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Posted by: cvoros Feb 17 2011, 06:31 PM

Generally through the winter I dont drive my 914 too much - it doesnt get all that cold here in TX but the car has no heat exchanger. I still crank it and let it warm up every few weeks. Couple weeks ago I charged the battery up and went to crank it and it just turned over and over - never showed any sign of wanting to fire up. I dont find anything "obvious" like a loose wire, blown fuse (if any of those even affect the ignition or fuel pump, etc.) Just wondering if there are some common things that might cause that, if y'all mind doing a little thinking out loud.

Posted by: Dave_Darling Feb 17 2011, 07:49 PM

You need three things for the engine to run:

Fuel, air, and spark.

How's the compression? Any really loud and obvious noises? Does the starter crank evenly, does it sound more like "RR-RR-RR-..-RR-RR-RR-.."?

Fine, you've got air.

How about spark? Get an extra spark plug, hook it up to one of your plug wires, and tape it with the threaded part touching the crankcase or a cylinder head. Have someone crank the starter. Got spark?

Fuel: If you have cranked the starter and don't get no Vroomin', is there a fuel smell at the tailpipe? Or what about if you put an injector in a small jar (only one nut holds it onto the intake runner pipe), and have a helper crank the starter? Got fuel coming out?

If you have all of those, then either your timing is obscenely far off, or you are getting way too much or way too little fuel. But chances are that one of those elements is missing completely.

--DD

Posted by: Jeffs9146 Feb 17 2011, 09:25 PM

First check that the fuel pump is priming! Turn the key on and off, you should hear the pump buzz then click off!

If this is not happening you should check the fuel pump fuse on the relay board in the engine compartment. Then check that the pump is getting 12v when the key is turned on!

Posted by: detoxcowboy Feb 18 2011, 10:22 AM

first check the fuel in the tank..

Posted by: cvoros Feb 18 2011, 10:26 AM

Dave, thanks for the tips - just hadnt been warm enough out til this week to check those things. I had suspected it was a fuel problem since I didnt smell gas after trying to turn it over....but this morning I started with the injectors and got nothing so as I thought, that was the culprit.

Thank you Jeff....those little noises you hear every time and are so easily overlooked when you dont hear them....yes, in fact after checking the injectors once and getting nothing I remembered! Keyed it off then back on and BINGO no fuel pump priming noise. So, there I was undoing the screw to check the relay board in the engine compartment....staring at the battery whilst turning the screw and just happened to notice one of the little power wires to the battery post had been pulled out of the crimp connector probably when I was connecting the battery charger clamp last time.



She's running fine now.

Thanks guys.

Posted by: Jeffs9146 Feb 18 2011, 10:37 AM