I am not mechanical so be patient. I own a 95 993. From time to time I have difficulty with starting it up! I have begun to notice that (it seems) when I turn off the engine without letting it idle for a minute or so this causes the re starting issue. Is there something about letting this car idle for a minute or so before turning it off or do I have a problem requiring a mechanic?

 

The manual says: "Do not stop engine immediately after hard or extended driving. Keep engine running at increased idle for about two minutes to prevent excessive heat buildup before turning off engine."

My car failed to start last night after I pulled into a coffee stand and turned off the engine for a few minutes without letting it idle as mentioned above. Took a few turns of the starter to fire. I don't know if that was the problem for sure (just got the car recently.)

 

While it may be a good practice, there is nothing I'm aware of that mandates a brief idle duration prior to shutdown .... and equally, a quick shutdown should not restrict a quick restart.

So detail what happened on the poor restart: the starter turned over at normal speed? - or dragged its heels? Starter made normal noises? - or sounded unusual? When it 'caught', the engine sounded normal? - or was a bit rough, and puffed smoke ( colour?) from the exhaust?, etc., etc.

All such observations assist in diagnostics .... if there is something to diagnose .

 

I think the owner's manual is referring to a hard run, not an average drive around town. If I've been pushing mine hard, I'll let it idle a few seconds before I shut it off, otherwise I don't bother with the rest period.

Your problem may be the starter. I just had my starter replaced last week because of a bendix problem. It would start fine the first time, then after driving it, it would take 2 - 3 times to start, sometimes even more. It made a whirring sound as if it was trying but couldn't engage. The problem started to get worse so I bit the bullet and got a new starter before it stranded me.

 

I had an issue with my former 911 SC, that the starter would stick when it was hot, so at the track I had trouble re-starting after sessions. There are a couple of solutions, one, hit the starter with a hammer to unstick it, push start the car, and finally, get a new starter.

My problem wasn't an idle issue, just an old starter. Once I replaced it, the problems went away.

Never had the problem on my 993.

 

If you start it cold let it warm up a bit before you shut it off. I started my 95 for a few seconds to move it in the garage and the next day it didn't want to start. My 96 Accord is the same way and will run very rough until it clears itself out.

 

What are the exact condition under which the problem occurs? Does it occur on cold starts only, hot starts only, after it sits but is still warm or is there a pattern at all?

When you have the problem, does the starter spin normally (Dee-Dee-Dee-Dee-Dee) or does it drag (Unuh...Unuh...Unuh...Unuh)?

Is there any kind of additional/different noise(s) (Screeches, grinding, whirring, etc.) that occur when the problem is present vs when it isn't?

Any more smoke on hard starts than easy starts ? If so, what color?

This info will help...