996 starting issues!
Discussion
I am experiencing problems starting my 1999 996 carrera 2 3.4....this is what is happening, the starter seems to turn over slowly always has! but now 5 times out of 10 it will start to turn and then stop!.. this might happen a couple of times...if i can roll and try to bump start it...then i try to start it turns over quicker and starts most of the time..... the battery has been replaced 2 years ago with a Varta, but it has never turned the engine over quickly like a vauxhall for instance!!!
I have been told it may not be the starter motor, but even after charging the battery a day later it happens again! the battery cannot be flat!
this is driving me nuts! can anyone suggest what the problem is?? before i spend £300 plus on a new starter motor!
I have been told it may not be the starter motor, but even after charging the battery a day later it happens again! the battery cannot be flat!
this is driving me nuts! can anyone suggest what the problem is?? before i spend £300 plus on a new starter motor!
When starter motors "stick" I've never known it to happen whilst turning. If having turned (i.e. been used to start the car) the motor comes to rest and the bushes aren't quite lined up with the rotor (or is it stator?) brushes because the parts are worn then that would explain nothing happening, which can be rectified by moving the motor around a bit, which you do by pushing the car along slightly with it in gear (only works on a manual obviously).
So, it really does sound like a failed battery - any car accessory shop should have a tester and check it for free, which only takes a minute or two as the battery's very accessible. Obviously if the current one's under guarantee go back to where you bought it.
So, it really does sound like a failed battery - any car accessory shop should have a tester and check it for free, which only takes a minute or two as the battery's very accessible. Obviously if the current one's under guarantee go back to where you bought it.
You need to do two tests.
1. Charge the battery and check its voltage after about an hour. Should be about 12.6v or higher if it's good. Leave it overnight and check it's voltage (best left disconnected for this check):
12.65V 100%
12.45V 75%
12.24V 50% Getting borderline.
12.06V 25%
Connect the battery to the car and check the voltage across the terminals and then check the voltage in the engine compartment between the earthing post ---ve and the +ve jump start post under the plastic cap (top right engine compartment). They should be the almost the same as the voltage across the battery terminals. If not there is resistance somewhere (could be bad earth)
2. Start the car and check the voltage when the engine is cranking. Should be above 9v at a minimum. If it's not could be bad battery or bad starter motor or corroded connection at starter motor.
There might be other issues, but this is where I normally start.
H
1. Charge the battery and check its voltage after about an hour. Should be about 12.6v or higher if it's good. Leave it overnight and check it's voltage (best left disconnected for this check):
12.65V 100%
12.45V 75%
12.24V 50% Getting borderline.
12.06V 25%
Connect the battery to the car and check the voltage across the terminals and then check the voltage in the engine compartment between the earthing post ---ve and the +ve jump start post under the plastic cap (top right engine compartment). They should be the almost the same as the voltage across the battery terminals. If not there is resistance somewhere (could be bad earth)
2. Start the car and check the voltage when the engine is cranking. Should be above 9v at a minimum. If it's not could be bad battery or bad starter motor or corroded connection at starter motor.
There might be other issues, but this is where I normally start.
H
How does it "stop"?
Contrary to one of the earlier posts - on my 964, if it didn't start immediately (it sometimes didn't like starting from warm), it would turn over for about 3 seconds, and then stop with a fairly loud clunk. It did that for about 5 years, before the starter motor gave up the ghost and had to be replaced.
After that, it never did that again. It still had the same reluctance to start under the same conditions, but would happily keep spinning the starter motor with no sudden stop.
New started did spin a lot faster too.
Can't really explain why it happened - I agree that usually, failed starters just don't start spinning - but mine was different.
Contrary to one of the earlier posts - on my 964, if it didn't start immediately (it sometimes didn't like starting from warm), it would turn over for about 3 seconds, and then stop with a fairly loud clunk. It did that for about 5 years, before the starter motor gave up the ghost and had to be replaced.
After that, it never did that again. It still had the same reluctance to start under the same conditions, but would happily keep spinning the starter motor with no sudden stop.
New started did spin a lot faster too.
Can't really explain why it happened - I agree that usually, failed starters just don't start spinning - but mine was different.
I also had exactly the same problem on my 997 - the cold weather seems to kill Pork batteries very quickly. I took a video of mine though just for posterity. My battery started playing up on warm starts - if you'd let the car sit for a while it'd happily fire up, but if you were then to go for a half-hour drive, park up and try and restart the engine, it wouldn't have it.
Video of the car starting up after having just parked up after going shopping (20 minutes away):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BICP1fKwBU0
And a video taken the next day, cold engine and the car not having moved since the lazy warm start:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud3mNAzd-QY
ETA - if you look at the comments on the warm start video someone else has also had the same issue. Seems to be relatively common.
Video of the car starting up after having just parked up after going shopping (20 minutes away):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BICP1fKwBU0
And a video taken the next day, cold engine and the car not having moved since the lazy warm start:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud3mNAzd-QY
ETA - if you look at the comments on the warm start video someone else has also had the same issue. Seems to be relatively common.
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