[shonae]

Hello,

My name is Corey Poland. I recently became a 911 owner. I have a 1984 Targa Steel Gray. I will post pics once she starts treating me better. Right now we have a problem. I purchased the car from a guy in OK. I drove it from OK to MD without a problem. Drove it for three weeks no problem. Drove it to the grocery store one night. Came out to go home. PROBLEM. The car wouldn't start. Called the better half and got a jump. Car started. Drove the car the long way home to ensure the battery got a good charge. Woke up the next morning. PROBLEM. The car wouldn't start. Took it to Auto Therapy. They diagnosed the problem to be the starter. Replaced the starter. She lives. Drove the car for three more weeks. Went out this morning to go to work. PROBLEM. Car wouldn't start.

Both times seem identical. Turn the key. Hear a click, but the starter does not engage. I turn on the lights to see if they will go dim. NO. I have attempted to get a jump, but it does not work. I contacted the PO and he states that he had this problem once before and it was due to poor connections at the battery. I attempted to tighten the screws at the battery to see if this was the problem. NO. I contacted Auto Therapy to get their opinion. They want me to bring the car back to them. I can't help but feeling a little apprehensive.

Anyone have any ideas?

[Dr K]

Shonae,
Please see my string: Dead Battery.
My '86 Gold Targa has a similar problem. Here's what I've done so are (some by local shop, some by Dorkis, some by Ivan Arzola at IMA). None of the parts had completely failed, but none was in great shape, either)
1) Replaced starter motor
2) Replaced alternator
3) Replace wires
4) Replace battery
5) Replaced DMA (not the relay, but the DMA unit, with a rebuilt one - the old one had a visible crack on the board)

It ran for months without a starting problem, then got cranky again.

6) Replaced ground cord (but with a temp cord from Advanced Auto - need a better part there). Also had battery tested (good) and fully charged.

[Dr K]

Oops, I just read your post again. My car cranks wonderfully, just won't start - and always roll-starts easily.

It sounds like a bad starter relay, but I'm not enough of a mechanic to really know (if the 911 doesn't HAVE a starter relay, I'm sure to learn this soon). Wait for posts from the real experts. Where do you live? In this club, that makes a difference.

[Parenn911]

Hello Corey,

I went through similar problems. Check all ground straps, look for corrosion, which will make the wires green. Check for the same thing (corrosion) in the fuse box area. Look at the relays, as well as the wiring going into the fuse box. Jazzbass has a Carrera, so maybe he can chime in with ideas.

Do you have any photos of your Carrera that you can post?

[Marc A]

Before spending any money, I would remove battery cables and clean the inside of the cable ends with a pocket knife removing a skin of the lead, and doing the same with the battery terminals. This will ensure that the battery is sending and receiving current properly, if this fails then you can start throwing money at Autotherapy. FWIW, I would be willing to bet that your original starter was just fine. Did they return it to you??

If cleaning the battery doesn't clear things up, then check the items Pari identified.

Good luck and welcome to the board.

[APKhaos]

Originally Posted by shonae

Both times seem identical. Turn the key. Hear a click, but the starter does not engage. I turn on the lights to see if they will go dim. NO. I have attempted to get a jump, but it does not work.

Anyone have any ideas?

The starter won't crank, so fuel pumps and CDI boxes [which your Carrera does not have] are not a factor. It may be the starter soleniod, but this should have been replaced along with the starter. Its more likely to be something like a grounding or corrosion problem, or a failed wire. It could even be a baulky ignition switch, but that is less likely.

You should take it back to Auto Therapy. Roger is a stand-up guy, and is not the type to take advantage of a new owner. I agree with Marc that your original stater could well be fine, although it is 18 years old and probably close to its end. These problems are sometimes tough to resolve because they are intermittent. Everything was fine for three weeks, then .......
Hopefully, this time the fault will stay on solid so it can be diagnosed.

[Vicegrip]

2X take it back to Roger. Let us know what he finds and how he does. He now has a vested intrest in this problem with your car. Could be something diferent could be same thing and other starter was not bad but something else was. Give him the chance to find out what the present problem is.

[shonae]

Thanks everyone for the ideas. Woke up this morning and thought I'd give it a try before heading off to work. Opened the door turned the key and nothing. Pushed in the the trigger in the door to simulate a closed door. Turned the key and she LIVES. Thought "I did not know the car could not be started with the door open." Kept the door opened and turned off the engine and turned the key. She cranked right up. So, maybe it is a ground that has something to do with the door. I will check this evening if the weather holds up. I'll post any findings.

I live in the Flower Hill/Gaithersburg area. I will post pics soon.

[}{arlequin]

while checking all the connections is probably the best approach, let us know where you're checking/cleaning b/c being new to the car you may overlook or not know ab some that should get the same treatment. at least i don't know whether i'd hit all the right spots on mine

good luck and welcome!

[APKhaos]

Well, that's good news.....kinda. At least you know that the major components are functional. There is no door closed interlock that prevents starting with the door open on the Carrera [or any other Porsche that I know of]. The good news is that this should be relatively easy to find, given that the problem is now repeatable.

Take it back to Roger. When he finds the problem, ask him if its possible that there was nothing wrong with your original starter. In a nice way, you understand