Steve 96C4S

I suggest you have one too!

So I drive to DC yesterday to see 2 independent films, come out of the movies and my car won't start. This has happened before, actually a few times. I forgot what the fix was or what caused it. I know I had it towed last time and when I got it back they said it started right up for them. Doh!

I put the key in, all the dash lights go on, but no clicking noise, no motor trying to turn over, just dead silence. It HAD to be that *&%$#@ immobilizer again, right? I get out of the car and lock and unlock it again. I got inside it, try to turn it on again and again - nothing.

I call a few Rennlisters, 2 of them don't answer, one does. He doesn't know what it is either. Call the tow truck but they suggest a jump instead of a flat bed tow and a maybe it needs a new battery they say. I'm skeptical but I say fine. The guy comes 10 minutes later! He says the battery is fine and offers to try one last thing before he calls the tow truck.

He said he has a BMW and sometimes he does this to reset the alarm. I'm thinking, "this guy doesn't know what the heck he's talking about. This isn't a BMW. This is a 993 with a mother- *&^%ing immobilizer from hell and his BMW fix won't work on my car. But he went ahead and undid the negative cable on my battery with a 13mm socket wrench, had it off for about 15 secs and then put it back on.

The damn thing started right up. Son of a bitch, the guy was right. Yippeeeeeee! I was back on the road, instead of being towed to my repair shop in the middle of nowhere and no real way to get home from there on a Saturday other than to start dialing friends and see if anyone was free to pick me up.

So... he told me to ALWAYS have a 13mm wrench with me to get that battery cable off. I said I have a pliers that I can use but he said it could strip the nut and to use the wrench instead. Time to buy one...

But WHY would this happen in the first place? Is it a glitch to my particular car or is there some way I could have avoided this? I don't get it. To have to unplug my negative terminal connection each time Mr Immobilizer goes into "no-go stubborn mode"? Has this happened to you guys as well over the years?

Cheers,
Steve

FlatSix911

Try this next time ...



http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CEoQ8gIwBA#

axl911

That 13mm wrench is in your car's factory toolkit. 13mm and 10mm probably disassemble 90% of the car.

Mark in Baltimore

Sorry I couldn't pick up when you called but glad you figured it out.

AOW162435

Steve,
You've had numerous, similar issues over the years. It may be prudent to replace the battery ground cable. I did this 4 or 5 years ago and I think it was all of $10 from Sunset.

The cables break down where the cable itself is crimped to the ends.


Andreas

Steve 96C4S

Thanks everyone for that information. I don't think I have that tool kit by the way, in my car that came from the factory but replacing the battery ground cable for $10 sounds like a plan.

ABCar

good to know!

IXLR8

You even need a super deep offset 13 mm box end which is not in the tool kit.

Without it you cannot loosen the adjuster bolt lock-nut for the A/C so that you can loosen the A/C belt enough to get it off...to get to the cooling fan and alternator belt.

I guess you could always cut the A/C belt off to get to the other belts.

I'm turning a 20 mm long collar to slip over that A/C adjuster bolt in order to move the lock-nut further out.

Then there isn't a 24 mm box end wrench for the alternator nut either.

One really needs to put some extra tools together in a Tupperware container while on tour.

d ward

As andres said change your main earth cable.

Had same problem as you on and off for ages (even had alarm system/immobilizer replaced as thought it was that causing the problem)

But its not the disconnecting of the battery cable and the cutting off of the power which is resetting something on the car which then allows it to start.

Its the action of moving the cable when removing and reconnecting the battery connection, that seems to remake a better connection and allow more current to flow which allows the car to start.

My earth lead looked brand new, but when I put a multi meter on it, it showed very high resistance, which reduced if I wiggled the cable.

Put on a new cable never had a starting problem again.

Hope that helps, cheers

P-daddy

Great info for future reference guys

TMc993

There are these stores called "Sear's" that are located in just about every wide place in the road in the U.S....They sell something called Craftsman mechanic's tools...For $50-75 you can get a fairly complete and reasonable quality "get me home" set of tools that will fit right in the boot of your car....Open and box end wrenches, socket wrenches, ratchets, screwdrivers, pliers, etc....Ya' might want to look into buying a set...Just in case.

IXLR8

^^^ Best thing to do is confirm the measurements of the fasteners you have to deal with by using a digital caliper.

matt777

Those are made by Moroso. I run them on my Mopars which sit alot (quick disconnect). Its also a good way to theft proof a car but maybe not a 993.

tctung

I had a similar situation 3 years ago. Factory radio was dead and I replaced it with an after market. But I didn't know I had to loop the new radio with the immobilizer. That night the immobilizer detected factory radio was gone and started the alarm. In the next 2 weeks I tried numerous ways. And the last resort was an OMP battery cut off switch.

Gunter

Yeah, for sure.

There is no 24 mm wrench for the fan nut, or the 10 mm triple-square tool, or an extra shim in the tool kit; Porsche just didn't figure on supplying it for the 993.
Anyway, get a cheap 15/16" combination wrench, clamp in a vice and cut it in half with a Zip cutter blade in a 5" grinder. (Eye protection!)

Put the box-end in your special tool container along with the 10 mm triple-square tool and an extra shim.

Last summer, the belt broke on mine while touring and I found that the standard 1 shim in the pulley was making the new belt too tight.
2 shims in there feels good.

I believe in spares and tools.
Metric socket sets and Metric box-end sets for sure.