Russ359

OK, trying to get my 1992 C2 on the road. Charged battery and tried starting the car. Starter appears to engage, but engine does NOT turn over. Light dim etc. I also tried while a 50 amp booster was connected to the battery. There is no "clicking noise" common when the battery is low on charge. Was a new battery about two years ago. Car had been sitting about a year. Could the engine be seized? (yikes) any way to manually rotate the engine while still in the car? Any suggestions?

whalebird

Most likely your battery is toast. A failed battery (internal short) will prevent a jump from a booster. Try a known good battery - it's better for the car anyway.

Russ359

reason I do not think it is the battery is the battery was new 2 years ago and has been disconnected from the car for over a year. Recharged the battery an it holds 12.3 volts. Everything else powers up fine (radio, lights strong etc) only when I go to start sounds like the starter engages but cannot turn the engine over. No clicking. Hence my thought the engine is stuck.

whalebird

12.3 volts is not that good. A fully charged battery makes about 12.75 volts. A completely dead battery makes 12.0 volts. If at any point your battery makes less than 12.0 volts, it's pretty much gone. Battery failure rate(in new batteries) is over 40%. They are just fragile. You may have a replacement warranty - most batteries have up to 3 years free replacement.
Also, make sure the battery terminals are in good shape.
It is highly unlikely your motor has seized.
I would suspect that if you take the charger off the battery, hit the ignition key, and then check your battery voltage after a couple of minutes, your probably only making 8-10 volts.
Keep us up to date on how this goes.

OUR9II

For peace of mind, rotate engine to rule out a seized ring. It's likely fine, and then try another battery.

https://rennlist.com/forums/964-foru...ng-engine.html

whalebird

I think thats good advice above. If a 5 spd car, put it in 4th/5th gear and bump it forward and backward with the deck lid open and look for the fan turning. With out the e-brake engaged of course and on flat ground

springer3

I have not had any problem rotating the engine using the alternator bolt. Just put thumb pressure on the slack side, and you get plenty of torque on the crank shaft. Just make sure the trans is in neutral (don't ask...).

Indycam

Put a known good battery in it before you do anything else .
A normal lead acid battery that has been sitting unused for a year is a bad battery .
Batteries need to be topped up each month .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU0r9...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk4Dx...eature=related
How to use starter fluid 101 .

springer3

Impressive videos. The 917 was almost certainly laid up by professionals who removed all fuel and any old fluids. The protective caps from the air horns are sitting on the rear shelf. The car was stored in a humidity-controlled environment, or else surely the engine would be frozen up after 17 years.

For practical and safety reasons I recommend staying away from starter fluid. An electric fuel pump makes it unnecessary, as fuel will reach the injectors without needing the engine to turn. That looks like mechanical injection on the 917. The only way to get fuel flowing is to run the engine - a rare exception where starter fluid is the only practical way to get fuel to the injectors. The fire extinguisher shows those guys know the risks.

With typical engine-driven fuel pumps, starter fluid is not necessary. The trick I learned from starting laid-up boats and cars is to loosen the mounting nuts on the fuel pump just enough to rock the pump by hand. That would operate the pump lever. Pump by hand until the float bowls are full of fresh, clean fuel. Operate the throttle pumps a couple of times, and set the choke. Most of the time the engine fired up on the first crank. Don't forget to re-tighten the fuel pump!

After a year, there is some risk that your fuel is degraded. The best way to pull a sample is by connecting a hose to the test ports on the FI rails and operating the electric fuel pump. You can also get a sample at the fuel filter by loosening the fuel line. If the fuel is brown or smells funky, it is a good idea to drain it and fit a fresh fuel filter.

Starting a 964 after only a year should be no big deal, but a lot depends on the moisture and temperature swings where the car was stored.

You are local. PM me if you want a hand.

Indycam

Only way ?

Really ?

They are careful with 20 year old fuel line and fuel system seals ...

Starter fluid is less dangerous than gasoline .

Akerlie

Indycam, a bit off topic here but starter fluid has an autoigniton temperature of about 160 degrees C while gasoline has an autoignition temp of approx. 250 to 280 degrees C, while both have a flashpoint at approx -40.

springer3

+1. And that is not all: Float bowls and FI lines keep the fuel in liquid form until it is pulled into the cylinder. You have a flammable or explosive vapor mixture the instant you spray the starter fluid - that is why it works, afterall.

The starter, ignition cables, and the generator/alternator are all potential spark sources, especially in old equipment. Backfires are notorious for igniting starter fluid vapors in the engine bay. Starter fluid is not needed, so why not promote safer methods?

Indycam

Ok , thems the specs .
Are you saying that gasoline in safer because of the autoingnition temp ?
If so , thats only part of the overall picture and not a very important one .

ltc

If the car has been sitting for a while, I would strongly recommend pulling the fuse/relay for the fuel pump and/or ignition.

Crank the car until full oil pressure has been built up, release the key, wait about a minute, repeat and verify full oil pressure.

Replace the relay/fuse, start the car normally. While idling, check for any obvious leaks, then slowly drive off and drive the car until everything comes up to full temperatures, re-check for fluid levels and leaks.

Russ359

Thanks, good suggestion on cranking with the fuel pump fuse pulled. As soon as I get some time I will get a new battery and give all this a whirl and report back.