Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

does the tacho needle bounce ?

means its not the reference sensors, yes we are all well here, and you and yours ? and when will we see you again ?

Before anything, check for a spark by taking off one of the leads at the cap If it does not spark, read the next paragraph (although with rotor arms, I'd try the next section regardless). If it does spark, check out the fuel system. Take the plugs out and see if you have fuel. If not (you might try this anyway), try disconnecting one of the Injector leads (Only do this briefly, especially on a car with a cat). If it fires up, it's a surefire sign of it being the Fuel Pressure Regulator at fault.

Finally, when were your Dizzy cap and Rotor arm changed? I have spares you can try. If you are local (I'm in Warwick) I could possibly have a go with you at fixing it. I know some dodgy rotor arms were sold and are still available in certain batches (this can be tested with a multimeter across the arm), or the carbon pin may have popped out of the dizzy cap, again stopping you from having a spark.

Finally, I'd be tempted to do the 'jumper' trick again, and check for fuel pressure in case you have a duff fuel pump.

Can't add anything useful except to say Good luck & good to see you on the forum again! Check it all out methodically as it's more than likely to be simple rather than the ECU failing. Like the screw on the rotor arm coming out for example. Happened to me.

After rereading your post I'd be tempted to check out the rotor arm (they can be intermittent) and Fuel Pressure regulator. Whilst there may be fuel, it may not chuck it out at the right rate, so disconnecting the lead may show this problem up if the car starts without one injector.

Had any problems or done any mod's on your '44 since we last met?[/b][/quote]

no problems (touchwood) or mods since we last met, you'll have to come on the saturday events

My car comes with the factory alarm I think. There's a box for it under the steering column, but no box by the battery. This sounds like an aftermarket alarm that has been fitted, with a similar thing to what the Clifford alarms have done to them.

I think my car's the same as yours, '91 S2, and I've only had two non-start problems.

The first problem turned out to be the plug on the side of the AFM? (I'm not sure what it's called). It took ages to find the problem, and then it was only by luck. I cleaned the plug and socket and I've never had a problem since. There's an old thread about it somewhere.

The second problem was the alarm key had a hairline crack on one of the copper strips and the immobiliser wouldn't dis-arm. I have to push the key into a little slot on the side of the steering column, wait for three beeps, then start the engine. I changed the socket, bought a new key, and soldered up the old one for a spare - and it works. It wasn't expensive for the parts.

Good luck with it.

Without trying to come across as rude I am not sure that his scenario is the case. Many twin cam cars run with bent valves. (ask any Peugeot 306 GTi-6 owner whose belt has been timed up by a garage who claims to know it all (read a tooth or two slipped due to incorrect procedure in checking engine timing). However, they simply tap alot like a sewing machine and eventually drop the valve guide head into the engine causing more damage, in addition to being down on power. I've even seen a car where it dropped a valve into the engine, lost all compression on one piston and still ran (albeit poorly).

If there was no compression the engine would turnover very smoothly, sound like a washing machine. I've seen this happen before quite a few times on an engine that has been seriously flooded. Otherwise, if it is still pulsing, I cannot see it being a compression problem. If it is a compression problem, I'd try starting the car as if it's flooded (pulsing accelerator) and see if it fires up. If it fires up and dies soon again I can almost certainly see it being an FPR problem.