WON'T START after driving all day, electrical mystery, Help me get back on the road before Monday! Options

[Chris Pincetich]

So I'm driving home on the twisty roads of West Marin, and my radio cuts out. Then comes back on. Then cuts out. It is wired to the interior light/turn signal circuit if I recall correctly. Turn signals work. NO problems. I get to the Post Office, get my mail, then the car won't start!

Turn key
1) Fuel pump comes on
2) "sound" of something trying to work, possibly starter insides

But, no cranking. Nothing. When I release key from start position, I hear a CLICK.

I got some help, and push started it. It worked! BUT, it ran like CRAP. On acceleration, it popped and even backfired. Whoa. Hardly any power. Limped it home and now it is parked safely in the driveway.

I am so bummed. I have been commuting in the 914, and improving stuff almost every weekend. Just installed a new TPS circuit board, new Optima battery, and cleaned + tightened the battery cables and connections. Ran great this morning!!

D-jet, 1.7 TIV. All fuses OK. Checked rear engine fuses too. 13V across battery terminals.

Been reading and searching the site for help. Found info on bad ignition switches and places to check for voltage drops. I went through the bad ignition switch last year. Maybe it happened again!! Similar symptoms, but why would it run like crap after I push started it if it was only the switch? That has me baffled. What made it run like crap?!?! AND WHY was my radio acting up? I hate electrical gremlins!

D-jet grounds? D-jet "tigger plate" (what't that? TPS?)? Bad CHT?

I can dig into this over the weekend. Gots to fix it by Monday! Maybe I should order a new ignition switch now? What else

Oh yeah, I have the small "eBay" starter. It's now about 8 years old. How do I "jumper" this starter? Just connect the two terminals?

Thanks in advance for any and all help (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[donman]

1. well when i first got my 914 bought hot start kit $24 then my car would do the same thing left me stranded or push started. cleaned all grounds etc. still happened, i guess i didn't do very good job, it continued to happen after a lot of driving. Aquired an aviation grade ground strap. the one on your tranie. Die grinded an area till bare metal installed new one and did the same on the starter ground wire. Since the rework it has not been an issue.
TELLING YOU GROUND IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. All this air cooling.

2.The crapping running after starts. If you have points still ...Which i still do. I found this caused a stranded no firing or spark condition. It could be the heat from driving. Installed New points ran great. But i want electronic and can't find one that i feel comfortable with that will fit that rare distributor i have. So anyone feel free to advise. i am looking at Hot Spark.

[DRPHIL914]

1. well when i first got my 914 bought hot start kit $24 then my car would do the same thing left me stranded or push started. cleaned all grounds etc. still happened, i guess i didn't do very good job, it continued to happen after a lot of driving. Aquired an aviation grade ground strap. the one on your tranie. Die grinded an area till bare metal installed new one and did the same on the starter ground wire. Since the rework it has not been an issue.
TELLING YOU GROUND IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. All this air cooling.

2.The crapping running after starts. If you have points still ...Which i still do. I found this caused a stranded no firing or spark condition. It could be the heat from driving. Installed New points ran great. But i want electronic and can't find one that i feel comfortable with that will fit that rare distributor i have. So anyone feel free to advise. i am looking at Hot Spark.

ive been running a hot spark module for 5 years not problem- fits fine in my stock D-jet distributor.

Phil.
btw where in charleston are you? S.C? if so come down next saturday on the 21st for Cars-n-Coffee- Bluffton(beaufort hilton head savannah and sun city collaberation) we had almost 200 car last month! - (at the USCB campus next to Sun City )