dentalalf

This is my first Porsche and my first visit to this forum! Anyway, I just picked up the above car wih 128,000 miles. Between 2005 and now, it has been driven only 12,000 miles. It seems as if the car lacks some "pep" and is sluggish when the light turns green. A couple of people who have driven it say it feels as though it's starting out in second gear when they hit the accelerator from a stopped position. Is this normal for an '87 automatic? It doesn't slip out of gear. Do you think I should start with the trans fluid or that the trans itself needs to be checked , or that I just need to drive it 100 miles at highway speed to "blow it out"? (I've only driven it 150 miles or so (non-highway) since I bought it. Any and all ideas are appreciated, as is the name of an independent Chicago area shop. Thanks!

JG928S4

check trans fluid level, do a search, it will tell you how. Drive it, manually shift it through the gears, keep it in low and let it warm up a bit. I would put another 100 on it if it has sat a while.

polecat702

I have an 87 S4 Automatic, it normal for the car to start out in 2nd gear. The auto trans is programed to start that way, the car has enough low end torque that it doesn't need to start in first gear. Drive to a desearted spot and floor it, it wll pin you to the seat.

Landseer

Can you post a few pictures of the engine compartment?

Most of the 32V automatics I've come across behave this way until they are given a mid-life refresh.

Intake rubber degrades and allows air to bypass the metering system.
Knock sensor materials fail and car electronically times itself to minimize damage from knocks.
Transmission pressure cable for downshifts and holding gears longer (bowden cable) is stretched a bit and needs adjustment.
Kickdown actuator under gas pedal needs adjustment.

Deep pedal should get you first gear on a start from stop.


Here's the scoop on second gear starts. The change was discussed in the 1988 tech bulletin. Looks like some 1987 cars had the change:
Changes on Upshift and Downshift Program (Introduced in Spring of 1987)
I n the past cars with an A 28 automatic transmission always moved off in 1st gear and shifted down
into 1st gear with a noticable jolt shortly before stopping while rolling to a stop . A changed shift
program in the valve body now makes it possible to also move off and roll to a stop in 2nd gear for
certain operating conditions .

polecat702

BTW, Both you and JG need to join Rennlist. Then go to the new members area, it contains all the information that you'll need to know, and answer most of your questions about your 928.
Welcome to the shark tank.

cold_beer839

It will start in 2nd unless you drop it into "2" while stopped or your speed is under 10mph.

Have the flex plate relieved and crank shaft end-play checked since thrust bearing failure is a concern for automatic trans '87 and later 928s.

IcemanG17

BINGO

Some owners have noticed when the tranny fluid gets low or old it gets slower to shift & sometimes won't kickdown when wanted...so thats the 1st thing to check

If you start with the trans in 2 it will always start in 1st gear...anything else it starts in 2 then downshifts to 1 if enough throttle is applied...thats assuming the bowden cable is tight, which they are NOT on many 928's

Landseer

To be clear, he might just be experiencing instant or very early upshift due to bowden being loose ( I guess that's what you meant).

The transmission could easily be a 1st gear start version, as only late 87 might have had the 88 2nd gear start.


We've had some guys with 86's posting similar problems, and my 85 did it, too.

dentalalf

I should also mention that trans was rebuilt at about 115,000 miles. Thanks for everyone's input so far.

Landseer

If you acquire the CD set from Rog100 it will have a lot of technical information and descriptive troubleshooting that will help. Also, there is plenty of searchable themes in this thread -- rennlist posting archives are deep and helpful. There are ways to wake these cars up.

Joe '87 S4

What number was it off the production line (last 4 digits of VIN)? Mine is an early '87, #356 and it always starts in first gear.

Landseer

I don't know. Somewhere I read it was a soft transition late in the year but I can't find the reference.

AO

My '87 does it too. #0086.

928autobahndreamer

I think it was around mid year 87 that it changed as my 87 #1387 is a second gear start. Have to drive it with the shifter to wake it up.

John Speake

A good intial investment, after you have checked the flex plate, is to swap the chips in your LH (fuel ) and EZk (igntion) ECUs for MY88 versions. Then you will be able to put a diagnostic tester on the car.

This will proably show up faulty knock sensor(s) Hall sensor etc. These will blunt the performance.

Also get you MAF calibration checked, if it is the original MAF at 128k miles, it will almost certainly aged out of spec and that will blunt throttle response, torque and power.