is the return line. Mine was completely plugged up really nasty goo (about 1/4" deep in cup) at bottom. This caused extremely high fuel pressure,(no where to go) thus mixture enrichened too much. Never seen before on other cars and had wondered if is somehow caused by cooling fuel to return ? technically should be filtered fuel comming back. Or possibly different additives PO had added over years. Also when went to remove return line was no slack and was very stiff on end, so carefully cut with razor and added inline connector and enough 3/8 fuel line to loop around and back to tank. Dale...86 928S

oh to verify this problem remove rubber hose on pressure regulator and see if can blow into tank....also one nice featured noticed on at least my model year is easy access under mat without having to drop tank... Also some of you that have more experience than I with this model car, am curious if this is a very unusual problem...havent seen any posts since found this site a few months age. Also wouldnt it be more beneficial to cool fuel "pre-injection" ?? My understanding is to reduce vapors in tank (reason for cooler)

If this happen again, put a hair dryer on the distributor cap pointing in the general direction of the coil. I'll bet that this will solve your problem. Almost every 928 or 944 that I have seen since I got into them has had ancient plug wires and cap and rotor. Colder weather equals condensation, and I think most of the hard core mechanics are getting tired of telling people to check the basics. Eliminate the obvious first. Consider changing these parts now, and you may never have this problem again. Oh, and if it is raining, does it drip on your coil?

so far so good, started right up later tonight, only 35 degrees out, didn't die like it usually does in the cold...