[Cliff Claven]

Is there much involved in testing/repairing a starter on a 911 SC? Battery is good. I've checked the connections on the wires to the starter as well. But functionality remains intermittent at best. No problem as long as someone is around to give me a push.

[}{arlequin]

I don't know about your model year but when my car wouldn't start, it turned out that there is a yellow wire (it's known as "the yellow wire") on the trunk side of the driver side of the car (sort of under the wiper) that had a bad connection. Worth checking it out.

[Parenn911]

Don't listen to him, he knows nothing about SC's.

Matt, can you provide more detailed information? Is it holding idle, erratic idle, does it happen only on cold or hot starts, or both? It's that time of year again so I'm guessing CIS might be the culprit. But it still could be an electrical problem.

In the meantime do the easy stuff, check fuse panel area, especially the wiring to the fuel pump relay. Can you hear the whining pump noise after clicking the starter to position II? Also, it wouldn't hurt to swap another relay for the fuel pump relay. You can test the fuel pump through bypassing the relay with some alligator wire clips.

[Jim Richards]

Pari, he's asking about his starter, not his fuel pump.

[Charlie Stylianos]

Does tapping on the solenoid (the small lump attached to the starter) help the situation? Grease, dirt, and heat over the years can make them act intermittent/ineffective. Usually a sharp wrap will free the mechanism until it fails again.

Also, faulty connections can cause this. Check the ground strap from chassis to tranny, and all the electrical connections on the starter for corrosion on the terminals (disconnect battery first). I remember RL's starter had the exact same symptoms, could not find the problem, so when we were replacing the starter we found the little yellow wire to the solenoid had a good inch of corrosion within the insulation. A splice and solder fixed the issue.

[Parenn911]

I know Jim.......
Hey there's always the method of banging on the starter to get it to work .

Check the voltage going into the starter, using a voltmeter. Also check to make sure there isn't any gunk on the starter, you may just have a worn out solenoid. Jack up the car to reach the solenoid wire. Have someone turn the key while you check the voltage at that point.

Connect a new wire to the yellow-wire connection at the starter, then run it into the tunnel and have it come out somewhere you can see from inside the car. Put a 12 volt light on it, and ground it so that when you run the starter the light comes on. If you turn the key and the light comes on but the starter doesn't make any noise, you need a new solenoid. If all that doesn't work, you might need a new starter.

It also doesn't hurt to clean and check the battery terminals and related wires.
edit: Charlie beat me to it..

[Cliff Claven]

It's not a warm or cold start problem (I have a warm-up regulator issue, but that's another story). The connections all seem clean. I'm thinking the solenoid is a likely culprit. Tapping helps. What's involved in checking/replacing?

[Cliff Claven]

More specifically, is it safe to assume from your posts that the yellow wire runs from the ignition switch to the solenoid?

[Jazzbass]

Originally Posted by Parenn911

Also check to make sure there isn't any gunk on the starter

No gunk on the starter.

I have yet to see a starter that wasn't covered in gunk.

[Cliff Claven]

My whole car is covered in gunk. So are my kids, most days. My wheels are shiny though.