FlyingDog

My car got egged pretty badly last night, but I didn't realize it until about 5pm because it was on the opposite side from what I normally see. I called the police and an officer took a report just as it started to get dark. Then I went to jumpstart the car knowing the battery is dead. It cranks and cranks but won't start. I disconnected the battery and swapped the horn and fog light with the LH and fuel pump relays. When I connected the battery the fuel pump started running. When I turned the ignition, smoke started to pour out from the area behind the horn and fog light relays. By this point it was dark.

Looking at the relay diagram on 928Specialists site I have a lot more 24 relays and less of anything different.

horn
fog lights
start bridge
fuel injection
fuel pump
A/C condenser fan
HVAC blower
defroster

What is acceptable for replacement with 24 relays, what is wrong?

BeerFish

UGH! I was pissed for you when I first read about the eggs, now Im ready to drive to your neighborhood! Could it be possible anything was put in your gas tank?

I replaced one of my 24's with an Audi relay, will call you with the part number in a few.

FlyingDog

I think it's like your car... the LH relay isn't closing. I'm going to see if I can find some spare #24 relays in my spare fuse panel.

m21sniper

You can pop the cover off and hold the contacts closed manually as you crank. If it's the relay it'll start.

At least then you'll know.

Usually you can clean a relay off and get a lot of good life out of it. I rarely toss them the first time they fail, i just emory the contacts, then they're good as new.

FlyingDog

I just noticed that a lot of the relays that I thought were supposed to be a #24 are really supposed to be a #53. I have about 8 spare #53s in my spare fuse panel. What is the extra component in the #53, a capacitor to keep it from cycling rapidly?

animal8526

hay dog, since your car was vandalized with eggs, did you check to see if your exhaust was plugged>>>? or is this an ongoing start issue?

michaelathome

Sorry to hear Matt. Let me know if there is anything to do to help. Started my work seek again so time is a bit limited but I will do what I can.

Michael

tammons

I was going to say potato........

FlyingDog

Animal, it's cranking very easily so I don't think there is any obstruction. It should've fired a couple times even if it was plugged. Normally when I have a no start problem, the battery is below 11.5V and the engine doesn't crank at all.

My LH relay was dead, the fuel pump relay flutters on and off, the old fog light relay was shorted closed. How the hell does that happen when the car is just sitting for a few weeks?

SharkSkin

Ouch... I looked at the foglight relay, it's got a couple diodes in it. If you can't trace the smoke to a burned relay, then it was probably wire insulation giving up the ghost. Might be worth having a peek at the back of the CE panel.

FlyingDog

I pulled almost all of the unnecessary relays. I swapped in functioning #53 relays from my spare fuse panel for the LH and fuel pump relays and a #24 for the starter. It started right up. I had my father follow me to the carwash. The car ran perfectly and even shifted well. I left the car running hoping I wouldn't have to jumpstart it. About halfway through, it stalled. After about 30 minutes of trying to get it started, we gave up. The relays are all functioning. The car cranks, the fuel pump runs, but the injectors don't fire. I couldn't find any water near the panel. After we gave up trying to start it, we pushed it down a hill and around the corner to a well light public parking space along a main road. We're going to try to push or pull it home tomorrow.

Something is preventing the LH from firing the injectors. I think either it's not getting power or it is malfunctioning. If the LH doesn't get power, I don't think the fuel pump should run. Any ideas?

Dave, the relay that was in the fog light space is burnt on one of the coil contacts. There has been no smoke since I pulled the relay even though the smoke was coming from behind the panel.

khalloudy

Matt,

sorry to hear about the egging. I hope you cleaned it like ASAP since it will damage paint big time. Check your exhaust for plugging and fuel tank for sugar. I hope nothing there, but ******** are ********. Hope the best.

Sincerely,

Airflite40

Do you lock your fuel cap? I remember reading somewhere that jump starting an LH car can fry the brain in rare cases, I dunno. Hopefully your engine isnt flooded, BTDT. Good luck.

FlyingDog

I think the fuel is okay, because it ran and drove fine to get to the car wash. My gas cap is a giant PITA to get off even though it doesn't lock, and I doubt they exerted that much effort. I cannot hear the injectors firing so it can't be flooded. Also there is no fuel smell in the exhaust. The exhaust can't be plugged because the car ran for 15+ minutes including about a mile of driving. I am a little frightened because this is exactly what my car did when I tested a bad LH for Doc Mohr. Although, I've jumped it many many times before and haven't had any problems. I'm thinking something is shorted somewhere. I need to pull the CE panel and poke around.

Garth S

I too would agree that dropping the CE panel is a good move .... to see where that magic smoke came from.