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> Engine died on freeway, Need help diagnosing (EDIT: solution found!)
914 RZ-1
post Feb 14 2017, 08:30 PM
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So I'm cruising along in 5th gear at freeway speeds and the engine goes out. Didn't hear anything, no warning lights went on (that I saw). Got the car off the road. Nothing loose or dripping. Plenty of gas. Battery is strong. Car turns over but won't start. Anybody got any ideas where I should start checking?

I've got newer trigger points, a Pertonix ignition, fuel injectors work and I recently replaced 2. I have an after-market fuel pump that has worked fine. I was recently working under the dash but if I jarred something loose it seems the car wouldn't have started this morning. i checked the distributor cap and it looked OK.

EDIT: It was the fuel pump. I've only had the previous one for 15 months. Called the company and they sent me a new one. Car is working fine now. Thanks to all who contributed. I appreciate it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
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StratPlayer
post Feb 14 2017, 08:38 PM
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It just quit,, sounds like something electrical.
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snakemain
post Feb 14 2017, 08:39 PM
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First thing to check that happened to me after a complete restore on my first long trip...Ended up having a vacuum on the fuel tank due to no venting on the fuel tank due to carbs vs. FI. If you open the gas tank when it dies and you hear a sucking noise, that's your problem. You're FI, but still who knows.
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wndsrfr
post Feb 14 2017, 08:44 PM
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Fuel Filter or the screen in the tank clogged??
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Elliot Cannon
post Feb 14 2017, 09:13 PM
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Pertronix ignition??
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timothy_nd28
post Feb 14 2017, 09:15 PM
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(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) sounds like you lost spark
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mepstein
post Feb 14 2017, 09:18 PM
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Mine did the same thing. Bad relay board in the engine compartment. Took me a while to figure out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)
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GaroldShaffer
post Feb 14 2017, 09:27 PM
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loose wire on the coil? My BIL 914 would die from time to time while driving. Happen to me while on a trouble shooting test drive with him. Took a while but found a spade on a coil wire was loose. It would slide on, but wasn't snug. Little pinch with some pliers and all was golden.
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boxsterfan
post Feb 14 2017, 09:29 PM
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Fuel pump died on my 1974 2.0L on the freeway. Exact same behavior.
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914 RZ-1
post Feb 14 2017, 09:43 PM
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QUOTE(Elliot Cannon @ Feb 14 2017, 07:13 PM) *

Pertronix ignition??


Yeah, put in electronic ignition and got rid of the points!
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second wind
post Feb 14 2017, 10:01 PM
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Completely clean battery terminals......my 2.0 did same thing....fixed in five minutes......we have had so much rain down here they are corroded to hell.....jus' sayin'
gg
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TheCabinetmaker
post Feb 14 2017, 10:46 PM
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Elliott was not asking if you have pertronics. He read that in your post. He was suggesting that your pertronics has dumped! I agree! I had those for a while and it failed on the freeway, just like yours. Went back to points and I'm happy.
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flmont
post Feb 14 2017, 10:58 PM
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My fuel relay went bad,..
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KELTY360
post Feb 14 2017, 11:10 PM
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QUOTE(flmont @ Feb 14 2017, 08:58 PM) *

My fuel relay went bad,..


Yup, bad relay. It's happened to me and I've also rescued 3 other 914s with the same problem. I always carry spares, but you can rob one from a headlight motor.
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iankarr
post Feb 15 2017, 05:56 AM
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I also vote for fuel relay issue or possibly overheated coil.

When this happened on my car, I found it would start fine and then unpredictability die after a while. Replacing the relay worked to get me back going, but it would die again sometimes days later without warning. Turned out the pin sockets in the relay board were loose, causing the relay to cycle whenever I went over a bump. The cycling strained the relay to the point of failure. I figured this out by starting the car and pressing on the relay. With slight pressure I could feel it click and trigger on and off. The solve was to make the pin sockets a bit tighter by slightly bending the metal. All good!

The other time I had a similar dying issue it was related to an overheated coil. (I also have an electronic ignition module- Mallory). It was so hot that I couldn't put my hand on it for more than a second. When the coil cooled down, all was well. I added a ballast resistor and made sure the wires were solid and haven't had a problem since.

The thing about pertronix is that when they fail, it generally happens like flipping a switch...unlike analog points which deteriorate over time. But once they're dead they're dead. If your car started up after the freeway issue, it's probably not your pertronix.

Good luck!
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mlindner
post Feb 15 2017, 06:13 AM
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I had it happen, ground wire to fuel pump.
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GregAmy
post Feb 15 2017, 09:31 AM
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QUOTE(boxsterfan @ Feb 14 2017, 10:29 PM) *

Fuel pump died on my 1974 2.0L on the freeway. Exact same behavior.

Yup, that was my issue with my 74 2L. Same problem: died on the highway. Sometimes restarted with a key cycle and clutch release, sometimes not. So I tested and replaced the fuel pump relay and it worked. Or so I thought...replaced the TPS with new and that seemed to work for a while, then died again...then I was fighting a no-start and isolated it down to the relay board (or so I thought)...each time I get in there and move things around, the problem goes away for a while and then comes back so now I'm leaning toward wiring and/or connectors.

Bottom line, the electrical system on these cars is approaching half a century and our relay board, relays, wiring, and pin connectors are in crappy shape. My goal for 2017 is to replace it all, start from a solid baseline, and work from there, even if I have to re-engineer the whole system with something more solid (it's not high-tech, just a lot of work). Not a concourse restoration so I'm not worried about that.

QUOTE(KELTY360 @ Feb 15 2017, 12:10 AM) *
Yup, bad relay. It's happened to me and I've also rescued 3 other 914s with the same problem. I always carry spares, but you can rob one from a headlight motor.

Blower motor, right next to the fuel pump, or rear window heater if equipped. I keep a "known good spare" in the rear window heater slot (not installed in my car)
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post Feb 15 2017, 09:38 AM
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Frist check spark secound check gas third check tow rope
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ndfrigi
post Feb 15 2017, 11:19 AM
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QUOTE(The Cabinetmaker @ Feb 14 2017, 08:46 PM) *

Elliott was not asking if you have pertronics. He read that in your post. He was suggesting that your pertronics has dumped! I agree! I had those for a while and it failed on the freeway, just like yours. Went back to points and I'm happy.



my 75 1.8 FI also had same issue driving it from Mission Viejo cars and coffee and just died on a full stop a mile away from my house. Cranking strongly and after several test and diagnosed, ended up only the pertronix is the only issue! During my initial replacement of the pertronix and use points, it didnt fix the issue and had several items replaced or swap parts for 2 mos. And after all those, the new points I ordered from a reputable porsche parts supplier, is defective. Wow 2 mos and only issue is the defective points.

just sharing my experienced.
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post Feb 15 2017, 11:46 AM
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QUOTE(914 RZ-1 @ Feb 14 2017, 08:30 PM) *

So I'm cruising along in 5th gear at freeway speeds and the engine goes out. Didn't hear anything, no warning lights went on (that I saw). Got the car off the road. Nothing loose or dripping. Plenty of gas. Battery is strong. Car turns over but won't start. Anybody got any ideas where I should start checking?

I've got newer trigger points, a Pertonix ignition, fuel injectors work and I recently replaced 2. I have an after-market fuel pump that has worked fine. I was recently working under the dash but if I jarred something loose it seems the car wouldn't have started this morning. i checked the distributor cap and it looked OK.

Check all your grounding points, there are several and clean for corrosion. Ask me how I know. Mike
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