From: Wally Plumley [wplumley@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 2:31 PM
To: Carl D. Kester II; 928@list.928oc.org
Subject: Re: [928OC Public] Hard starting car afer it sits for awhile

At 02:41 PM 11/28/00, Carl D. Kester II wrote:
>Please help,
>
>          I have a 1998 S4.  When car sits for awhile I have to crank
>engine numureous times waiting in between before it gets gas and
>starts.  Acting like air in gas lines I just replaced the check valve on
>fuel pump.  After car starts it runs fine.  Please help.
>
>       Carl


The 1998 models are notoriously hard to crank. ;-)

The 928 must have close to normal fuel pressure before it will crank.

The 928 fuel pump runs for only about two seconds each time you hit the 
starter until the engine cranks. As soon as the engine cranks, the pump 
runs continuously.

First:
Have someone hit the starter while you kneel down by the right rear bumper. 
Listen very carefully for the buzz of the fuel pump. If the pump buzzes for 
1 - 2 seconds each time the starter operates, that is as designed. If the 
car cranks after the third or fourth time you hit the starter, it is likely 
that you are losing fuel pressure.

There are several possibilities here:
1) Fuel pump check valve.
2) Fuel pressure regulators, dampers, etc. may be leaking.
3) Injector(s) may be leaking.

Pull the vacuum line from each fuel pressure regulator and see if there is 
any trace of fuel in the vacuum line. If so, the affected unit should be 
replaced.

There are other possibilities and other tests, if you feel capable of 
getting into the system.

Wally Plumley
928 Specialists





From: Wally Plumley [mailto:wplumley@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 9:37 AM
To: 928
Subject: [928] Re: 928 Not Turning Over


At 08:58 AM 7/30/02, Bryan wrote:
>Hello all,
>   After months of trouble free driving my 89 928, I made a 10 minute stop
>on my way home yesterday and when I came out the car did not turn over at
>all.  Up until then I didn't have any trouble starting or driving.  When I
>turned the key, the only thing that happened is the chime didn't turn off,
>like I had the door open with the key in the ignition, only the doors were
>closed.  I could hear the relays click in the fuse panel and the light
>dimmed a little when I turned the key later with the door open, but
>nothing else happened, like the starter was frozen or the the car was in
>drive.  Battery power is fine, all windows and everything worked, the dash
>lights didn't indicated anything, and the computer never displayed
>anything, it just wouldn't turn over.  Does anyone have any ideas on what
>it could be or anything I should try?  The factory alarm is disconnected,
>so it shouldn't be doing anything to disable the ignition.  It is an 89
>automatic, approaching 95k miles.



Good post - you gave the model year, transmission, and enough descriptive 
facts to make an educated guess at the problem.

Possible problems:
1) Bad ignition switch or connection.
2) Bad starter relay (XIV) or connection.
3) Bad starter solenoid or connection.
4) Bad starter or connection.
5) Bad battery or connection.

You can isolate the problem with some simple troubleshooting. You can start 
from either end of the chain.

Starting at the starter, under the car:
On the starter solenoid, jump from the large battery connection to the 
small terminal with the yellow wire.
If the starter does not operate, the problem is either the battery, its 
connections, or the starter solenoid or starter. One prime suspect is the 
ground cable from the engine to the chassis on the bottom right of the engine.
If the starter operates, the problem is the starter relay, the ignition 
switch (not likely, based upon your description of the lights dimming), the 
neutral safety switch (ditto) or the wiring among them.

Starting at the central power panel:
Remove relay XIV.
Test terminal 86 in the socket for 12 vdc when the ignition switch is 
turned to the start position. No power means a bad ignition switch. The 
electrical portion can be replaced separately.
Test terminal 85 in the socket for ground. No ground indicates a bad or 
misadjusted neutral safety switch, or the wire to it.
If both of the tests are good, jump from terminal 30 (power) to terminal 87 
(load). If the starter operates, the problem is probably a bad relay. If 
the starter does not operate, the problem is in the yellow wire, the 
starter solenoid, the starter, or the battery cables, including the grounds.

Wally Plumley
928 Specialists




From: Wally Plumley [mailto:wplumley@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 1:15 PM
To: 928
Subject: [928] Re: I should have bought Walt's Transmission - starter
problems.


If the starter solenoid gets 12 vdc from the yellow wire, it should 
energize with a noticeable "clack". If it does, the switch, starter relay 
(on the cars which have one), ignition switch, wiring, etc., are all good.

If the solenoid clacks, but the starter doesn't spin, the possibilities are:
No power to the solenoid (the heavy cable).
The power isn't getting thru the solenoid switch to the starter.
The power is getting to the starter, but the starter is faulty (usually 
worn or sticky brushes).
The ground cable from the engine to the chassis is bad.

First test is to put an electrical load on the solenoid.

Get an old headlamp bulb, and attach three feet of lamp cord to the 
terminals. Attach large alligator clips to the other end of the wire. Make 
sure that the bulb burns when 12 vdc and ground are applied to the alligators.

Attach one alligator to the starter housing, and one to the connection that 
goes out of the solenoid and into the starter. Hit the starter switch - if 
when the solenoid clacks the bulb burns brightly, move the ground alligator 
to the chassis and try again. If the bulb still burns brightly when you hit 
the starter switch, the starter is bad.

If the bulb doesn't burn at all, the solenoid switch is bad.

If the bulb burns dimly, you have a bad battery, battery cable, ground 
cable, solenoid, starter, or the starter is hung in the flywheel. More 
testing is required.

Solenoid switches can sometimes be cleaned and repaired.

Sticky starter brushes can usually be cleaned.

A local auto electric shop (not a standard repair garage or auto parts 
store) can usually repair/rebuild the starter for you - or, of course, we 
can sell you a starter.

Wally Plumley
928 Specialists