Last Wed, we had a snow storm here. Betty drove her 914 to work that day, and the lack of a rain tray and the cold put some water into the air flow meter, and it froze. She didn't have an ice scraper, so I went to get the car and take it home when I got off work. In the process of unsticking the AFM, I mucked up the contacts that make the fuel pump work.

This morning the 914 wouldn't start. I looked and the contacts for the fuel pump were holding the AFM closed. Got them out of the way, and got it running.

Crap.. I am out of gas. Drove to the gas station, and filled it up. Pulled out of the station and the car is pulling hard to the right. Pulled into the gas station across the freeway. Sure enough, the right front tire is flat.

Put .50 into the air compressor at the gas station. Filled the tire. I can now hear the air rapidly leaking from the nail hole in the tire.



So I dig out the wheel chocks, the jack and the lug wrench. Spent 10 minutes finding the lock lug for the wheel locks. I chock the tires, and loosen the lugs. I start jacking up the car. About halfway up, the gear in the top of the factory jack strips out!!!

Now I have a 914 with a flat, and it's stuck on the jack that I can't raise up OR down. The wheel is not off the ground.

I go inside the station and use the restroom. Then I get lucky. The guy behind the counter has a hydraulic jack in his trunk. He is nice enough to lend it to me, and I get the tire changed.

I get everything put back in the car and try to take off. Now the car won't move..... Shit... the parkbrake is stuck on the left rear wheel . I get out and I am going to take a look.

I forgot to remove the wheel chocks.


Finally got to work with 10 minutes to spare.

hmmm...long string of bad luck....you are due for some good luck so go buy a lottery ticket!

Sounds more like a series of unfortunate events to me? Hang in there Clay, you will get things sorted out.

On that almost same note, the 914 I am putting together for my wife will be a pretty much stock 914-4 with what looks to be either a Bus 2.0 or a 2.0 with a non stock case? Don't know yet. Either way, I am going to make sure things like the rain tray are in place so this sort of thing won't happen to her. But at least they are things you can determine. Got a buddy of mine who has a 2000 car (doesn't matter what) and every once in a while it woun't idle. Not all the time, just once in a while for a little while. Scoped it, fine, we have tested parts, all good. replaced a few for fun, no diff. At least when my 914-6 won't start it is easy, do I have spark? Fuel? Air? It's gotta be one of the three! Simple, I like my stuff simple.

His luck already started changing. He had someone lend him a jack. Minor oversight, perhaps bewildered and beffuddled by the stranger's willingness to assist. We know this doesn't happen in California.

So... on a positive note, the car is running, he got to work on time, and he helped someone do a good deed.

Glass is SO FAR FROM EMPTY!

QUOTE (cmolina @ Dec 27 2004, 09:40 AM)

His luck already started changing. He had someone lend him a jack. Minor oversight, perhaps bewildered and beffuddled by the stranger's willingness to assist. We know this doesn't happen in California. So... on a positive note, the car is running, he got to work on time, and he helped someone do a good deed. Glass is SO FAR FROM EMPTY!

You made it to work on time and someone got to help out. That is cool in my book!