Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi All,

I've recently developed a bit of a fault which maybe starter motor related but wanted to see what the general views were on the forum.

After disarming the immoboliser, I switch the ignition on and wait a few moments until the various whirrs of pumps etc have stopped. I then turn the key as if to start the engine but all I get sometimes is a click and then nothing. Sometimes I get the click but then the started motor does actually start turning the engine and the engine starts fine no problems.

I recently replaced the DME and have had no other running problems. Does this sound like the starter motor is on it's way out?

Regards,

Ben

Sounds like the solenoid which is on top of the starter motor. Mine was full of water. It's not in a great position if you look at it. May just need a clean waterproofing with silicon grease. It is at least easy to get at & takes minutes to remove. There all basically the same. Should be no more than £50 to have the whole thing rebuilt if it needed it. (Don't mention the P word. ) There are other options but if you haven't touched the motor yet then thats my favorite.

My thoughts other than solenoid is the ignition switch

That's also the symptoms for a worn out battery.

Good point that John. I'll break out the volt meter and see what volts are there before start up, during start up and once the engine has started. I'll start with the most obvious thing.

Ben

Quick update.

It's looking like it may well be the battery. I nipped out at playtime with my voltmeter. With the help of one of my work collegues, the battery measured 12.1V with the igniton off. With the igniton on (but not cranking) it measured 11.9V. When turning the engine over it dropped down to around 9V. With the engine running it was running at a nice 13.1V.

I'll get a new battery fitted and hopefully this will cure the problem. I don't know when the present battery was last replaced although it is a decent quality Bosch battery.

Ben

Don't think it's the battery. Thats not an intermittent fault. You should get 12v static. (If fully charged. That means no short journeys. 10-11V could mean you've done some short runs.) 13V engine running at tick over with the lights & HRW on. It's not that cold at the moment. Battery performance is effected badly by the cold. Often just taking your battery inside for 24hrs & warming it up is all you need to get it to start again. 13.1 running is more an indication of the alternator! Obviously yours is working.

Your battery should be around 12.5 - 13v without the car running and when running and charging 13.5 - 14v.

9v while cranking is a bit low but depends on recovery time.

I would be changing the battery as well, its not the ignition switch as you wouldnt get the click.

Rich

I'd go with battery. If I didn't use mine for 2-3 weeks it would either struggle or not start. A jump on the battery or a trickle charger on it would sort it. My car came with a new starter around 2 years ago too. If the battery is dead, even a good alternator will struggle to keep it at around 13.5V IME.

I put it down to the immobiliser draining it being a CAT 1 (I.e needs to be armed all of the time) and a rather old one at that (some reckoned it was an early to mid 90s alarm). It would explain why it had a key to turn it off (hence completely immobilise the car). I didn't remove it as it worked well generally (i.e didn't randomly go off, sensors all fine etc. etc.).

Hi All,

Another update and some questions to follow. Ok - battery is fine and starter motor is fine. Now I have a question regarding the immoboliser.

I suspect I may have a problem with the immoboliser. If you don't turn off the immoboliser, should the engine effectively be dead i.e. not even crank? The reason I'm asking is that if on the few occassions I have forgotten to turn off the immoboliser I can still get the engine to crank over but it won't fire into life. I'm starting to wonder if all the starting problems are relating to this. Any advice would be most welcome.

I'm sure the only sure fire way to confirm this is to bypass the immoboliser and see if this cures the problem. I think its the original factory fitted immoboliser. It has a little circuit key with 5 pins that slots into the steering column. Usually after 3-4 beeps I take out the immoboliser key and start the car as normal.

Ben

Ben, In Brighouse theres an alarm specialist in the center. They will not only fix your problem but give you an insurance certificate to prove it. (Cat 1 alarms should be checked every year. ) Cost me less than £50 to get my cat 1 alarm sorted out. Loads cheaper than buying a new one. It's just a motorist discount center. But it's not! They have a 3 ramp workshop & some seriously good sparkys. Give em a try!

Could well be immobiliser most disable the starter circuit. If it is as old as that & misbehaving then it needs binning as they only have a 10-15 year life.

I have the same immobiliser. If don't turn it off nothing happens. It doesn't turn over or anything. The immobiliser is made by:

Hamilton & Palmer
Unit F1
Chaucer Business Park
Watery Lane
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN15 6PL

t: 01732 760022
f: 01732 760033
e: accounts@hamilton-palmer.co.uk

This is where you buy new fobs from and they may be able to advise you.

My immobiliser will allow the car to turn over but it will not fire up if you do not de-activate it so it sounds like a starting problem. The car will just turn over and over until the battery is dead, it does not however continue to pump fuel into the car so flooding is not an issue, actually quite a good way to immobilise as it means I can hear someone trying to steal the car as well as the alarm I mean.

Hi All,

Back up and running now. Was the starter motor after all that. I can't believe the difference a new starter motor has made. Before it was quite laboured but I always put it down to the big 3 litre lump up front. I also got the leaking radiator replaced at the same time - just in time for being stuck in traffic jams in summer.

I want to thank Steve and co. at Carlton Porsche in Birstall for getting me up and running.

Ben