Please help - 996 Turbo won't start - not battery

[youngsyr]

Hi all, I'm looking for some help with my 2002 996 Turbo, which won't start all of a sudden. I've charged the battery, hooked up a second battery and even tried to jump it at the battery terminals from my other car, all with absolutely no change in the problem.

I get lights on the dash, but when I turn the key to the final position, I get a short, sharp "chunk" noise, like the first half second of a normal engine start and then nothing. No clicking or any other sound at all.

Can anyone suggest any possible causes or solutions?

Thanks in advance!

[Orangecurry]

Starter motor.

[Hoofy]

Orangecurry said:

Starter motor.

^

[youngsyr]

Orangecurry said:

Starter motor.

Great, thanks.

Seems like on the manual it's a pretty easy DIY job (as long as you can get the car in the air). Mine is a Tiptronic though, so reportedly much more difficult due to restricted access.

[Orangecurry]

You could try checking the direct ground wire from the SM that I presume is still there on the 996?

And if you have a specialist SM rebuilder nearby, I'd get a quote vs just getting a 'new' one.

Also beware that most Bosch SMs for sale in the UK are refurbs anyway, and suppliers will want your old one back.

I sourced a 996T SM (but for a manual) from Europe because at the time it was cheaper to get a new one from the EU vs a refurb in the UK - madness I know.

[youngsyr]

Orangecurry said:

You could try checking the direct ground wire from the SM that I presume is still there on the 996?

And if you have a specialist SM rebuilder nearby, I'd get a quote vs just getting a 'new' one.

Also beware that most Bosch SMs for sale in the UK are refurbs anyway, and suppliers will want your old one back.

I sourced a 996T SM (but for a manual) from Europe because at the time it was cheaper to get a new one from the EU vs a refurb in the UK - madness I know.

Thanks, that's good advice. I'll see if there's anywhere near that can remove, refurb and refit.

[Orangecurry]

You should probably do a bit more research rather than just believing some madman on the internet.

Have you had any other symptoms? Has it been lazy on starting? Has it done this before, but then started 2nd time?

Check your normal battery negative/ground wire as well. If it's original, I'd be tempted to change that out first, as untold crazy electrical issues are caused by bad grounding.

[youngsyr]

Orangecurry said:

You should probably do a bit more research rather than just believing some madman on the internet.

Have you had any other symptoms? Has it been lazy on starting? Has it done this before, but then started 2nd time?

Check your normal battery negative/ground wire as well. If it's original, I'd be tempted to change that out first, as untold crazy electrical issues are caused by bad grounding.

Good points, but it was starting perfectly yesterday, and suddenly today it won't turn over at all, so after ruling out the battery, that would seem like a starter motor issue? I guess you're right that it could be a connection to the starter motor.

I'm probably going to have to get it looked at professionally anyway.

[Orangecurry]

Nothing before this at all? I'd go for a 50 year-old solution, and crawl under and smack the SM with a hammer a few times, but gently if that makes any sense.

I would DYOR on obtaining a replacement SM, from Autodoc, ECP/Carparts4less, GSF etc etc before you hand over the car to a garage.

Good luck.

[youngsyr]

Orangecurry said:

Nothing before this at all? I'd go for a 50 year-old solution, and crawl under and smack the SM with a hammer a few times, but gently if that makes any sense.

I would DYOR on obtaining a replacement SM, from Autodoc, ECP/Carparts4less, GSF etc etc before you hand over the car to a garage.

Good luck.

Well my car is parked up a lot of the time away from a power supply so the battery often gets run down. I've recently hooked it up to a solar panel charger and that seems to have kept it nicely topped up.

I've not had any issues like this before though - normally it's just a flat battery after being left standing for a week or so.

I'll see if I can get to the SM with the car jacked up and give it a few taps.

[BAMoFo]

Another thing that may be worth trying is to put the car into gear and rock the car backward and forwards before putting it back into neutral and trying to start it again.

[LarJammer]

BAMoFo said:

Another thing that may be worth trying is to put the car into gear and rock the car backward and forwards before putting it back into neutral and trying to start it again.

Lol. It's an auto...

[BAMoFo]

LarJammer said:

BAMoFo said:

Another thing that may be worth trying is to put the car into gear and rock the car backward and forwards before putting it back into neutral and trying to start it again.

Lol. It's an auto...

That'll teach me not to skim read ☺️

[lemmingjames]

How many times you tried to fire it up? Could be the key switch thing in the dash board playing up or a loose earth.

Mine used to take a few times of key turning to fire up due to a loose earth. But was fine once tightened up.

[youngsyr]

lemmingjames said:

How many times you tried to fire it up? Could be the key switch thing in the dash board playing up or a loose earth.

Mine used to take a few times of key turning to fire up due to a loose earth. But was fine once tightened up.

I've tried a least 5 times, on its own battery, with a spare hooked up and jumped by another car. This also happened overnight, not a gradual failure.

[Fnumber1user]

When you say its not the battery, but then say the battery is often run down - how do you know it's not the battery? A duff cell or two, even if it's hooked up to an external source, could still be your problem.

Start at the beginning before going off at tangents. Let us know how you get on...

[youngsyr]

Fnumber1user said:

When you say its not the battery, but then say the battery is often run down - how do you know it's not the battery? A duff cell or two, even if it's hooked up to an external source, could still be your problem.

Start at the beginning before going off at tangents. Let us know how you get on...

A duff battery would be solved by hooking up another battery at the original battery's terminals, wouldn't it?

[Fnumber1user]

youngsyr said:

A duff battery would be solved by hooking up another battery at the original battery's terminals, wouldn't it?

Not necessarily, no.

Have you tested or rather had the battery tested, disconnected (one terminal will do) off the car? What is the floating charge?

[996TT02]

Either the starter, maybe dirty solenoid, or cabling issues. What I can add is that the positive cable at the terminal end of the motor is susceptible to internal corrosion. I had similar reluctant starting, tried starting then went underneath the car and felt the cable at the starter, it was very warm. Indeed some jiggling and the cable came away. A fiddly job to re-attach, there is no excess length of cable so it must be cut back to where it is clean and then this must be extended to original length. A hydraulic cable crimper is essential. I re-used, with difficulty, the actual cable eye terminal as it is orientated. I do suspect that due to the cable location and exposure to the elements that many cars will be suffering from this issue.