Dharn55

Finally got the engine back in my car after reparing the cracked head and now it won't start. Engine cranks over fine, but I don't seem to have any fuel pressure. As i remember, when the ignition is switched on you normally here the fuel pump run to pressurize the system. My fuel pump is not coming on. I disconnected a fuel line and found no gas. Then I jumpered the connections for the fuel pump at the tank and the pump runs. Used this to pressureize the system, but it still is not coming on when the ignition is switched on or the egnine is cranked. No power at the pump connections.

any suggestions?

salayc

possibly the immobilizer. Have you changed key heads?

Dharn55

Seem to have fuel in the lines although I can’t hear the pump running. I did purge the air out of the system.

Ran my Durametric and came up with some fault codes as follows:

1. Motronic
a. PO336 Porsche fault code 10 Engine Speed Sensor
Open
2. Alarm
a. 48 Airbag signal acknowledged
Status not Present
Frequency counter 11
b. 60 Central Locking limit position
Locks not reached
Status not Present
Frequency counter 9
c. 33 Interior Sensor Faulty
Status not Present
Frequency counter 2
d. 21 W Lead (DME Immobilizer)
Status not present
Frequency counter 1
e. 49 K Lead
Status not Present
Frequency counter 5
f. 18 Power Windows
Status Present
Frequency counter 127

I am wondering if either the Motronic fault or the Alarm fault for the 21 W Lead (DME Immobilizer could be keeping the engine from starting. Any Ideas?

salayc

still my guess

Macster

Test: Disassemble key and remove RFID pill. Place far away from car. Attempt to start engine with key absent the RFID pill. If behavior same them perhaps that 21 W lead error significant.

If engine doesn't even crank you have fuel or spark problem.

Pull #1 plug and crank engine and see if you see spark jump across plug to ground. This will take two people working together.

If you get spark then fuel supply next. There are fuel pressure taps on fuel lines but the plugs are not reusable. You can remove the plug, hook up fuel pressure gage and test for fuel pressure but you'll have to have new plugs.

Or unhook fuel line somewhere before fuel rail lines and direct fuel line output into a bucket and have someone turn on ignition. Verify fuel pump of course runs, fuel flows and the amount looks reasonable. There's a spec for how much fuel should be pumped in x seconds of time. Factory manual has it, IIRC.

Be careful dealing with fuel lines and fuel testing. Just tiny tiny bit of carelessness can have car on fire along with possibly garage, and house if attached, even you if clothes fill with gas fumes or you get any gas on you.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Van

Are you *sure* the fuses for the fuel system are good?

99firehawk

po336 is your problem doug.
Pull out the crank sensor. Most likely caught the wire on the frame bolt either putting the motor in or taking it out see this done lots of times . You can usually see the damage to it without even removing it. Other cause could be the flwheel loose or installed incorectly.
car will not run without a crank signal. The other faults are bogus just clear them in the alarm

Dharn55

Brad - thanks for your input. Last night I tested the sensor, seemed to be defective, so I began the "removal." unfortunately this is a 9 year old car that has been through alot of winters. First the bolt that holds the sensor was frozen. It is a 5mm hex drive bolt (indented). So tight that the hex driver twisted and stripped the head. finally got it out with a screw extractor. Then tried to get the sensor out. No way!! It was so crroded in that the head of it (plastic) snapped off when I tried to pry it off. Then i tried to drill it for a screw extractor. No luck, that metal/magnet is really hard. Could not get it out anyway. So, out came the engine again! Decided that this was easier for me than trying to get the bolts out of the bell housing and dropping the trans by itself (though I know this can be done as I had my clutch changed 2 years ago). The good news is that I started to drop the engine at 5:00 last night and had it out and the trans off before 9:00. Not bad for working in my driveway on jackstands. the first time i worked on it for several days. Now that I know how everything comes off it went really quickly.

Now for the stupid part. It is hard to get at the slave cylinder bolts when the engine/trans is up, so I decided to wait till I lowered it a few inches for better access. But I was working quickly to beat sunset, and I forgot. My son and I were sliding the engine/trans out from under the car when I felt resistance. Looked and there was the coil of tubing leading to the slave cylinder stretched tight and kinked. STUPID, STUPID STUPID!!! Guess that is what I get for trying to work so quickly. Alot of frustration in trying to get my car running again.

Now back to the sensor. To get it out I had to separate the trans from the engine, then remove the pressure plate and flywheel (another set of bolts to be replaced). Then I had access to the sensor from the inside. I actually had to beat on the thing with a hammer from both sides. Man the mother was stuck in there. Basically it finally came apart into pieces, i was able to get the magnet core out, then the plastic sleeve came out. I don't know how tight they are supposed to fit, but I don't know how you would remove one with the engine in it they are meant to fit this tight. Guees I will see when the sensor arrives. I had one overnighted from Vertex, which had the lowest price i could find for the sensor ($109 vx $195 at the local dealer and 1 week away), but the overnight shipping was $45.00. Thought i would go for it, This afternoon when I arrived home I found that Vertex sent the wrong part, and said it was too late to get another out for delivery tomorrow. My local indie found one locally and is giving me a good deal on it. Great guy, reccomend Golz Motors to anyone in the Chicago area. I will have it tomorrow in the morning.

then i also need the tube/hose that I stretched. No local dealers had one, only one dealer in the US showed one in stock, turned out they sent it back to Porsche in Atlanta last week. Made a deal with my selling dealer (great guys in the parts dept.) to sell one to me at a reasonable price and Porsche will overnight it to them, will havfe it tomorrow morning. Found out that Porsche will not drop ship parts directly to a customer for a dealer, so I had to find a local dealer rather than Sunset or Suncoast.

The Saga Continues

C4CRNA

Doug; After reading your post I had to have two scotches and went to bed. I hope you are all fixed up tomorrow.

chsu74

I have so much respect for you in doing this on jack stands. The only thing I am good at doing is losing wheel locks.

2nd one this year as my indy just called me asking where the wheel locks are as he is trying to replace my rear wheel bearings and I am in Vancouver on business.

C4CRNA

Did you get it going yet?

Mother

Great job so far and definitley relate to rushing things and making mistakes. Hope you get the right parts and keep us posted.

Marlon

It will come together soon - I admire your methodical approach and discipline - I can stand to learn from that, maybe we all can.

Dharn55

The car has been started a couple of times now. It was the pulse sensor on the bell housing. Engine won't run without a signal from the sensor. However, now I have been having a problem blowing out the expansion plugs on the end of the camshafts. Each camshaft is pressurized to feed oil to the cam journals. I fabricated a hold down tools and I think it pressed against these expansion plugs and loosened them. They are pressure/interference fit, and once loosened can't be reused. Porsche won't sell the plugs themselves ( a $1.00 part) but only a complete cam, and all the US sourced plugs are too deep to fit. Right now I have a cam out to a machine shop to have the end drilled, threaded and plugged with a hex plug. No way those will ever blow out.

Jake Raby says this is one of the "mode of failure" he sees on M96 engines. If the plugs blow out the engine will empty itself of oil very quickly. Then, if the hot oil doesn't catch on fire on the exhaust system the engine will seize up. Either way it is a dangerous/fatal problem if not caught quickly, and if you are out on the highway you would probaly not know it until it was too late.

The critical lesson here is that you have to be very careful in using a tool to held the cams in place. Porsche shows exact dimensions for how far to set the bolts on the cam holders. I think this is so you don't press on the plugs. But I made my own tool and did not know that it was critical, as a metter of fact I did not even know there were plugs in the end of the cams until this happened, and I have talked to several Porsche techs who also did not know about the plugs. Seems it would have only cost Porsche a few dollars to have threaded plugs OEM, but we all know how that goes.

Tippy

Could you thread like a pipe plug in there?