That sounds good- and Thank you! we once took the 928 to a gig when we didn't have to take backline, that got us some looks!

 

Not that far... got to take my daughter to the airport next sun at stupid o clock if you have problems i have a guy i use locally for rads

 

We're basically in a field under the flight path-very handy for when we play overseas.
Should be ok getting it sorted, thanks :-)

 

Hey landsharklady, listen to landseer, he's in all likelyhood right on the money with the ground strap replacements. I had a very similar issue to what you've described, it drove me freakin nuts for a while, lost confidence in using her as a daily driver as I dreaded the occasional no-start leaving me high and dry. This past summer I replaced the ground straps, even though they looked fine and passed the ohm-meter test. They turn to junk inside after 20+ years and don't compete the needed grounding for this high powered electrical system. I had cleaned the ground contact points multiple times prior to that and never fixed it. New ground straps from local auto parts store and it works out like a champ. New straps were 20 bucks and nicer quality than i'd expected. I also replaced some of the terminal connectors with new ones (including all the positive side ones), and the starter 'jumper wire' (yours would be a relay) in the relay/fuse panel with a new thicker gauge wire and new connectors. THe car not only ALWAYS starts now, but actually runs a bit better too! I don't think the ecu was getting as consistent power before. Try it out, can't lose its one of the easier and cheaper fixes you can do and made a HUGE difference.

Cool band btw, love your style!

 

landsharklady.....just start reading this thread and I love your second post! I'll continue to read on and see where this goes....

 

Thanks!

I've already replaced the starter relay- first thing I did. I'll call the mechanic tomorrow and get him to switch the ground straps for new ones.
He seems to think the problem is a lose/bad connection in the CE board- I'm not so sure as there is a click from the ignition coil when car is doing it's "no start" trick, which says to me that current is getting that far.. what do you think? Starter motor has been checked and ignition switch replaced, we have to get to the bottom sometime soon!

 

Hmm.. how familiar is your mechanic with 928's?

Paying someone to learn them can get expensive, quickly.

Sign up for the 928uk mailing list and ask on there for recommendations in the home counties. http://lists.928.org.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/928uk

 

He's quite used to them, he's also very good when it comes to looking on forums for new ideas, he's upgraded the cam belt n' fuel pipes n' stuff. Had an auto electrician check it over, he thought the ignition switch was to blame- and replacing it has made a noticeable difference- no key wiggle, no more movement of the voltmeter, but it doesn't appear to have stopped this very intermittent fault.

I thought battery ground strap looks ok, sparky said engine strap didn't look bad, he's checked starter motor and battery, starter relay has been replaced, fuses replaced, I'm leaning towards new ground straps. The car is 23 years old, it's got new ATF lines, fuel lines and radiator is being re-cored, chances are the ground straps are 23 years old and could do with replacing. Not expensive to give it a go, and it's all to the good!
Anyone else got any other ideas?
Oh, the gear selector switch seems fine btw.

 

Oh, it's not with him for this fault btw, it's with him for new cam belt, radiator and crank shaft tension check- all done apart from radiator, he discovered the fault was still there and did a little investigating, he's keen to be the one who cracks it i think!
Where can I get ground straps? will any automotive supplier have them?

 

They can be improvised using the round version found at least at USA auto DIY stores.

Few mechanics live 928's like the group on rennlist. Most could benefit from spending some time here.

 

Is the in-tank fuel pump working? Simple way to test is to disconnect the main (external) fuel pump, and then jumper the fuel pump relay position. You should hear the in-tank pump running at that point.

If its not running, then it can cause a non-start when hot, as it greatly restricts flow, causing vapour lock at the main fuel pump inlet. The common fix for a failed in-tank pump on a late S4 is to replace with the in-tank strainer found in 87/88 model year 928's (which also requires replacing the hose from the tank to the fuel pump - as the diameter of the strainer fitting is slightly larger than the in-tank pump's fitting). I recently did this replacement on my '89.

 

Hilton, pretty sure the fuel pump is working, wouldn't that cause it to turn over but not start if that was the problem? And woit fail when running?.
Its really hard to do tests as its really intermittent :-(

 

Its not always hot when it fails, sometimes its just been turned on and off a few times or has done a very short drive, not able to make a sure claim for when it does it as it doesn't do it often.

 

Ground straps replacement, ground point cleaning (back of engine at top of V, both sides, beneath fuel hoses and throttle cable), CE panel cleaning, 14 pin connector clean/resolder, positive battery lug small red wire integrity. Ignition switch, too, has shown plenty of failures.

You cannot evaluate by looking at the ground straps nor test them with an ohm meter. They show no resistance to the tiny voltage used to test them by an ohm meter, but the key is that they can't pass enough quantity of electrons to move more voltage. The electrical equivalent of trying pour liquid through a funnel faster than the funnel throat can accept it.

Cut-out and no start is random and variable as a ground strap fails. The avatar car drove me crazy that way. Hot, cold, bumpy roads, smooth, rain, dry, random. Sometimes a cough, sometimes coasting a few seconds. One day it was raining, car drove great. Parked, picked up a grandkid and put him into the car, but no power to the seat. A couple clicks when trying to start. Car completely dead.

The car leaked a little in the rear hatch like many do. The battery strap often lay in the moisture / water.

Pay the ten dollars and take that out of the equation.
First, the battery to body strap. Then the engine to frame strap. Then the cleaning of grounds deep in the V (that is where all the computers and sensors ground... not near the CE panel as some believe.)

 

Thanks, tried most of that, am getting new ground straps. Can you post a pic of the 14 pin connector, I.can't place it. I think the rest has been covered