944 Turbo - Please Help!!
Discussion
Hi there,
I'm a newbie to these boards but I'm really hoping that you guys can help me with an intermittent problem I'm having with my recently purchsed 1990 944 Turbo.
I'll start at the beginning - about 3 weeks ago, I purchased a lovely 1990 944 Turbo with an unprecidented history file - this car has really been looked after throughout it's 25 year and 135,000 mile life. In the following fortnight the car performed faultlessly, including the 250 mile journey back from purchasing the car.
Last week after a brief visit to my parents (about 5 miles away), I started home. I'd gotten about a quarter mile down the road when I felt the car falter and shortly after the engine stalled. I managed to restart it but it was running EXTREMELY rough and wouldn't idle. The only way to keep the engine running was to keep on blipping the throttle - it was obvious that the engine was "missing" badly and there was a strong smell of petrol from the exhaust. After nursing it back to my parents I left it parked-up overnight.
I returned the following day to assess the sitaution and to my surprise, when I tried to start the car, it started and ran perfectly. I drove it around the block a number of times and decided that perhaps what had happened was somehow a "glitch". However, just to be on the safe side, I changed the DME relay, plugs, leads, distributer cap and rotor arm - I also had a new throttle position sensor fitted. (I've also bought an engine temperature switch just in case it was faulty and telling the ECU to over richen the fuel BUT I haven't fitted this as yet).
Everything was fine until yesterday. After returning home after a long Sunday blast, I pulled-up outside my house and hit the door unlock button in order to let the wife out of the car before parking-up. The instant I hit the door unlock, the engine faultered and died. Again, upon restarting the engine it wouldn't idle, ran rough and would only keep running if I kept blipping the throttle.
This morning I went to start the car expecting difficulty but you've guessed it - it started, idled and ran flawlessly! I even tried to re-create the issue by pressing the door release button but it was perfect and had no effect on the engine.
It seems that whatever is causing the issue is resolved after the engine has gone cold!
Don't make the mistake of thinking I know what I'm talking about, I'm the first to admit I'm not partucularly mechanically minded so I really need your help as I don't know where to go from here.
Do I need a mechanic or an auto-electrician?
Could it be the temperature sensor switch (I'm going to fit this when I get a little time).
Could it be the Air Flow sensor?
Coil?
Bad earth?
I also have a "Scorpion Alarm" fitted - not sure how it could be this but you do hear of problems with 3rd party alarm fitments.
Thanks in anticipation guys.
I'm a newbie to these boards but I'm really hoping that you guys can help me with an intermittent problem I'm having with my recently purchsed 1990 944 Turbo.
I'll start at the beginning - about 3 weeks ago, I purchased a lovely 1990 944 Turbo with an unprecidented history file - this car has really been looked after throughout it's 25 year and 135,000 mile life. In the following fortnight the car performed faultlessly, including the 250 mile journey back from purchasing the car.
Last week after a brief visit to my parents (about 5 miles away), I started home. I'd gotten about a quarter mile down the road when I felt the car falter and shortly after the engine stalled. I managed to restart it but it was running EXTREMELY rough and wouldn't idle. The only way to keep the engine running was to keep on blipping the throttle - it was obvious that the engine was "missing" badly and there was a strong smell of petrol from the exhaust. After nursing it back to my parents I left it parked-up overnight.
I returned the following day to assess the sitaution and to my surprise, when I tried to start the car, it started and ran perfectly. I drove it around the block a number of times and decided that perhaps what had happened was somehow a "glitch". However, just to be on the safe side, I changed the DME relay, plugs, leads, distributer cap and rotor arm - I also had a new throttle position sensor fitted. (I've also bought an engine temperature switch just in case it was faulty and telling the ECU to over richen the fuel BUT I haven't fitted this as yet).
Everything was fine until yesterday. After returning home after a long Sunday blast, I pulled-up outside my house and hit the door unlock button in order to let the wife out of the car before parking-up. The instant I hit the door unlock, the engine faultered and died. Again, upon restarting the engine it wouldn't idle, ran rough and would only keep running if I kept blipping the throttle.
This morning I went to start the car expecting difficulty but you've guessed it - it started, idled and ran flawlessly! I even tried to re-create the issue by pressing the door release button but it was perfect and had no effect on the engine.
It seems that whatever is causing the issue is resolved after the engine has gone cold!
Don't make the mistake of thinking I know what I'm talking about, I'm the first to admit I'm not partucularly mechanically minded so I really need your help as I don't know where to go from here.
Do I need a mechanic or an auto-electrician?
Could it be the temperature sensor switch (I'm going to fit this when I get a little time).
Could it be the Air Flow sensor?
Coil?
Bad earth?
I also have a "Scorpion Alarm" fitted - not sure how it could be this but you do hear of problems with 3rd party alarm fitments.
Thanks in anticipation guys.
- * Can anyone recommend a TOP Porsche guy (preferably a front engine specialist) ideally in West London or the Home Counties who could help me?? ***
Hi guys,
Sorry about not replying sooner - I found myself in the "Sin Bin" (felt like a naughty schoolboy!) and have just been released.
Thanks for your advice so far.
I forgot to mention that after the first instance, in addition to changing the plugs, leads, distributor cap and rotor arm, I did also change the DME relay (I've been told to always keep one in the glove compartment) but it still happened on the Sunday.
As I say, I'm going to change the engine temperature sensor today but have been told that even if it fails "open circuit", it probably wouldn't cause the issue to the extent that I experienced - but hey, I've purchased one anyway and I can always hope!
Before being released from the Sin Bin (and being able to view your responses), I found a Porsche Specialist on "Honest John's Good Garage Guide".
Had a long chat to a great guy called Nick from "Auto2000" and have booked it in early next month (he suspects the crankshaft sensors).
Has anyone got any experience of them?? (Auto2000 or crankshaft sensor failures).
Sorry about not replying sooner - I found myself in the "Sin Bin" (felt like a naughty schoolboy!) and have just been released.
Thanks for your advice so far.
I forgot to mention that after the first instance, in addition to changing the plugs, leads, distributor cap and rotor arm, I did also change the DME relay (I've been told to always keep one in the glove compartment) but it still happened on the Sunday.
As I say, I'm going to change the engine temperature sensor today but have been told that even if it fails "open circuit", it probably wouldn't cause the issue to the extent that I experienced - but hey, I've purchased one anyway and I can always hope!
Before being released from the Sin Bin (and being able to view your responses), I found a Porsche Specialist on "Honest John's Good Garage Guide".
Had a long chat to a great guy called Nick from "Auto2000" and have booked it in early next month (he suspects the crankshaft sensors).
Has anyone got any experience of them?? (Auto2000 or crankshaft sensor failures).
Thanks for all your suggestions guys, I've only driven the car occasionally since (and it's been fine) but I just know it's going to let me down at some point.
I've decided not to throw any more money at it just yet (and to wait until the weather's a little better) before investigating in earnest.
Thanks Rob, I'll look at the AFM first, then I'll probably change the Fuel Pump as I've heard that these have sometimes been known to cause a few issues when they get hot - anybody have experience of this?
Also, a friend of mine is having an issue with a slight missfire on his '84 3.2 Carrera - a mechanic has suggested a "dribbling" injector which he also said wasn't uncommon on the 944 - has anybody heard of this? Could the injectors on my 944 Turbo be the cause of my issue??
Cheers guys.
I've decided not to throw any more money at it just yet (and to wait until the weather's a little better) before investigating in earnest.
Thanks Rob, I'll look at the AFM first, then I'll probably change the Fuel Pump as I've heard that these have sometimes been known to cause a few issues when they get hot - anybody have experience of this?
Also, a friend of mine is having an issue with a slight missfire on his '84 3.2 Carrera - a mechanic has suggested a "dribbling" injector which he also said wasn't uncommon on the 944 - has anybody heard of this? Could the injectors on my 944 Turbo be the cause of my issue??
Cheers guys.
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