Petza914

I think your battery is the primary culprit. Your drives are so short (2.5 miles) that the alternator isn't overcoming the load required from starting for the short time the car is driven afterwards. A low battery can make a car stall when the fuel pump stops running.

I think you need to do 3 things - replace the battery with an Optima Yellow Top H6. I say this one because it's an AGM and a hybrid between a normal car starting battery and a deep cycle battery. This allows it to better recover from being deeply discharged and achieve full capacity again. I have this battery in both my 997s.

Next, you should do a new starter and the updated harness cable that runs from the junction point on the transmission to the starter and then on to the alternator. This will certainly address the slow-crank problem.

While you're working in the area of the starter and alternator if the AOS has more than 30,000 miles on it, I'd change that too, as well as the corrugated plastic pipes that go to it.

If the car has 60k miles or more on it, you should also replace your 3 timing chain tensioners. To do this you need special cam and crank lock tools and 2 new plugs to replace the 2 you have to damage when removing to install the cam lock tool. The springs in the tensioners wear with use and then don't hold the chains tight when the engine is first started before the hydraulic portion of the tension pumps up and takes over.

Bomba

Thanks for all the replies.

As a reminder, the car has 108k miles and I haven't needed to do any major work on the car over the past 5 years, save for a water pump failure 2 years ago. I knew major work was coming, so this isn't a surprise.

Update:

While unclear about the specific hot engine stalling issue, I took the car in for service at one of our top independents here in Miami and found the following:

1. Air Conditioning Compressor Failing (Failure was Imminent). Burning smell emanating from engine bay, which was the main reason I took it immediately to the shop. The compressor was about to seize.
2. Power Steering pump clicking and failing.
3. Starter motor failing (Failure was Imminent).
4. Alternator checked out Fine.

Interesting item came up on the PWIS scan:
When scanning vehicle found misfire faults in cylinder 1,3, and 5. Vehicle also had fault for tank vent system below limit. The misfire only came up once, and the tank vent error seems to have been a loose gas cap.

Work being performed:

1. New A/C Compressor & Dryer
2. New power steering pump.
3. New starter.
4. New belts & pulleys (obviously)
5. Battery cable job being performed, including new battery.
6. Changing Coils & Plugs (haven't done them during the 5 years of my ownership) - likely the culprit of the one time misfire error that showed up in the PWIS.
7. New AOS - Just changing it because we are "already working in this area" so no labor charge.
8. Adding an IPD plenum, because we are working in the area and.... well, I just can't help myself....
9. Installing Fister mufflers that I picked up in the marketplace here as well as and Racing Dynamics exhaust tips.

Hope to have the car back in a few days.

Optionman1

Glad you got it diagnosed and are taking care of additionally “while in there” stuff. Starter issue sounded very similar to mine two years ago as I mentioned in an earlier post.