HelpImNewAtThis

I recently came into possession of my late fathers '89 944 Turbo that has been sitting in a Garage since 2012/13 when my father passed, according to my uncle, my grandfather drove it to the gas station to refuel it and after he got done putting gas in it the car refused to start. It was towed back to his home and left in the garage ever since then. I recently came into possession of it and would like to get it running again. So far I know that it refuses to start (for unknown reasons) and I also noticed that the clutch pedal was stuck depressed against the firewall but returned forward when I gently tugged on it. So far I've bought a new battery for it, drained the oil and bought some more to replace it (haven't put it in yet though) and a new oil filter (just lightly screwed in place for now). I also plan to siphon the gas out of the tank and replace it with some fresh gas before I attempt to start the car, but I don't know if there is anything else I should replace before I attempt to start it and work on troubleshooting the no-start condition. My current level of technical expertise is basically nil (I do have a copy of the haynes repair manual), however I have essentially infinite free time as I am currently a NEET. I'll also note I have ZERO interest in selling this car as it has great sentimental value to me (first car I ever drove), and I would really rather not take it to a mechanic for stuff I could reasonably fix myself (even if it takes me hours/days/weeks of reading/watching videos/etc to learn how to do) as again I have lots and lots of free time.

Tom M'Guinn

Welcome to Rennlist! Sounds like a great car with high sentimental value -- and you've come to the right place for help.

The clutch pedal is almost certainly bad hydraulics. Plan to change the master, slave and the line in between them, and get a MOTIVE or other pressure bleeder. Read up on that here, as is can be a pain to bleed. Before trying to start/crank the car, I'd check and change the timing and balance shaft belts and rollers (and might as well do the water pump while you're in there). If it's been sitting for 6 or 7 years, it's well beyond it's recommended time to change. And if they break, they can bend valves, etc. I'd also inspect the fuel lines under the hood for any signs of leakage, and probably replace them with one of the many replacement kits available. They all leak eventually, and can burn the car to the ground if/when the gas drips onto the hot exhaust headers right below. Be sure to change the brake fluid and check the brakes too before going anywhere in it. Probably worth doing that when you fix the clutch hydraulics since they use the same fluid. Before your first crank, you may want to pull the plugs and let the motor spin until you build oil pressure, as all the oil galleys are probably dry as a bone.

As for the no start, it's hard to say without a bit more investigating. It could be as simple as a bad DME relay, but other common no-start problems on these cars include frayed speed and reference sensor connector wires; frayed injector connector wires; bad ignition switches; alarm system problems; cracked DME/KLR solder joints; and a host of other less common things. Once the timing belt is fresh, I'd check the basics -- do you have spark at the plugs and fuel at the injectors when you crank it? Are you getting any sputtering or nothing at all when you crank? Is the boost gauge going to 1 when you turn on the key but don't crank the motor? Are you getting tach bounce when you crank the motor? If you investigate a bit and get answers to those questions, it will go a very long way in pointing you in the right direction. There are a ton of people on RL eager to help you sort it out, so don't hesitate to ask questions as you get up to speed. Everyone starts somewhere!

black944 turbo

Welcome to the fun. An 89 turbo is a great place to start. I will echo what Tom said and do some basic digging and change the belts first.

Those of us that have been around a while can help you trouble shoot and Tom is probably one of the best resources around.

Good luck.

jerome951

Sorry to hear about your father's passing but this sounds like a great learning opportunity for you.

First of all, the Haynes manual is pretty much worthless for a turbo. Clark's Garage has much better diagnostic and repair information.

The fact it was running before putting gas then wouldn't restart means it's likely something pretty basic (either DME relay or DME or KLR issue).

Where are you located? I'd suggest making friends with someone close by with good 944 knowledge and spare parts who is willing to tutor you for beer money. You've got great resources on this site for additional troubleshooting help.

HelpImNewAtThis

I actually only live about an hour+ from them according to google. Do they sell like a repair manual or something?

Also, how should I go about getting the gas outta the car? Just siphon it from the tank or is there a better method?

mtnman82

Clark's Garage website, an excellent reference for these cars:

https://clarks-garage.com/

click on the 'Garage Shop Manual' for a wealth of go-to maintenance procedures.

Tom M'Guinn also has some great stuff:

https://members.rennlist.com/tom86951/

And another good site is refresh951's:

http://www.refresh951.com/

Tom M'Guinn

No, no, THIS Clark's Garage:

http://www.clarks-garage.com/

Siphoning would be the easiest, but would leave a lot of gas in the lines and tank etc. You could undo the hoses at the bottom of the tank to the filter, maybe with the fuel pressure regulator (FPR) and damper lines disconnected in an effort to let them drain. Should change the fuel filter anyway... If you go that route, I'd probably remove the fuel rail under the hood and separately drain it, as it has a magical ability to retain fuel... If you wanted to go all out, there's a strainer filter in the hose port at the bottom of the tank. Probably not a terrible idea to replace that or at least remove it and clean it. Tank would be empty after that but still worth clearing out the lines and fuel rail too.

GPA951s

Sorry to hear about your father passing. Great to hear you are going to get this car back on the street and WELCOME to the community. All the above information is spot on, and If I might throw in one more suggestion is to Join The Porsche Club. (PCA). There are a TON of resources there including people like myself who have owned and loved these cars for over 20 years... Going to the meetings and making friends, sharing stories about the car and most of all you will find like-minded people who have these same models. I have a TON of spares, and 3 of these cars, so for me it becomes E-Z to swap parts out to find problems, People in the club will not-doubt lend you parts for troubleshooting purposes and then when you find the "offending part" you can just go out and purchase it and you haven't wasted any money "guessing" at several new parts that were unnecessary.

Dan Martinic

I Googled "clark's garage" and two locations came up. One is in Brampton, ON. Since it's a Transit facility, it's a long shot, but if that's you, I'm fairly nearby, and I'd be happy to come over and help out with some things--whatever I've had experience with, which includes some of the usual issues. Just let me know

bumflick

My condolences on your loss, congrats on inheriting a great car and welcome to rennlist.

There is a sticky at the top of this list regarding maintenance. I have dumped it into a table, printed and laminated it, then stuck it on my garage wall. Checked off what I have done.

In addition to what others have said...
Check the operation of the brake calipers. Entirely possible one or more corners may have seized while the car was sitting. If you replace the brake fluid, you should check while bleeding the system.

Your tires are most certainly no good. They may hold air and look great, but 7 plus year old tires will not be safe.

Check under the hood for signs of critter infestation. They like to chew on wires.

Before you crank it, pull the plugs and drop a bit of lubricant (marvel mystery oil?) Into each cylinder.

Def hand crank it to make sure internals are not frozen, before hitting the starter.