As you can tell by my title "newbie", i and new to the world of 914s. I know this model was made from 70-76, and there are a few differant sized engine that were used. my car that i just aquired looks like it has been sitting for quite a while, and all the labels and stickers are long gone. There are quite a few problems to be worked out. Question 1, How do i know what size engine is in my car, assuming it is still stock which i think it is. Question 2 - with battery cables hooked to battery, the 2 red arched light in the fuel level guage blink just like the blinker would weather key is in on position or not. Brake reservoir is bone dry. would that cause the blinking? Ive read on here that there is a "reset" button on the master cylinder? is it an obvious button or will i have to look for it? THanks for the help.

Are these cars carburated or fuel injected? mine looks like it is carburated, but some listings i just found make me worried. If i read my schematic right the computer for the fuel injection plugs into the relay block in the engine compartment, am i correct? If they are fuel injected, and that is where the computer plugs into, i am screwed cause i cant find the computer and that plug is empty. where would the computer be?

- Paul

The blinking red light is the brake failure warning light. Yes, its due to the res being dry. Fill it with Dot3 and start bleeding the brakes using either a pressure bleeder or the "long tubes" method. LOTS of threads about both here on the site. The reset button will only work once the brakes are full of fluid and the air is bled out.

Engine can be determined a few different ways. What year is your car? it should still have vin tags. Please consider entering your VIN info here:
http://www.914world.com/specs/chasnrs.php

Does the engine have carbs, or the fuel injection still on it? Posting a pic of the engine would lead many here to be able to tell what the engine is.

Zach

Assuming you have a four cylinder it came stock fuel injected. The computer would be mounted on the firewall in front of the battery. ECU's are available from a number of sources. If you don't know the year of your car it should be on the tag found on rear of driver's door opening.

before you do anything.... take the parking brake off. your flashing will disappear as this is the parking brake warning signal and is working as designed.

Or, the parking brake warning light. It's both.

For the best information for you and fun for us, post some pictures of the car, trunks, interior, engine bay and we can tell you all sorts of things that we see.

Some info on different bits about the 914. Both are a bit outdated now, but much of the info is still quite solid.

FAQ: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/9...Darling_FAQ.htm

Buyer's Guide: http://www.pelicanparts.com/914/How_to_buy_a_914.htm


No US-bound four-cylinder 914 ran carbs originally. Only the Sixes and the European-spec 1.8s did.

The blinking lights may be due to the brake warning system (either a loss of pressure or the handbrake being up will trigger it), but both should only come on when the key is on. You may have an ignition switch problem, or something shorting an "always hot" wire to a "switched power" wire.

--DD

Post your location. I'll be there's someone close by that can help. Also, when you get more info on the motor - year - etc. post that for additional help.

Simple cars to work on. Best education is to start back about 20 pages and read all of the tech posts here and use the search button.

Since the car has been sitting for some time, check the braking system thouroughly before driving it. The master cylinder and/or calipers and/or any of the hoses could be leaking (hence the empty reservoir).

The PO may have removed the ECU (computer), which you won't need when runing with carbs.

Pix of everything would help to identify what you have for a drive train.

i have taken pictures of the car. let me know what else you wanna see.
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engine bay please and welcome to the madness

engine compartment
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engine compartmentClick to view attachment

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yep somebody put a carb on there for you so dont worry about the ecu. on your last picture showing the green carb return spring, just underneath where it is attached in the back you should see your engine code# stamped on the engine case. if you post the first 2 letters of the # we can tell you what engine you have, or record it and find it in the links previously provided

I'm sure more will chime in but, it's a carburated 1.7 or 1.8. I see an a/c compressor also.

yes that it is. doubt it has any refridgerant in it though. cant get the engine running enough to tell. and as far as the engine code, where is it? i looked all over that engine bay and cant find anything. will it say in the vin?

if the bumpers are original
the motor a 1.7 with AC

Good god man I would drop the motor and give a good cleaning first
Get rid of the ac, pretty well assuming the refrig. is gone

You have the"Progressive carb" set-up on once was Fuel Injection

see my last post.
what is that original color? you can see it in the front trunk pic and in the engine bay pic. it looks yellow...but kinda not

The heater blower fan is from a 70-72 car. Chances are pretty good that it's a 1.7 engine. The engine number likely begins with "EA" or "W", and is on the rib below that green return spring on the carb. It could also be further over to the right, where the crankcase turns down and is vertical.

There's also a chance (it wouldn't be the original engine if this is true) that it could be just in front of the oil filler, between it and the fan shroud.

--DD

any chance thats an L97H gold metallic peeking through there?

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i know this makes me sound like an idiot, but i still cant find that engine code. i have been out the for the last 30 mins lookin for it. how many digits is it? can someone take a pic of theirs so i can have a referance? here re 2 other placks i found.

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maybe its not there i will post a pic of the spot. in the mean time...there should be another tag in the FRONT of the drivers door jam. can you post a pic of that area please?

cant take a good enough picture to read what it says, its too dark in the garage, but this is what it says

Made in western germany
Karmann
Karosserie
NR. 0419560
KUNSTHARZLACK
L 97 G

What does that mean?

from your pics it looks like the engine code is missing from its usual spot. it should be right under the carb return spring you posted. heres the pics of my 2 engines..ones in the car and one on the stand:
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you can just make out the first 2 letters

the karmann sticker tells you the original paint code of the car

the black sticker tells you the man. date and MY

im sure more will chime in with better info.

i wonder what L97 G paint code is?

Silver74, your good. Paint code L 97 G is a Gold Metallic. Guess someone didnt like the gold so they painted it red. I wonder what color im gonna paint it.

L97G was Gold Metallic in '71 and '72.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=colors

Paul, your car was originally this color.

My '74 2.0 came with the Weber Progressive carb like you have there. It's fine for getting it running, although you'll get a lot of hesitation and stumbling in cold weather. Eventually you will probably want to convert to dual carbs or take it back to the original stock FI, if you can find all the parts.

What parts would i be lookin for? where can i find a list of all the parts associated with fuel injection? on my wiring schematic? im from phoenix, it dont get too cold here. how much would it cost to get it back to original FI?

anybody in az. can help this guy?

best bet is to have a local 914'neer to help out.
there's alot to having the FI system complete properly.

good news, plenty of 1.7 stuff out there.
tricky part, do they work, after all this is 40 year old stuff
If you're going used.
new? ya got money?

First thing first take a BIG shop vac and clean her up!
Second get a Hayne manual
It can help 98% of the time.

Oh yeah

get it running and enjoy it while you learn about all thats needed for FI.
but its your call...seems like you got a lil bit of work ahead of you before you have to worry about good luck

Aint that the truth!!!!! but im up for the task. in the first picture i posted of the front end you can see part of my other project. an old baja bug. it started out pretty much the same way, tore up and not running.

"we can rebuild it...we have the technology.." all that wiring under the dash is gonna suck. take the seats out and puts some blankets down say you can lay in there for awhile.

i REALLY like the gold cars i would be stoked DAve

gold car?like thisClick to view attachment

sher is purty

I am definately makin some progress. i filled the brake reservoir with fluid to see if there are any leaks. let gravity bleed till clean fluid came out. did not pressure bleed yet. got my new ignition switch and now the engine turns with the key. found why the lights were blinking all the time. the hazard switch dissinigrated when i pulled it out and found 2 wires touching at the switch that shouldnt be. sprayed carberator cleaner down carb while cranking and it ran off the cleaner. at this rate i may be driving it soon. WAHOO!!!!!!!!!