nbenn911

Hi guys. I don't post here much at all, but I do read from time to time. I am in hopes that you have seen this problem before and can help me. I have a 993 TT with 80K miles on it. I let it set for about two years. I was really busy at work as well as the usual home/work stress. Nonetheless, it was not a good enough excuse to not be driving my car. Part of the time was in a closed garage and some of the time in a barn with a back and sides, but the front was open (where some snow and rain blew in). Anyway, after all that I bought a new battery and was able to drive it to Tulsa for service (I live 40 miles south of Fort Smith, Arkansas). They did 3000.00+ worth of work which included rear tires. I should be able to track down the invoice to show you what was done. The car seemed great after that. For the first week or two there were no misses and it pulled very hard. As I recall, I had the car detailed while I was at work and then that evening on the way home it died on me for the first time. It died twice before I could get home (6 miles). It is always the same; after a few minutes it will start "missing" and then die. Just as if you turnned the key off. If you try to start it then it will just turn over and over, but never act like it is going to start. But if you wait a few minmutes (10 to 15 or more) the car will start and the same scenario repeats itself.
Maybe I can find an independent mechanic closer than Tulsa. Have any ideas about a closer independent shop--I have heard of a guy in Joplin, MO. that is spoken higly of. Otherwise, Tulsa is the closest dealer. I will have to take the car in a trailer. I am fortunate that I have an enclosed trailer and a ton truck, but do not look forward to that trip.
My brother had a 914 in the 70's and I think it did the same thing. But I don't remember for sure what we did except change a "relay" or something like that.
Anyway, thanks for reading this and mabe you can help me. Nathan

Basal Skull

? faulty DME relay.
Is it stock? does it have an aftermarket ecu? Some of the aftermarket ecu used a piggyback type chip/socket ('96) where the connections are a little prone to connection/moisture problems.

nbenn911

I think it is stock. When the issue first occured after it was washed I thought maybe something had just gotten wet and will be okay when it dried. But the issue has persisted. Can you tell me where to look for the relay you mentioned?
Thanks

Basal Skull

The DME relay is in the fuse box in the trunk. It's a known wear item and usually causes a no start issue (cranks okay). Most of us carry extra one. There's some good pics on p-car.com http://p-car.com/diy/relay/

If it's a ecu issue, often just pressing down on the top of the edu box/cover can help as there's usually a piece of foam that is glued to the inside of the ecu cover that softens as it gets old. If you look under the driver's side seat, if you can see the ecu then the ecu has been changed at one point. If all you see is a metal cover with security bolts, then your ecu is stock and has not been changed...

parsonii

i had a dme go bad and my car wouldn't start period ... my guess would be distributor cap and rotor or the wires. post a pic we're curious to see your car

nbenn911

Thanks for the help. I will take a look and see what I come up with. Regarding the pics I will have to figure how to do it, but will certainly do that.

nbenn911

The pics are not too good. I will check into what you said. I may need to go ahead and get it into the shop. Thanks Nathan

nbenn911

The pics are way too big. Sorry about that. Maybe I can figure out how to resize them. But you can see I do have a car. Maybe a mod can fix them.

pirahna

If this happened right after a detail job did the detailer clean the engine? I would pull the distributer cap and check for moisture.

Basal Skull

wow , nice garage!

Texas993

nbenn -

Take the suggestion to replace the DME relay seriously. It is an easy fix and they fail at a very high rate. Failed relays could be a cause. I know several people who have spent $100s towing, etc to fix a $40 DME relay.

BTW, many of us are heading up to Eureka Springs this week for the Porsche Escape. Any chance of checking in? Where in AR are you? There are a few 993 owners in Ft Smith area.

nbenn911

It started happening after a detail job as you mentioned. He was not supposed to clean the engine, but one never knows for sure if it got wet.
Thanks for the comment on the garage. I haven't had much time to spend there, but maybe that is going to change.

theporscheguy

Nathan,

Give John at Speedsportz in Tulsa a call at 918-583-0150. You could also check with Import Specialists in Springfield MO at 417-873-3444. No affiliation, but they both service air cooled Porsche's.

nbenn911

Patrick,
I am going to check into the relay for sure. I am certainly not a Porsche mechanic (or any other), but I will poke around and see what I can do.
I am 45 miles south of Fort Smith between Mena and Waldron. My address is Parks, AR. If you come up from Dallas you probably come thru this area on HWY 71. I genuinely appreciate the offer for the Porsche Escape. I am very busy at work right now, but wish I could go. I sure need to get the 911 going--I miss it! Thanks for the help.

nbenn911

Thanks "theporscheguy", I will keep up with those numbers and give those guys a call before I haul it to the Porsche dealer in Tulsa. There should be an independent mechanic in the Fort Smith or Fayetteville areas. I have always driven to Tulsa for service. The relay sounds like a good idea.