Halflunar

Hi all!
I've recently rescued a 928 that has been sitting in outdoor storage for six years. Suffice to say, it's condition is rough at best. I've known of this car for some time and I know some of it's history.
Upon trailering it home, I discovered there is no power going to the starter when the key is turned. The dash lights come on and the headlights/turn signals, radio all work, but nothing at the starter. PO had said it sometimes had a problem like this and it was a problem with the "anti-theft".
Using this forum I disabled the factory alarm (1983 928) pulling the "Z" connector and jumping Z1 to Z6 and then disconnecting the negative battery cable. I still have dashboard power but nothing when I turn the key (other than dashboard power), which is to say the car won't start not even a click click click at the starter or any evidence the starter is attempting to engage.
You see I had thought it might be the alarm ignition cut out coming on for what I understand can be a variety of reason and so sought to di-activate the alrm for diagnostic purposes. The PO had stipulated that "often the car would not start if you unlocked the car from the drivers side door (The lock does work but if you lock it either with the key or from inside it won't activate the passenger side lock, however if you use the key on the passenger side it will lock and unlock all the door locks, locking the car from the drivers side using the key had formerly activated the ignition cut out feature of the alrm)."
So you can see where I thought it might be an alarm problem again.
I'd like to see if it can at least "start" before I embark on what will be a very long term project.
And to compound the problem, from what I'm reading 928 problems are made harder to diaganos as each year had particular differences so please if you have solutions or suggestions I hope they will be 1983 specific :-)
Thanks in advance for any input!
Addedum: It ran fine when parked and when this problem occured in the past the PO simply used the passenger side key to lock and then unlock all the door and the car would start.

GlenL

Your problem is "no power to solenoid." The power from the battery runs to the starter and from the starter to the jump post in the engine bay and from there into the rest of the car. Since you have dash lights the main feed is good.

You'll need manuals and wiring diagrams to proceed. Dig around the internets for those. Often available for free download. The ignition switch can go bad. Could be the solenoid itself.

Halflunar

Seems logical.
I suppose a simple test light probe to the hot side of the solenoid when a buddy turns the key (obviously very safely, in neutral, wheels choked) would at the very least tell me if I'm getting power to the solenoid, thereby narrowing it down to the ignition switch or the solenoid.
I'm assuming (for the 1983 model) I've disabled the alarm system properly, so that "shouldn't be" activating the ignition cut out feature of the anti-theft system.

Hm....I wonder if there's a starer relay though? Could be that might be bad if there is one?

GlenL

Possibly.

D'ya have this?
https://www.928gt.com/t-8384fuse.aspx

All the cool owners have one stuck in their fuse panel.

Halflunar

Thanks for that! I see there is a starter relay!
Anyone know of a test for that relay? Chime in!

dr bob

Starter relays are used on the automatic cars so the neutral safety switch has a chance to interrupt the trigger (50) circuit to the starter solenoid. Standard/manual trans cars have a jumper in that relay socket.

Get the Morehouse manuals on CD, including the wiring diagrams. Anybody with a 928 and more tools than what comes in the car's toolkit must have the manuals for virtually any work on the car beyond adding gas and oil to it. Roger at 928s R Us has them.

Fogey1

+1. Best ~$80 (iirc) you'll ever spend on the car.

Good luck and there's also this:
http://members.rennlist.com/pirtle/zelec_cleaning.txt

Or you could drop a little more:
https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...e-manuals.html

Mrmerlin

with a helper and elex diagram open the 14 pin connector under the hood,
find the starter solenoid wire and have the helper turn the key to crank position with the test light see if the car side of the harness has 12V,
if not then swap out the start relay XIV its the 7th relay from the left on the top row and its a 53 relay.
with the connector still separated take a jumper wire and connect it to the hot post stud then touch the other end to the starter solenoid wire on the engine side this should turn the starter if the starter wont turn then you have a bad connection at the battery terminals or ignition switch or CE panel relay or the starter,
Or it is locked up or the engine is seized.

Kiln_Red

If your horn works, then swap relay X with XIV to verify that it is not just the relay at fault. If the horn still blows and the starter doesn't engage, then have a helper turn the key while you apply a 12V test light to the starter connections. If there is power, then your starter is probably froze. When you release the key from the start position, can you hear the fuel pump run for a moment? It should make a buzzing sound at the rear of the car.

Kiln_Red

Didn't mean to echo you there, Stan. I was typing as you responded.

Yeah. What ^^he said.

Kiln_Red

Considering that your fuel pump is very likely to be seized, perhaps it would be better to ask it this way.. When you turn the key to START, do all of the instrument warning lights go out?

Mrmerlin

No worries Austin,

Here is a link to pin identification

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...nector+diagram

Halflunar

Terrific input! I'll try this either friday or saturday and let you know what happened :-)

Halflunar

That sounds like a pretty simple test! I'll be trying it out either friday or saturday. Thank you for the valuable input :-)

Alan

This is true only for the first production years ('78-'81 I think) - after that manual and auto cars all have the starter relay.

Alan