Another non-starter
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 27
Likes: 3
Another non-starter
An intended trip today in my 1999 C4 convertible with 45k miles was thwarted by the electric gremlins.
I pushed in the ignition key into the ignition switch and turned it once. Everything lights up as it should. I then go to turn the key again to start and the screen goes black and there is no noise. I take the key out and push it in again. A few lights come on dimly.
I open the frunk and check the battery and the battery connections. All good and the battery is fully charged.
I try the key in the ignition and the first turn produces more lights but some are flickering. I try the next turn and can hear what I guess is the fuel pump but nothing more. No click from the starter.
My guess is that I have a faulty ignition switch as the battery is good and clearly I have an earth otherwise the lights would not come on and the fuel
pump would not work.
Any help would be much appreciated.
I pushed in the ignition key into the ignition switch and turned it once. Everything lights up as it should. I then go to turn the key again to start and the screen goes black and there is no noise. I take the key out and push it in again. A few lights come on dimly.
I open the frunk and check the battery and the battery connections. All good and the battery is fully charged.
I try the key in the ignition and the first turn produces more lights but some are flickering. I try the next turn and can hear what I guess is the fuel pump but nothing more. No click from the starter.
My guess is that I have a faulty ignition switch as the battery is good and clearly I have an earth otherwise the lights would not come on and the fuel
pump would not work.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 1,018
Likes: 662
From: Connecticut
Confirm the battery voltage with a meter. and report back. If you have a friend, have them monitor and record the voltage as you turn the key. It sounds like a bad battery or a bad battery connection, but let's start with the measured voltage.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,213
Likes: 1,907
From: Chicago, IL
+1. If the voltage drops below 10V, the battery is probably shot. If the voltage stays around 12V, you have a bad connection somewhere - probably a bad ground. Check Y cable. Sometimes the battery terminals look ok on the outside, but not good on the inside where the connect matters most.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 1,018
Likes: 662
From: Connecticut
+1. If the voltage drops below 10V, the battery is probably shot. If the voltage stays around 12V, you have a bad connection somewhere - probably a bad ground. Check Y cable. Sometimes the battery terminals look ok on the outside, but not good on the inside where the connect matters most.
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 27
Likes: 3
The helpful replies of you all are much appreciated.
I have connected my volt meter to the battery which read 12.9 volts with all switched off.
First turn of ignition key brought all the warning lights and instruments on but the next turn resulted in the dash going black and no sign of life from the starter. The voltmeter at the same time went down to pretty well zero and then slowly climbed back up to 10.5 volts.
I then removed the earth lead from the battery cleaned and checked the connections, reassembled and tried again. Same thing.
I notice the drivers window has now dropped a bit and I reset it by pressing the up switch for five seconds. It closed properly but the next time I opened the drivers door and closed it the window on closing was still not right up to the seal on the fabric roof.
I checked the battery voltage again which has recovered to 12.8v.
Also the lights on the radio are going on and off when the ignition switch is activated to turn the starter motor.
Busy gremlins.
I find it difficult to believe I have a problem
battery. This to me looks like some earthing issue - the Y cable?
What next?
I have connected my volt meter to the battery which read 12.9 volts with all switched off.
First turn of ignition key brought all the warning lights and instruments on but the next turn resulted in the dash going black and no sign of life from the starter. The voltmeter at the same time went down to pretty well zero and then slowly climbed back up to 10.5 volts.
I then removed the earth lead from the battery cleaned and checked the connections, reassembled and tried again. Same thing.
I notice the drivers window has now dropped a bit and I reset it by pressing the up switch for five seconds. It closed properly but the next time I opened the drivers door and closed it the window on closing was still not right up to the seal on the fabric roof.
I checked the battery voltage again which has recovered to 12.8v.
Also the lights on the radio are going on and off when the ignition switch is activated to turn the starter motor.
Busy gremlins.
I find it difficult to believe I have a problem
battery. This to me looks like some earthing issue - the Y cable?
What next?
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Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 6,284
Likes: 1,510
From: Ormond Beach, FL
All manner of gremlins come from the electrical portion of the ignition switch. Looks like it is time to replace it. Did you happen to check if you have 12V at the jump point in the engine bay? BTW, the Y-cable is not a ground or earth, it is 12V+.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 1,018
Likes: 662
From: Connecticut
The helpful replies of you all are much appreciated.
I have connected my volt meter to the battery which read 12.9 volts with all switched off.
First turn of ignition key brought all the warning lights and instruments on but the next turn resulted in the dash going black and no sign of life from the starter. The voltmeter at the same time went down to pretty well zero and then slowly climbed back up to 10.5 volts.
I then removed the earth lead from the battery cleaned and checked the connections, reassembled and tried again. Same thing.
I notice the drivers window has now dropped a bit and I reset it by pressing the up switch for five seconds. It closed properly but the next time I opened the drivers door and closed it the window on closing was still not right up to the seal on the fabric roof.
I checked the battery voltage again which has recovered to 12.8v.
Also the lights on the radio are going on and off when the ignition switch is activated to turn the starter motor.
Busy gremlins.
I find it difficult to believe I have a problem
battery. This to me looks like some earthing issue - the Y cable?
What next?
I have connected my volt meter to the battery which read 12.9 volts with all switched off.
First turn of ignition key brought all the warning lights and instruments on but the next turn resulted in the dash going black and no sign of life from the starter. The voltmeter at the same time went down to pretty well zero and then slowly climbed back up to 10.5 volts.
I then removed the earth lead from the battery cleaned and checked the connections, reassembled and tried again. Same thing.
I notice the drivers window has now dropped a bit and I reset it by pressing the up switch for five seconds. It closed properly but the next time I opened the drivers door and closed it the window on closing was still not right up to the seal on the fabric roof.
I checked the battery voltage again which has recovered to 12.8v.
Also the lights on the radio are going on and off when the ignition switch is activated to turn the starter motor.
Busy gremlins.
I find it difficult to believe I have a problem
battery. This to me looks like some earthing issue - the Y cable?
What next?
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2024
Posts: 98
Likes: 38
From: Eastern USA
$40 for a new ignition switch and 30-40 minutes of your time being a contortionist. Check all of the above suggestions as they are spot on with doing proper diagnoses, but your symptoms lead to a bad switch. Lot's of information/videos on how to do it.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,213
Likes: 1,907
From: Chicago, IL
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 27
Likes: 3
I went and purchased an ignition starter switch and then did another check of the battery which showed a significant drop in the voltage. So I went and bought a new shiny 85 amp Yuasa battery and replaced the previous incumbent which still
had 2 years of it guarantee left (if I believe the date painted on the side). I did not buy that original battery and have no documentation for it.
Anyway the Porsche now works just as it should and many thanks for the help I have been given.
I am sure that at some stage in the future it will need a new ignition starter switch and I will know I do not have to buy another. 😌
had 2 years of it guarantee left (if I believe the date painted on the side). I did not buy that original battery and have no documentation for it.
Anyway the Porsche now works just as it should and many thanks for the help I have been given.
I am sure that at some stage in the future it will need a new ignition starter switch and I will know I do not have to buy another. 😌