fraggle

87 S4 5 speed.

Turn key, everthing lights up. No crank. No noise at all.

I replaced the ignition switch a couple months and thought that fixed it. Problem came back today.

Figure I'll check the neutral safety switch at the clutch first.

When that checks out fine, where should I go next?

mickster

For a drink? Car have the factory alarm?

Mrmerlin

after checking that the battery connections are clean and tight,
I would swap out the starter relay .

Kevin in Atlanta

Check the connectors at the front of the spare tire well. Back in the day my 86.5 auto would not start hot. Was not getting 12 volts at the CE board. We traced it back to one of the connectors back there - It had become frayed. Been a long time, but I think the ground to solenoid or ignition was preventing the 12 volts.

SeanR

Check the condition of the yellow wire at the 14 pin connector. If it's starting to look like this picture, it could be the cause.

fraggle

Thanks for the tips guys, I'll check this stuff and report back. After a drink, I think. This is definately one of the depression months of the manic depressive cycle of 928 ownership.

fraggle

... Yes car has the factory alarm.

When it acts like this, it will bump start right up. Last year I got into the habit of parking on hills all the time.

tmpusfugit

That suggests a bad starter. If one of the windings in the starter burns out (open) it will behave like this.......specifically no start at all on occasion, but most often it starts fine. If the starter stops on a good winding all is well, it starts, if it stops on the bad winding, nothing happens when the key is turned (if it is on the bad winding sector) And if it bump starts then that really does point to the starter itself. I had the problem in my '84 several years ago. Rebuilt starter from local firm, never had the problem again...

soontobered84

Also, check that the starter shaft is fully retracting into the starter. If it doesn't fully retract due to gunk/dirt/grime, the starter will not spin. I used brake cleaner to clean the non-retracted starter shaft and loosen the 30 year old grease and then spray lube when the starter would retract and spin.

Tom in Austin

As Shawn taught me, jump the yellow wire at the 14-pin connector and the starter should turn. If it does, then the problem is somewhere before that ...

Captain_Slow

If you hear "nothing", not even the click of the low current solenoid that bridges the contacts of the high current circuit to the starter motor, then it seems it is not a problem in the starter. Seems to suggest it is likely in or around the multi pin connector (or it's another classic clean grounds and connections issue). Doesn't the factory alarm system, when functioning, require a button to be pressed under the dash while turning the key? Maybe something is up with that part of the system (open or shorted?).

AO

+1. Had same issue on my GT. New starter cured it.. But have a few drinks first.

fraggle

Tonight I'm following the drinking advice.

I'll try jumping the 14pin yellow wire after an inspection... Tomorrow, when I've run out of beer.

drwhosc

I fell your pain fragile. Mine starts, but is not running well right now, I had to take the step back theory and I am waiting a few weeks to get back into it. Turning my attention to my 944. Going to prob sell that one...

Mrmerlin

I would swap out the starter relay before messing with the 14 pin connector.

IDK how many of these S3/S4 series I have got running with the same issue.

FWIW it seems that cars that have seen long periods of cranking,
will run the starter relay hot ,
and it will eventually melt some part inside the relay.

SO if you have had some of these events recently then the starter relay is prime.