924Board.org

pmcaya1 · Joined: 03 Oct 2004 Posts: 10

Greetings all. I've driven my 1982 924 daily with very little trouble for the last 7 years. Its non-turbo. It was doing some strange things since last spring - it would cut out during warm-up and run well after that. I did a series of things this summer to maintain it. Fuel pump checked out OK, bought new injectors, replaced distributor cap, plugs, and wires. It started fine, but had low midrange power. The parts I replaced probably didn't need replacing, but with 150K miles I thought it would be a good thing.
While driving it home recently I noticed a lot of RF static on the AM radio. I parked it and when I tried to start it the next day, there were 3 problems:
- the battery light came on
- it would barely idle at about 100-200 rpm
- there was absolutly no throttle response.
I'm about to go after the alternator/voltage regulator, but most vechiles can run on a charged battery alone. I would appreciate any sage advice or comments. Perhaps the voltage regulator was my problem all along? Thanks in advance. - Peter

Joes924Racer · Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 10:07 am Post subject:

these cars will run with a dead battery till you shut it off. Even
if the alt been trashed.
_________________
1979 porsche 924 Na
1980 porsche Turbo 931GT Replica
Have u ever driven a turbo.

Lizard · Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 10:08 am Post subject:

check the altenator output at the battery first.
_________________
3 928s,

dpw928 · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 1860 Location: owasso, ok 74055

The radio static could be the result of a loose primary voltage wire. Check your connections from the alternator to the battery/starter, all the primary wires from the battery to the fuse box and the battery cables at the battery and ground. I have also heard of alternator diodes going bad and causing RF interference.

Dennis
_________________
81 931 5 sp
78 928 5 sp Silver
78 928 AT Euro Black

CMXXXI · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 1939 Location: Vicksburg, MS

Mikri184 · Joined: 12 Sep 2003 Posts: 746 Location: Ferndale, WA

In my experiance I have found this to be an issue with the cranking amps getting to low in your battery especially during the cold weather. If you battery is more than a few years old you might want to get a new one. Also do try the other suggestions, especially if you have a newer correct battery. I have seen alot of problemns solved by installing the right battery in these cars.

_________________
Life is to short to be looking for something?

Joes924Racer · Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:56 am Post subject:

No not me all I had goin on once was a dead battery that ruined the alt and if you jumped it it ran.
_________________
1979 porsche 924 Na
1980 porsche Turbo 931GT Replica
Have u ever driven a turbo.

Roger · Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 1235 Location: Cordova, TN

Its also possible that the problem is not battery or alternator related. The battery light may be comming on due to the fact that the low RPM's are preventing the alternator from producing enough power. It may just be a symptom not tha cause. Although the radio static makes me think there is an electrical issue, if the voltage is really that low I cant imagine that you would be geting enough power to get a spark.
_________________
1981 924 NA

Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but you
still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

John Brown · Joined: 07 Nov 2002 Posts: 903 Location: Leesburg VA

If it cranked and started the battery had plenty of charge/voltage. (Then, it may need charging now of course.)

The battery (charge) light in this instance is on because the rpm is too low for the alternator output to rise enough to extinghish the charge light (or charge the battery).

Normally I'd jump on the warmup regulator but the electrical noise of course makes us suspect the ignition system. Easy enough to check.

Then, if you need to check the fuel injectio, buy a pressure guage setup and do it properly. Been discussed as naueum here.
_________________
John
80 931 - #931 44Cup
99 Escalade - tows track cars
gone but not forgotten: original 924.org car - 82

MALUKIA3 · Joined: 13 Dec 2003 Posts: 82 Location: NY

Did you replace the injector seals when you replaced the injectors? Possible that a a bad seal or seals is causing the poor idle, that is causing the alt. light, etc.

Don

pmcaya1 · Joined: 03 Oct 2004 Posts: 10

Thanks for your suggestions. It occured to me while trying to go to sleep that since the car idles at a very low speed and cranking/battery/ spark dont seem to be a problem - I should look at the timing belt. Please recall that there was no throtle response. You usually hear a broken belt, but I thought that mine might be broken and the engine was inhaling through whatever valves were left open. Anyway, I took off the drive belt cover and was met with the face and body of a mouse that had ridden up to the top, so to speak. The unfortunate animal was eviscerated and I think that the extra lubricant was used to spin the timing out. The mark on the crankshaft pulley was not alligned when I moved the camshaft to its mark. I loosened the belt, placed the crank so that #1 was at TDC, and set the camshaft to its mark. I thought I'd be writing you with good news, but the car didn't start. Checked everything again. One thing looks odd - when I did this before, I remember that the distributor roter was pointed at the #1 cylinder when the other marks allign. Looking at the distributor from the front of the car, this should be the wire on the back right. Where should the rotor be? - Peter

pmcaya1 · Joined: 03 Oct 2004 Posts: 10

Thanks for your suggestions. It occured to me while trying to go to sleep that since the car idles at a very low speed and cranking/battery/ spark dont seem to be a problem - I should look at the timing belt. Please recall that there was no throtle response. You usually hear a broken belt, but I thought that mine might be broken and the engine was inhaling through whatever valves were left open. Anyway, I took off the drive belt cover and was met with the face and body of a mouse that had ridden up to the top, so to speak. The unfortunate animal was eviscerated and I think that the extra lubricant was used to spin the timing out. The mark on the crankshaft pulley was not alligned when I moved the camshaft to its mark. I loosened the belt, placed the crank so that #1 was at TDC, and set the camshaft to its mark. I thought I'd be writing you with good news, but the car didn't start. Checked everything again. One thing looks odd - when I did this before, I remember that the distributor roter was pointed at the #1 cylinder when the other marks allign. Looking at the distributor from the front of the car, this should be the wire on the back right. Where should the rotor be? - Peter

Sleykin · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 1:06 pm Post subject:

I can see the headlines now

Porsche killed by suicidal terrorist mouse!
When all the marks a lined up the rotor should be pointing to #1 post.
_________________
Glenn Neff
Medford, OR
87' 924S

Smoothie · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 1:17 pm Post subject:

Of course you know you have to build a tiny casket and fly the little fella to Disneyland for burial.

That out of the way... If you used the correct timing mark on the back of the cam sprocket (there's usually 2 - the correct one is located at a valley between two teeth, the wrong one is centered right on a tooth), yes, the post for wire #1 should be at rear-right as seen looking back from the front of the car and the rotor should be pointed there.
_________________
"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."

'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

pmcaya1 · Joined: 03 Oct 2004 Posts: 10

After months of troublshooting the 924, I found that a mouse had been taken up by the camshaft drive belt and slipped the timing in two steps - first it ran poorly, then it would barely idle.
I reset the timing - crankshaft to mark with #1 piston at TDC, Mark on the back of the camshaft pulley aligned to pointer, and distrubutor rotor pointed to fire #1 plug (rear right as you look at the firewall.
Thanks to Sleykin and Smoothie for reminding me about setting the marks - especially the advice to use the marks on the back of the camshaft pulley. The engine tachs like a motorcycle again. No alternator light, etc. I think that I'll do another post to alert formers about the mouse hazzard - a friend of mine said it happened with his VW. Anyway, Thanks to all for your help. - Peter