I'm traveling from Atlanta to north of Toronto for a vintage car sports car rally. My 914 will not start. The engine won't turn over - just nothing. Does any one know of a reputable shop in the area? Battery won't take a jump. Checked the fuse on the hot start kit and it's ok. Might be the coil.... again. Thanks for a recommendation.

Wow Harve. That is a real bummer. Hope you find help fast and get the problem fixed. Wish we could help.

Steve

Try Brian Vogt at Vogt auto. He's good and knows 914's.

Ignition switch?

Put it in neutral, make sure it's in neutral, roll it a bit to be sure then set hand brake. Ignition on, use a screwdriver to jump the starter solenoid. If it cranks then it's your ignition switch, time to wire in a relay.....

Don't forget to check the ground strap on the rear of the transaxle.

Harve,

I sent you a PM, I'll check around for a shop

SteveT

Harve sent a note that he was back on the road about noon today. It was a blown 15 amp fuse to the hot start kit that Harve had installed in the event the ignition switch went bad....which I guess these cars are susceptible to. He's heading on up to Canada for the rally. Thanks for the ideas guys.

I was premature in my assessment of the situation. I drove about 3 hours further north on !-75 to Monroe, MI. Shut the engine off at the hotel and then tried to restart it. NOTHING. Armed with a handful of 15 amp fuses, I reached underneath and was able to replace the blown fuse and replace it with a fresh one. That did the trick and now it starts. But why does it keep blowing fuses on a restart when hot?

Glad to hear you aren't stranded. Maybe you can PM Mike Bellis our resident 914 Electrician...

Thanks. I found European Auto Specialists. They were methodical in determining that the problem was a failing starter and solenoid. I may not have all of this correct, but the solenoid was trying to draw more current than the relay on the hot start kit would provide. With a 15 amp fuse in the link, the solenoid would blow it every time as it tried to draw my current to make the connection for the starter.

Bob is a seasoned mechanic that really went through the wiring to figure out the problem. This experience is worth sharing with others who have a hot start kit linked to an aging starter solenoid. It's formula to leave you stranded.

We upped the fuse to 20 amp since the Bosch relay is actually rated for 30 amps. We moved the relay and fuse to back engine firewall to make it more accessible and in a cooler place rather than hanging out in a very hot place by the starter.

European Auto Specialists were very generous and gave me a loaner car to use while they fix the 914. BTW, Cincy is a great town. I've never been here before, but it's a great place if you have to get stuck with breakdown.

As I've been having intermittent problems with starting, and trying different solutions, I'd like to find a way to get it started when I'm stranded without calling for aid. "use a screwdriver to jump the solenoid..." exactly what two points are you supposed to jump? Is this to bypass the solenoid so the power goes directly to the starter?

I installed a rebuilt starter and solenoid a while back and haven't experienced any problems until recently. And this time it was definitely heat related. Push started it, got it home and shut it off--would not start again until the next morning.

Is there a procedure somewhere detailing replacement of the ignition switch?

I referenced this: Replacing the 914 Ignition Switch

Next time that happens, check the Yellow wire on the starter solenoid for presence and amount of voltage when the key is turned to the start position. If you've no voltage then it's most likely a switch problem or "seat belt relay related" problem. Look beneath the psg seat to see if the relay has been by-passed and that the connections there are good.
If you've voltage, is it less than 10v? If so, report back. Check & Clean the connections on the transmission ground strap. Check the condition of the battery cables. Can you see corrosion on the copper strands as they disappear beneath the sheathing.
Does tapping the starter with a hammer allow it to start?