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headstrong2740 · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 111 Location: Moline IL

OK did some searching and not sure where to begin.

The car just got the new motor in and has been driving well...

Lately though.. the last two days... it starts very hard.... by this i mean while cranking it will hit hard and stop cranking.. then do it again.. same thing or it fires off and runs just fine.... This does not seem normal

Then today while driving to my college class... the car just lost power and died. I sat at a light for two cycles before it finally fired off.. with much hard hits..

I worry because i dont want to damage the motor.. but at the same time.. if parts where hitting.. it would not run so well once it does fire up.

Any ideas on any of this? The only things left that i have not changed out are the fuel pressure reg, the IAC valve and the other fuel pressure regulator looking thing... cant think of its name right now....

Everything else on the motor is new... new rotor, new caps, new coil, new wires, new injectors, new plugs.

Am i missing anything else?

All vac lines are plugged in and in place... so i dont know what else i could be looking at here.

Let me know what you guys thinks.
_________________
1987 924s "Enzo"
2002 1.8t VW Passat
http://porsche924resto.shutterfly.com/ - follow the progress of "Enzo"

Fifty50Plus · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 1:41 am Post subject:

Sounds like too much initial advance on the distributor. Could it have slipped a bit?
_________________
1979 924 NA race car H-Prod SCCA
1982 924 NA race car - Sold
1981 924 Turbo sold
1982 924 Turbo sold
1972 911 E race car - traded for Cayenne Diesel
1975 914 1.8 Building for H-Prod SCCA

joecitizennn · Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 2096 Location: no mans land

It may sound crazy but check your engine grounds at the rear of the motor. First, the computer gets ground there, secondly there is a ground shield for the crank sensor wires here and without that, the sensors can pick up the electromagnetic pulse from the starter firing the engine too far ahead of tdc causing the engine to kick back instead of turn over. This kickback can be violent enough to seem like a mechanical obstruction. Check your grounds first especially after doing an engine replacement.

headstrong2740 · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 111 Location: Moline IL

ok well the grounds all over the car are my next to do project on the car as is.

Let me ask this...

The two times it died and started hard i was on a hilll or coming down a hill... the tank was pretty empty for fuel.. so could it have been somthing to do with that?

I ask this because i filled the tank and have not had this issue since.. been two days now of solid long drives.. and no hard start and no random death...

so.. could have been that.. because when id loose power the engine would slow down and i could throttle it all i wanted and get nothing.. but one time i was able to refire it while costing ...in gear.... not neutral... by just flooring the pedal and holding it a few seconds...
_________________
1987 924s "Enzo"
2002 1.8t VW Passat
http://porsche924resto.shutterfly.com/ - follow the progress of "Enzo"

headstrong2740 · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 111 Location: Moline IL

well i already answered my own question.... the fuel tank was not the issue... it died again on me yesterday.... does not seem to have a rhyme or reason to its timing... very random

happens when its cold and just started driving like three blocks.... or it will happen after warmed up and driven close to 15 minutes

i also noticed when i took the spark plugs out that they were a little dark and had some dry soot on them.

I know this means im running a little rich.. or that i am having spark issues....

I did just install a MSD ignition setup with out any issue and seems to be starting and running a little better... and my gap is set at .040 on the plugs.

The next step i have is going to be checking the grouns on the motor (back of block) and also going to replace the connectors on the batt.. and the grounding strap from the battery to the body.

any other grounds you think i should add/replace?
and any ideas on what else to be looking at... this random dieing at places does get kind of emberassing. LOL

_________________
1987 924s "Enzo"
2002 1.8t VW Passat
http://porsche924resto.shutterfly.com/ - follow the progress of "Enzo"

headstrong2740 · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 111 Location: Moline IL

Fifty50Plus · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 1:27 am Post subject:

My mistake, I didn't notice that you were referring to a 924S.

_________________
1979 924 NA race car H-Prod SCCA
1982 924 NA race car - Sold
1981 924 Turbo sold
1982 924 Turbo sold
1972 911 E race car - traded for Cayenne Diesel
1975 914 1.8 Building for H-Prod SCCA

headstrong2740 · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 111 Location: Moline IL

lol its ok.. i was just wanting to make sure i was not missing something simple.
_________________
1987 924s "Enzo"
2002 1.8t VW Passat
http://porsche924resto.shutterfly.com/ - follow the progress of "Enzo"

edredas · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 861 Location: Charlotte, NC

Just wondering if you swapped any electronics over from the '84?
_________________
'84 944 -White, Brown interior
'84 944 -Red, Automatic
'86 944 -Garnet, Fully loaded, Koni suspension
'87 924S -Red, 300hp 951 swap
'87 924S -Red, Project Car
'88 924S -Red, Daily Driver

headstrong2740 · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 111 Location: Moline IL

the only thing that i had to keep from the 84 924 that was an issue was the single spade water temp switch.. not the sensor.. but the smaller one further up the block toward the back....

you know... you have your coolant temp sensor.. then after that is the temp switch... and usually either has a spade connector on it.. or a round connector... outside of that... nothing else

The wireing is all 924S and the sensors are all new and 924S minus the 944 temp switch on the motor.

I have come to conclusion that its probably my starter.. i was trying to fire it off this morning and smelled a weird burning smell..

Upon loking under the car i could see the starter smokeing a small amount

so i think my hard start issue may be that.. but not one hundred percent until i dive into it this week when i get a chance. As far as the random dieing... still not sure... again might be the ground .. have not gotten a chance to check it...

also coming up this week will be the following things done:
New fuel Pressure Reg
New Pressure Diaphragm
and maybe a new starter

lol Picked car up for 700 dollars in 06... and to date have probably put close to 2k in the car to get it to where it is now... and still more to go

_________________
1987 924s "Enzo"
2002 1.8t VW Passat
http://porsche924resto.shutterfly.com/ - follow the progress of "Enzo"

headstrong2740 · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 111 Location: Moline IL

Well.. starter just died on me... and resulted in car being towed back to the apartment.

The starter i think was the issue with the hard starts.. the dying of the starter now solidifies my hunch on this issue.

The Starter when keyed occasionally will make a noise like attempting to engage or operate.. but then after one or two faint and feeble clicks makes no more noise or attempts.

I dont feel its the batt. on this as it does not have a power out (lights shut off ) while trying to start it. Jumping the car in an attempt to start it also showed this not being an issue.

The grounding strap that come from the neg. Bat post to the engine is being replaced as well as the one that goes to the body in the battary compatment is being replaced as well...

NOW for the random Death.. feels more and more like a fuel issue.
THe fuel Pressure Regulator and Diaphram came in the mail today and will be going on here shortly as well as a new starter.. The fuel filter is also getting replaced at the same time.

Anybody else have issues like this? Where the car just dies randomly while driving.. or sitting at lights.. and then takes a lot of cranking and about 5 minutes or less waiting before it fires off again
_________________
1987 924s "Enzo"
2002 1.8t VW Passat
http://porsche924resto.shutterfly.com/ - follow the progress of "Enzo"

edredas · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 861 Location: Charlotte, NC

headstrong2740 · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 111 Location: Moline IL

ok... where is the DME relay at again?

i thought it was in the fuse block, but i think some ghetto wireing was done and the DME for me might now be by my battary... unless that is normal and its a relay for something else.

If this is not normal let me know and ill get a picture of it up for it to see what you guys think.... it has a tab that clips it on to the fender side and looks like it should be there... but not sure
_________________
1987 924s "Enzo"
2002 1.8t VW Passat
http://porsche924resto.shutterfly.com/ - follow the progress of "Enzo"

joecitizennn · Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 2096 Location: no mans land

headstrong2740 · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 111 Location: Moline IL

Would the ref sensors be an issue if the car is starting and firing.. and running just fine for days between random deaths?

Its possible... i wont rule it out and ill check it this weekend when i get a chance...

the one thing i did notice is that when it does want to start it does the hard start... but if it doesnt.. it will crank freely... like no problems or hard issues...

But once its ready to fire up again.. it starts doing the hard start stuff

dont know if that adds to the confusion or not
_________________
1987 924s "Enzo"
2002 1.8t VW Passat
http://porsche924resto.shutterfly.com/ - follow the progress of "Enzo"