Landseer

What Nicole said.

Our 86 was moved on the driveway a few feet, then shut down. A week later it wouldn't start. Maybe badly flooded. We tried everthing, couldn't quite get it started. Gas smell intense from exhaust pipe. And, they have a feature that causes double-time firing of the fuel injectors when cold, which compounded the issue. We did a lot of stuff, including removing the plugs and heating them with a torch, but it was cleaning the ground strap (engine to frame, passenger side under car) and the two ground straps (coil to block, front corners of the block) + holding foot to floor that finally made it start. Lots and lots of white gasoline smoke from the pipes for several minutes. Very frustrating, but no problems since.

laufenOutLoud

+1 Landseer

I had gas fouled plugs, too, similar situation in my '85 S (let it sit for a couple of weeks). I assume that this is because of a leaky injector or similar but didn't confirm.

Also, pull the air filter and make sure it's not oil fouled (and thus your plugs may be oil fouled)... it's easy to pull the plugs and take a peek. That's normally where I start, in fact, when looking at non-starting 928's.

linderpat

what would cause plugs to be oiled fouled? I'm wondering if mine are.

laufenOutLoud

It's easy to pull the plugs and find out. I'm not sure of all that causes it but I've seen the crankcase vent dump oil onto the top of the oil filter (there's a hose that runs between it and the crankcase, usually on the driver's side).

laufenOutLoud

Shoot, I just had a thought. An unpleasant odor when you tried to start... something crawled up into the exhaust and died? That would be like a click-and-clack type of answer.

Brett Matthews

Not knowing the year of your car.....

I've had a no-start situation a few times.... The first was a relay fault.

The continuing second is a weird one; Occasionally Rosy won't start. I've learned to cause the electric rear hatch opener to operate... Walk around and push the hatch back shut, and Rosy will fire right up.

It's gotta be something concerned with the factory alarm, I think... As far as I know, it's disabled.... It has once caused the horn to blow, in the alarm cycle.... In the 8 years we've owned Rosy!

BTW, Rosy is an '87 S4.

dprantl

If the alarm on the '87 is the same as the '86, all you need to do is pull the glove box and take a look at the big alarm relay up there. You can just remove the relay and jumper the 15 and 87 sockets with a short wire and you should never have any alarm-related problems again.

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

Mike B

Any success to report Mike?

wcj928

When removing my Glovebox I found a large cable with an approximate 10 pin blue connector that was not connected to anything. Someone had jumpered two of the pins and taped it up. Is this the connector for the alarm relay? I couldn't see where it originally connected. What does the alarm relay look like? Will the alarm work jumpered like you describe? Thanks

Walter Jones
1989 928 GTS4
Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Landseer

Virginia has been in the single digits the last few mornings. We are an hour west of Williamsburg and have a foot of new snow. I'm thinking we may have to wait a couple of days for an update.

dprantl

Yes, that sounds like the connector for the alarm. This connector would plug into a large relay, about 3" by 3". It has "Hella" written on it and a schematic of the pin numbers. It seems someone already removed the relay and jumpered the connections. However, sometimes people jumper the wrong pins (like 30 and 87 instead of 15 and 87). This can lead to battery draining problems.

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

wcj928

Dan, do these relays go bad? Is there a reason people do not simply replace the relay? (Besides Money) I also noticed my hood/engine light has no power and I read that spring switch on the firewall that controls it is part of the alarm system. Maybe that is why it does not work. Thanks in advance.

Walter
89 928 GTS4

SteveG

Relays have moving parts, doesn't move much, but they get old, and could corrode. My '85 is unmollested other than a Kenwood receiver. I don't think anything else is changed in the CEP, but when I got it the alarm was getting stray electrons from somewhere and going off w/o reason anywhere from 1 to 4 hours after locking. There was also a problem with the under hood light and/or the plunger switch for the light. I didn't need that pitiful light and I don't need the alarm, which can cause a no-start condition. Jumpered the alarm as above and all is well.

dprantl

Yes, relays fail. I'm not certain of the track record of the alarm relay itself, but it's probably similar to other relays. That alarm relay is probably pretty expensive compared to normal ones, so that may be a reason why it is bypassed. Also, some people don't like alarms at all and just take it out because of that. Who's going to steal a 20 year old car worth $10k?

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

Fly Navy

Thanks for all the ideas - hadn't checked here in a while. Mine is an 87 S4.

That's interesting about the rear hatch...

Tonight I tried swapping the relays. The horn works - so I first swapped its relay for the fuel pump and vice versa...horn worked with fuel pump relay installed, but car still won't start...turns over, but won't start.

Next swapped the working horn relay (actually the fuel pump relay now) into the LH Fuel Injection relay slot and vice versa ... horn still works, but car won't start...turns over, but won't start. So, I'm guessing those three identical relays are all good!??

Haven't tried flooring the pedal and trying to start...didn't think you ever did that with electronic fuel injected cars.

Next will pull the plugs and see what they look like...also thinking of putting a new fuel filter in I've got on the shelf.

Cold snap's over.

For those of you that store your 928's are you aware of the problems associated with ethanol blended gasoline. Boat owners especially complaining about it gumming up their engines. http://www.mvtimes.com/news/2006/07/...l_additive.php

r/MM