Bluemach1

1986 944 Turbo

I am doing a LS1 conversion. I will no longer need the turbo tach w/ bar indicator so I have swapped it out for a n/a tach.

The problem is that I have put the cluster back in with the N/A tach for one last smog test with the original turbo motor. Now the car will not start. It doesnt even make a click. I can hear the fuel pump and the turbo pump run. Is this dead because the bar gauge is not in the circuit now?? Do I need to put the turbo tach assembly back in the cluster??.

The battery is charged and it load tests fine.

The car ran fine before I took the dash out (about a year ago) and it has just been sitting.

Thanks for your help.

Tom M'Guinn

I kind of doubt its the tach, if the motor doesn't even crank. Might check the power harness to the alternator and starter... and the starter.....

Bluemach1

OK. I'll look at those.

Just swapped out Relay G2 (ignition relay) and Relay G14 (ignition relay X) because I had spares (hail Mary). I did not try relay G5 (DME) yet as I dont have a spare.

There is no tach needle bounce when I turn the ignition..

I checked the reference sensor connections (not the actual sensors).

I still have nothing - no crank at all.

How would I know if it were the actual DME?

Tom M'Guinn

If the motor doesn't even crank when you turn the key, then I'd concentrate all efforts on the battery and starter system....

Bluemach1

Agreed on battery. I suspected it might be the culprit so I took it to napa earlier today and had them load test it. It is OK as well as the charge level. I hooked up the charger to it anyway to trickle charge it all the way up.

I'll check the other connections as you suggest tomorrow. I am not sure how these go bad. The car was running fine when I parked it. That was a year ago though. But still, it should still be ok?

Tom M'Guinn

All cars have some parasitic drain, even the smallest of which will kill most batteries if left for a year....

Black51

Well he said the battery checked out fine, which tends to point to the starter... A commonly failing item these days.

AScholtes

Or the ignition switch... afterall, you were playing around in it's front yard...

Ronin-951

12vdc test light to the solenoid hot [from switch], then the rubber mallet test of the solenoid/starter.

Bluemach1

Very well could have hit something while I was under the dash, I'll check. I am going to check grounds, alternator and starter connections tonight as well.

I was reading on Clarks Garage about charging the battery and boost starting with a charger.

It says: "When jump starting a 944 using a battery charger, never, ever use the battery charger's BOOST feature (if equipped). It will burn up the DME computer."

I DID use the "start" feature on my charger.

Would this completely dead / no crank / no turn over be indicitive of a blown DME computer???

arthropraxis

I had something similar happen. I would turn the ignition key and nothing would happen. The car would start when the starter was jumped. That lead me to believe my ignition switch was fried, it wasn't. I did the alarm bypass and the car would start up with the key. So, somehow the alarm got triggered and it wasn't turned on. I don't even have the key to it.
It may have something to do with the connector by the ignition switch you posted. That looked like a piece came out with the connector.

Bluemach1

Did the alarm jumper. Still nothing. moving on to alternator and starter / solinoid..

Bluemach1

I did the starter test and if I did this right, the starter is DEAD. However, I may have killed it myself. After cleaning the terminals, I was tightening the small positive terminal and I am sure it broke. its not like i was wrenching hard on it either. So maybe it was aready corroded and dead.

Anyway, hoooked it up to these terminals. And nothing. The jumpers spark but the starter does nothing. (not my starter shown. Mine is rusted pretty bad)

Bluemach1

replaced starter. fired right up after a year.

Thanks for your help.