911 3.0 SC starting prob

[danny hoffman]

About a month ago I pulled up for a couple of minutes outside a shop and when I went to start the car it was as though I had a flat battery. I bump started (lucky I was on a hill), drove home, recharged the battery and checked for any loose connections.

It has been ok since then - until today!

I started the car fine from cold, drove about 3 miles to pick someone up for work and it did it again. This time no hill, but it jump started instantly. We then set off on a 100 mile trip and it has been fine since. I put it on charge tonight but the battery is fully charged.

I fitted a new starter about 18 months ago (it had died completely). Charging circuit appears to be working fine. Could a battery fail in this way?

Cheers

Danny

[ew_topcat]

first check the connections on the starter are all clean and tight. It definately sounds like its at the starter end rather than the battery.

[jeff m]

Danny,
I had a problem similar to yours, not on my 911 but on a diesel.
I was always having to jump it, and it always started with jump leads!
Over the years the posts on solonoids have got smaller and smaller but battery cables still have the same size hole (too big) as I tightened mine (temporarily curing the fault) it was spreading over the shoulder of the solonoid post. I bought a new cable, flattened it with a hammer, (just the terminal), then redrilled the hole. Worked for me. Six months still good.
Jeff

[domster]

Get another starter. They are basically wear items, in my experience. 18 months is fair innings - my RS one went after about 12 months.... and it was a Bosch.

[rich 36]

sounds like a new batt to me 18months?

[danny hoffman]

If it's the starter, why does it always jump start immediately? My starter is a Bosch also.

[domster]

I'm guessing at the starter. They do go on 911s. It may be the extra current can jolt the solenoid into action when you jump it.

The last two starters that went in my case, both would start erratically ie fine one moment and then nothing but a click the next. Often turning the key up to five times would start it.... click... click... click... start. I think you are agitating the mechanism each time and slightly unsticking it.

[ew_topcat]

When one jump starts a vehicle one doesnt use the starter at all. A starter is only used to turn the engine over, when pushing the vehicle in gear one is doing the same thing, this is why it jump starts easily but the starter is still unservicable.

[domster]

Errr, isn't that BUMP starting?

Gets bloody confusing, but I thought jump starting was using jump leads from car to car; bump starting was rolling it and letting the clutch in.

Both techniques were mentioned in the first post, to muddy the waters further.

[ew_topcat]

Domster, you are quite right, I did mean to say bump starting.