Crystal Cranks

Ok here's the deal,
Had a starting problem last year and got a new DME relay problem solved....... Till now. Same problem as before when I turn the key i get fast clicking sound from the dash with the lights on the dash flicking ,the starter does not crank .If I keep the key turned this just dies to nothing , after a few tries there was no power at all could not even lock the doors! A few seconds later the door locked/unlocked and after a few more tries she fires up!

When this happens I cannnot hear the fuel pump.
I switched the DME relays around while trying to start but I dont think I have two bad DME relays. Will the starter still turn with a bad relay?
The starter was replaced last year when i got the car.
If the battery was bad would it have started at all?
I'm thinking maybe a bad earth, where exactly do I check?
Hope I've given enough info for your help.

Indycam

The motor will crank with a bad DME relay .
If you pull the relay out and then hit the starter switch , it will crank .

I'm thinking , maybe a bad switch ?
Just a wild **** guess from half way around the globe .

Rocket Rob

I suspect your battery.

If you jump the battery to a known good one, will the car start? If yes, then you need a new one.

If the jump doesn't work, then I would suspect the battery and starter connections. I would first check for loose connections and corrosion on the ground straps. There are two to check. One at the battery going from the negative terminal to the side of the trunk. The other is hard to see but goes from the starter attachment bolt to the underside of the car.

Good luck.

Indycam

"A few seconds later the door locked/unlocked and after a few more tries she fires up!"

The bit about it firing up makes me think the battery is ok .

Crystal Cranks

Thanks for the help

Went out today same thing would not start at first then after a few tries it
started.Cleaned the battery connections and tried again and it started ok. Then tried a few more times to make sure and back to the same again.

When trying to start the electrical power fades after a few tries and the alarm goes off and it can lose all power ( no dash lights or electrical clicks) If left a few seconds it comes back but seams weak but sometimes it will start.

The battery is showing 12.6 volts there is no voltage drop when trying to start and it does not start, could a bad cell cause this? Is there anything else that can stop electrical power in the system?

Indycam

The ignition switch sends a signal to the starter solenoid , the solenoid connects the battery to the starter motor .

If the switch is messed up , no signal is sent to the solenoid .
If the solenoid is messed up the connection from the battery to the starter motor does not happen .

Thats where I would start looking .

"The battery is showing 12.6 volts there is no voltage drop when trying to start and it does not start, could a bad cell cause this?"
If you have another car with a known good battery , switch the battery out for the know good one .
If the car has the same problem with the known good battery , its not the battery .

Richard Curtis

A good battery should show 13 to 13.5 volts. Once she starts again, check the battery voltage again... should be around 14.

FWIW, I think you've got a battery problem or maybe a starter solenoid.

Indycam

I find it hard to believe a battery could fail fail fail and then work .

A good calibrated meter on a fully charged battery should show 13 to 13.5 , but we don't know his meter and he has been cranking the motor now and then to try and find the problem , so I'm not sure the battery is fully charged . A good battery could show less than 11 volts , if its been drained and not yet recharged .
Post recharge the voltage should be in line with your numbers .

The fact that the battery starts the motor at some point , leads me to believe that the battery is healthy . A bad battery does not come to life after not working .

dfinnegan

The starter motor draws a lot of power.
If there is no power drop during cranking when the car won't start that suggests that the starter motor is not drawing the power, as it should.
That suggests either a bad ground at the starter motor; as Rocket Rob has suggested.
Or, a bad starter motor.

Good luck sorting it out. I know that I sure don't like it, at all, when my car is not at 100%.

Crystal Cranks

Thanks for the input guys,
I've pulled the battery and will get it tested/replaced tomorrow.

I don't think this is a solenoid/started problem, a)that does not explain the total loss of electrical power, this looks like the root of the problem b) the starter was replaced last year.
Will let you know how it goes.

Crystal Cranks

Replaced the battery with a new one just to be sure. Still had the same problem
When the key is turned to the point when the dash lights come on and left in that position the power drains and I lose all electrical power this is before I fully turn the key and the starter kicks in. Any ideas what else could cause this?

Update. I cleaned the earth on the starter. (That was easy to get to)
Started fine went for a spin and restarted a few more times when I got back hope it is OK now but I'm not convinced as it is an intermittant fault.
Will try again tomorrow and let you know.

Indycam

Ignition switch ?

http://www.automotion.com/productpag...cid=10&sid=228

"Electrical Portion Only
1970-1994 PORSCHE 911
Part Number: 903499
Price: $57.95 "

Richard Curtis

Sometimes, it's the simple things that go bad. Having owned 6 German cars, the one common fault among all of them was a tendency to have corrosion on electrical connections, particularly the grounds/earths. For some reason, i've never noticed similar ground/earth problems with American or Japanese cars.

Here's hoping that your problem is cured. Please report back after a week or so and let us know.

MisterRisky

Kudos to you for checking the easy stuff first. That's always a good plan. I hope it got it all sorted out.

Crystal Cranks

So far things look good. Starts first time for the last few days and the electrical clicks and hums you can here on startup sound stronger than before.
So I think we can mark this one down to a bad earth.
Thanks for the input.