I dropped the 993 off yesterday so the shop could address the non-closing suroof. I rarely use it, weather here has been gorgeous, 80s, low humidity (for a change). I'd just as soon not even have one, but that's not the point of this post...

They ordered a part, might come in today, might leave it for the weekend, BUT again I digress ...

After I drop it off I get a call asking if I'd had any trouble starting the car, no I haven't, not a problem, even put in a new battery about a month ago.... I'm told it wouldn't start
for them so they started the diagnosis process (suspecting fuel supply as battery and starter motor were fine and starter was getting juice).

Apparently a previous owner (and not done at this shop even though the car had been in this shop a couple times before I bought it) had put in a 'kill switch' under the passenger seat, a non-original-equipment part, wired to the fuse box and to the fuel pump with SPEAKER wire. Neither the fuse box or the fuel pump had had any issues in eons so this wasn't something that had been noticed or looked for. The wires were starting to melt, shorted out, fuel pump had no juice, so battery & starter motor were fine, just no fuel to start.

What's ironic is that I just put a fire extinguisher in the car, this could have happened elsewhere AND not only not started and stranded me but where there's smoke..... (no smoke in this case). I'm really fortunate on this one.

I'm thankful it failed to start there at the shop, and reasurred my faith in the guys there because it would have been easy to tell me I needed a new fuel pump and I'd have been none the wiser. 15year old car, 68k miles, things happen (like the sunroof mechanism)...

I can't wait to see this switch (they're saving it and the speaker wire for me)..... some people should just be whipped with a suspension spring for crap like this.

I don't know if the previous owner did it themselves or had someone do it, but whoever did should just be flogged. No WONDER the service writer at the shop is so VERY opposed to anything aftermarket/not-OEM (or now obviously even more opposed to red-neck-juryrigging).

A kill switch could be a good idea, and while I don't know squat about electrical wiring, even I could have known not to wire automotive electrical components with speaker wire.

I briefly thought about having it rewired properly but decided 'get that crap out of my car'. If someone wants it badly enough to steal it, then that's fate, and I'll take an insurance settlement and move on. I don't want red-neck jury rigging in my car. The only non-OEM stuff on that car are the DACH X-pipe, gauge rings and extinguisher bracket. Everything else is OEM, 996 steering wheel, even the DACH-gutted 993 mufflers, and the 993RS stuff that has found its way onto the car (Speedline wheels,RS shiftknob,RS front strut brace).

 

Scary stuff...glad you found the way you did!

It is amazing how little some people are of proper electrical wiring.

You are right...if someone really wants these cars they will flat bed it off before you know it.

Cheers!

 

LOL, you'd think the immobilizer would be enough!

 

If I'm not mistaken I do not have that feature (and to be perfectly honest I don't even know what it does). My 95 was pretty much a bare bones car (although I will admit I have not compared the trunklid sticker with the Cert of Auth ordered by the prior owner that I inherited)...

now wouldn't it be ironic if the prior owner is also the instigator of the crappy wiring but was concerned enough about his car's authenticity that he ordered (and paid for) the Porsche Cert of Auth ?

 

Hey, can you post a DIY? If all that it takes is being a red neck, a radio shack switch and some speaker wire ... I am in!

You were definitely lucky!

 

And be thankful the 95's don't have the immobilizer, what a pain.

If it is wanted bad enough, flatbed defeats any "public parking" theft deterrent.

And then there is this . . . .

Paris

and this . . .

Japan language warning

 

I've done this plenty of times, I've put fuel pump kills in many of my cars. Never had an issue. But then again I know how to wire stuff. Speaker wire? Seems overkill if it's that really thick braided stuff. It is important to use good soldering skills and also insulate wires located in warm/hot areas.

You actually don't need to have wires going to anywhere hot in the 993 to do a fuel pump kill. And the way I do them it's totally reversible on the fly. If something fails you'd never be stranded.

Totally agree that if they really want it they'll flat bed it. In NJ we do have problems with kids who love to hot wire cars and joy ride them. They then find your car and your left with the carnage because unless it's totaled the insurance company isn't going to just right it off for you.

 

I hear you which is why none of my cars or motorcycles ever end up in any shop.

There are craftsmen and then there are the rest.

I've done a lot of wiring; installation of a fuse block in a motorcycle for example to connect accessories to, instead of a kazillion wires going to the positive battery post. I don't use electrical tape and if I do, its the self vulcanizing type, or my preferred method, high quality heat shrink. As for wire, I like aircraft grade teflon wire with a braided shield, the latter not for noise but for abrasion resistance and protection.