crank, no start advice please

[gbp808]

Greetings all. Hoping for advice on which rabbit hole to explore next, from a 1st-time porsche wrencher.
2001 boxster s 84,000miles. Was PO's wifes daily till 2016, then parked outside and kept with battery disconnected and driven to annual safety only. Periodic oil changes by PO during this neglected period (2016-2024).
Proverbial plastic window leak and ECU problem 2024, PO sold to me Dec 24.
Since purchase:
towed to my garage
ecu water damage confirmed, ECUdoctors replaced immobilizer and refurbished fob, "all checked out" according to them.
Installed "new" ECU: Crank but no start. ECU docs told me I need to give them codes.
Durametric "enthusiast" cable arrives.
The only codes I got were a passenger monitoring code (i fiddled with the previously disconnected rear view mirror and sensor wires, cleared the code and it never came back)
as well as code 47 to do with incompletely closed door latches. It was on a weekend that i got the scanner so needed to wait for monday to chat with ECU docs. The other "quirks" with the immobilizer on that weekend were no activity when pressing the "key symbol" on the fob other than a few clicks from the ecu and also no hood/trunk action from fob. I assumed the lack of fob action indicated a continued ECU immobilizer problem preventing a start, i also assumed this was related to fault 47. Spent the w/e checking fuses/relays/door latches etc, no joy.

Monday rolls around and the ECU doc customer service person (not sure of level of skill) advises me that if new ecu allows crank etc, it cannot be an immobilizer-related security interruption of starting. Also code 47 should not be a no-start situation, "since the boxster starts with doors open in their shop".

His advice was to start chasing gas and spark. This is where I am looking for help: is he correct?, seems still likely ECU related since it ran till last park? I dont want to start down that road till i'm sure there is not some simple electronic step i am missing.

Current status issues that may be relevant:
For initial tow, car was in park and I forced the tiptronic into neutral(i was desparate). Currently the button on shifter is quirky but with a bit of wiggling it seems to correctly depress and allow shifting. Not sure if i could have broken some shifter position sensor that could be giving a no-start signal?
Hood is stowed (by removing both actuator assemblies)
Driver/LH door handle+latch disassembled but wires re-connected, not grounded.
When ecu first replaced, windows did operate, but now do not. Also the dash key switch red light did come on, now no longer.
Hood and trunk do operate from cabin control buttons.
Same results whether seats plugged in, or not.
I have checked select fuses and relays per posts, nada.
(there is a diagram online of a fuse cluster, 1-7, (PSM,OBC1, OBC2, ignition lock,eng elec's, OBC3 and PSM) that I cannot locate, i only find one reference to this, not sure if accurate.....? Looks important if it does exist)(i have not sourced a bentley yet)

I'm hoping someone points out a real rookie error, and I dont have to look at spark/gas:

Thanking in advance
garry

[JFP in PA]

Have you checked it for fuel pressure?

[gbp808]

Thanks JFP.
Other than chasing the electronics, I have only checked oil and water . I have assumed that since it was running b4 the ecu got wet, the rest should be ok. Am I missing the fact that perhaps an "ecu/immobilizer" damaged by water could leave a residual fuel fault, even after it was replaced with a verified unit from ECU docs?

[tcoradeschi]

Sat for 8 years.

Cranks but doesn’t start.

JFP is leading you in the right direction.

Is there fuel in the tank? Is that fuel viable? Is the fuel pump working? If the 01 has a replaceable fuel filter, what kind of shape is it in? Are the injectors working at least somewhat?

A fuel pressure test will get you insight into three of the first four questions above.

[mikefocke]

Isn't the shifter supposed to be in Park before the start can occur? I seem to remember having to wiggle my shifter on occasion on my tip 986. And since that was forced....

JFP would know ...

BTW, great problem and history description.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by mikefocke

Isn't the shifter supposed to be in Park before the start can occur? I seem to remember having to wiggle my shifter on occasion on my tip 986. And since that was forced....

JFP would know ...

BTW, great problem and history description.

Yes, the Tip shifter needs to be in park for the car to start.

[gbp808]

Thanks folks. I was hoping for this kind of "tidbit" info, that perhaps there is a park sensor I broke while forcing it from park to neutral for the tow.........?
(Currently the shifter button seems to engage naturally for shifting, sometimes it needs a wiggle to find the spot where the button then goes down easily. It is also "talking" to the ignition: no key>no button push, key in at position 0>no push allowed, key at 1>allows button push and shift.)

If anyone has worked on this "linkage" (shifter button/stick position sensor and ignition), I would appreciate your thoughts on whether i could have created a "crank, no start" situation?

Will be starting on fuel/spark basics soon, wanted to rule out some stupid operator error before charging in.

[78F350]

It's been years since I had an issue with a Tiptronic, but from what I remember if the car did not sense that it was in (P) or (N), it would not Crank. If yours cranks, the issue is likely elsewhere.

With the bad immobilizer box, did you have a good look at the connectors and harness that plugs into it? A rebuilt box will still have symptoms if the wiring is bad.

[gbp808]

Thanks 78F350.
Reassuring about tiptronic!
I did a brief inspect/crc spray of the harness plugs, will re-check.
How about dielectric grease?