Chuck Henry

I appreciate the support. I kinda went over all the possible obvious stuff like "what could I have missed" Sunday and decided I was out of ideas and to ask for help here. I wonder if I got a faulty sensor from Pelican. The tach doesn't jump around and it was something I changed so that might be it. I know on the Audi if it doesn't work it won't start... period. So since it started and ran a little I stopped thinking that was it. Now I'm not so sure.

Wish it had the Schrader valve, I have the fuel pressure tool for that of course. I covered the ends of the fuel lines when installing them, but I wonder if something didn't still get through and plug an injector. But it's nice and smooth at the start, which doesn't seem like it would be if one wasn't spraying cleanly.

I have a cheap "fake plug" that I use as basically a slight upgrade from a nail in the plug wire to check for spark. But like you said that seems the less likely villain.

Man, it was running just last week too! I should have driven it a little before starting on the other stuff. Might have been my only chance! :-(

Chuck Henry

It was also suggested that it could be the wiring broke to the TPS or AFM with the moving around. Considering how fragile much of the wiring is, that seems entirely likely. I'll have to figure out how to test continuity on those wires. That ought to be some mental gymnastics.

raleighBahn

Wiring tests not hard - get the 944 turbo workshop manual (free download) and follow the test plan they have.

E-man930

It's acting like the AFM is not plugged in...

gpr8er

You say"The tach doesn't jump around and it was something I changed so that might be it."

speed reference sensors hooked up backwards? swap em

Rob in Oz

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it yet (I checked back through the thread) - have you tried another DME relay?

Chuck Henry

A friend mentioned that last night, sounds like something that fails fairly often. I'm still leaning towards it being something I touched when I swapped the lines, sensor, and pulled the intake. It ran before, and now it doesn't so starting with those items makes sense. However it would hardly be a waste to have a spare relay so I might order one.

I tried disconnecting the AFM and while similar it behaved different. With it unplugged it started and died almost instantly. With it plugged in, it starts, runs for about a second, and then limps badly. So I think it's getting some kind of signal. You can hear it trying to keep it running, just not very well.

Only changed the one sensor (the one that broke) so I'm sure I've got it hooked up right. I also had a friend send me a video of his "jumping" and I was able to compare it to mine and they looked the same. Leaning away from that for now.

I'll see if I can't find that info. It's good information to have regardless.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas!

Ronin-951

It sounds like a Fuel problem, have you given it some throttle when it does start? Also, check for raw fuel out the Tailpipe with a white sheet of Paper, - ya, Johnny be quick!
Fuel Map is initially set by the DME Temp Switch under Intake Runner #1, and the O2 Sensor, better check for clean connections and continuity.
Can you hear the Throttle Position Sensor 'click' as it comes off the Hard Stop?
Air Bleed/Idle Mixture/Pilot Air/ whatever?, Screw on the front of the Throttle Body is often loose in the Bore, should be somewhere around 1 1/2 turns off the bottom seat.
Just for giggles, do a suck test on the Vacuum Ports of the FPR and Damper.
These are the free tests, lets hope it ends here. Other then that kind of thing, Ignition sounds good, Injectors sound good, Ref. Sensors seem good.

Chuck Henry

Good news, it's running!! I adapter my old pressure tester and checked the connections. The wiring harness clamp had gotten under the intake manifold and was causing a big vacuum leak like many suggested. I also had a tear in the hose that goes to the bypass valve that was leaking. I got it all put together and went for my first drive! So happy right now. It stumbles right off idle when I hit the gas and also if I'm accelerating hard. Probably a cap/rotor/plugs are in order. Maybe wires too, but they look like they've been replaced at some point (Bosch). Also the boost gauge goes to one and stays there. That would indicate I have some boost correct? Is that all I should expect stock? Even with blown rear shocks it's a real pleasure to drive it.

SO EXCITED!!! Thanks to everyone for your help.

mahoney944

You may have a boost issue, or the klr hose is leaking. Do you see 1 bar all the time or do you see less the 1 at idle and 1 when you boost?.......I ask because if its 1 all the time then the line is disconnected to the klr. If less at idle but only 1 at boost then your not boosting. Boost should be closer to 2

Chuck Henry

Less at idle, 1 when I give it gas. So no boost I guess. Bummer! Well, on to the next mystery. I tried the stethoscope listening to the boost valve for a "click" as found on Clark's page and didn't hear anything. I hope to get over to a friends car and try the same test to see if there is a difference.

Question, would being at Denver altitude (6,000') make a difference? I know with my Audi I would be at 21 psi here but around 27-28 at sea level. Just wondering.

mahoney944

If you actually have no boost the car wouldn't seem fast, but rather sluggish. They have a nice launch to them even on stock boost. That's a whole new ball game of diagnosis.... Vac/ boost Leaks, turbocharger failure, wastegate failure(stuck open in your case), collapsed cat, collapsed down pipe, the list goes on

docwyte

The car has an altitude sensor Chuck. It'll hold the wastegate closed up here longer to maintain stock boost levels. You should be seeing close to "2" on the stock gauge for boost.

mahoney944

You may save yourself a headache by throwing that cycling valve into a river and installing a simple mbc

Chuck Henry

Well, at least I've narrowed down some of them. I know the vacuum system is good since I just checked it, I physically inspected the turbo and it seemed in good shape and spun freely by hand, I checked the wastegate and it was closed (not stuck open) and tried the "clamp the wastegate hose" trick and it didn't seem to change anything. I had read about the collapsed pipes, I guess I'll need to drop the exhaust next. It has an exhaust leak from where the exhaust manifold meets the downpipes and it leaks pretty bad ( a lot of smoke under the hood) if you rev it. I wonder if that points towards a collapsed down pipe. It also doesn't like to rev much.

Drove it to work, just because I wanted to drive it at least once before tearing it apart again. Even as it is I really enjoyed it!