Boxster won't start! My wife will leave me. [Updated with Video and bad news]
 

Hi guys,
just like a couple other people here, my car doesn't start. I browsed through a bunch of posts here with similar problems, but I'd like to ask a second opinion before I start to replace parts that are fine.

1999 Boxster 120k miles

• Day 0 - Worked fine for 3 years
• Day 1 - Car didn't start. It "turns" but there's no start. It doesn't do the battery click either. All the lights, radio, electronics come on. After 20 tries in the period of 1 hour, it started.
• Day 2 - Drives fine
• Day 10 - Didn't start again. Tried around 20 times. I tried to jump start it with a battery charger and another car and nothing. But then, used my wife's A3 to jump it and it started right away.
• Day 11 - Bought a new battery (my old one was made in 2003). Car worked perfectly for 2 days.
• Day 13 - Doesn't start again with new battery. Tried jumping with another car and nothing. Push start also doesn't work. Took to Autozone where I bought the battery. They checked and said that the battery is fine and charged. However, their machine indicated Voltage Regular issue. After 30 tries, it worked. Drove home and left the car on for a while to grab some things, but the car shut off by itself.
• Day 13 - Checked it with Durametric cable. Zero issues. No faults detected.
• Day 14 - Managed to get it on again, and decided to put some new gas, being afraid that it might be it. Car didn't start after pumping gas. I tried to roll start it 5 times and nothing. It turned after 2 hours of tries. When I stopped at home, it shut off by itself again.
• Day 17 - Changed ignition switch (http://www.amazon.com/URO-Parts-4A0-905-849B/dp/B0066SFYMO). Worked for a couple days
• Day 20 - Car stopped staying on. It would turn on and die in 2 seconds. Got this error on Durametric: P1602 Porsche fault code 108 - Power Supply - open circuit
• Day 21 - Car stopped turning on. Video of the issue: http://youtu.be/N5sAB14e2GY. Got this fault on Durametric: P0102 Mass air flow sensor short circuit/open circuit
• Day 22 - New video of issue: https://youtu.be/1Fyqh6slO6E
• Day 25 - I took the alternator out and brought it to Autozone and OReilleys. Both place tested and said that that the alternator is fine, and so is the Voltage Regulator. I put it back in.
• Day 25 - Since I was inside the car already, I changed the belt and the air filter. The belt wasn't so bad, but the filter was.
• Day 26 - I keep resetting the codes, and the MAF warnings keep coming back. I heard that it could be the battery being disconnected or some electrical problem somewhere else, but if the Durametric is to be believed, the MAF is bad.
• Day 29 - Used CRC Mass airflow cleaner. Car turns on and stay on. Very rought idle though.

Notes:

• I installed an aftermarket Bulldog keyless entry 1 year ago. It always worked
• When the car is on, it drives fine. I can get to highway speed without feeling loss of power.
• Already checked the fuses.

What I have to check/test:

• Alternator & Voltage Regulator
• CPS
• Fuel Pump & Relay
• Fuel pressure

What do you guys think?


Thanks in advance!

Picture of angry wife?

Any picture will do. She's always angry.

Any picture will do is our line! Maybe not getting the car started may be a better option? :cheers:

Try the engine management modules and the crank position sensor. This could be 40+ things. Get the Bently book. Has many TS guides. Starting with good charged batt is #1.

Always cranks but sometimes no start? Tach always moves with these start attempts when it doesn't start? Try checking fuel pressure with a no start?

This is why I'm single.

I believe the proper term is "Deathtrap".

Had my car 3 years now. She's never driven it. Puts her window up. Does NOT like any spirited driving. :(

This happened to me twice in my 2 years of ownership. First time, it was the gear shift not engaging in P. I just jiggled it, put it in neutral then back to park. It finally started. An "isolated" case that happened a couple of times during a week. Never happened again since. Second time was a couple of weeks back and the culprit was the alternator. Had it serviced and all's well.

How long has it been since you changed the fuel filter?

Maybe its time to change the wife? :D

Battery is brand new. And fully charged.
No, all the lights in the dashboard come on, but tach doesn't move. You're just hear the engine turning like it's "almost there", but the VRROOOOOM never comes.

I kept reading more posts here and found out that some people have a problem where they remove the key and the car still thinks the key is in the ignition. They changed the ignition switch and it solved. I have had this problem happen to me 3 or 4 times over the years. So, I bought the switch. It only costs $9 and Amazon should delivery on Tuesday.

Hehe, she had to help me push it home for 2 miles at 1AM. Good times. It strengthened our relationship.

Way past time.
She would take half the Boxster though. Maybe she can take the part that doesnt work.

Maybe never? I haven't. I will check some paperwork to see if the previous owner did.
Thanks for the hint.

Tell her she needs to pay to fix it first otherwise it's only worth $500 for scrap. Lol

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

I have a manual one.

The alternator will be second thing I'll change. I need to read a little more, but the voltage regulator is somehow attached to/inside of it. That's what the machine at Autozone is failing.
My durametric doesn't say anything though.

Red flag. If tach does not even reflect the engine cranking, it's the CPS or the relay in the trunk drivers side. DME or something similar. It's in my book at the shop.

OH NO!!!!!!! This could be trouble!!This has the potential to bring cats into play!!!:chicken:

Call Kram, He moonlights as a marriage counselor..............As long as he has an active internet connection..............

Yeah tach not moving = CPS; I'm not familiar with the other things that timco mentions, but that's probably because mine happened to be cps. Happened to with very similar symptoms. Sometimes would not crank and with me it would shut down while driving.

Just a thought, rather than throwing parts at it, it may well be cheaper in the long run to take it in and let the pro's have a go at it. Certainly less frustrating.

Hehe, I saw your heading and it made me think of, "I got bad news and I've got good news..."

I've been separated for a little over a year now, and it's been the best year of my life. I highly recommend it.

Yah, I thought about taking it to the pros, but I couldn't get the car to turn on to drive it there, and too lazy to tow.
Another problem is that I live in a place with a bunch of fancy people so the dealer/mechanics charge an arm and a leg just to say hi to you. Last time I called one of them, $150 just to plug the computer to tell me why the check engine light was on.

If your call sign is a play on where you live (Montecito) Then I suspect it is $150.00 to get a pizza delivered also!!:ah:

Ok start with the basics compressed AIR, FUEL, SPARK,

When the motor turns over does it sound like it has compression? must be since it starts sometimes.

Do you have spark? Pull a Coil and stick a spark plug in it. Connect coil wires, and ground the plug.

Ask the significant other if she will turn over the motor while you check to see if there is a spark jumping across the gap. if yes on to the next, if not, maybe cps maybe ignition switch.

Do you have fuel pressure?

Pull the schrader valve core out (don't lose the core), put a vacuum hose to it and aim it away from harms way and into a clear jar. turn key on, does fuel shoot out of the hose? crank motor, does fuel shoot out?

Nah, it's part of my name. But yes, I live right by Montecito. I like doing this work, so I will go until the car gets on fire. If that happens, I will take to a mechanic.

yah, I know some of those words.

I will do that tomorrow when there's light. I will try those things and report back. I tried to turn on the car today twice with a camera on, but both of the times it worked. Couldn't get footage.

Weak sauce, my friend. Too far of a stretch, kinda a personal attack. He's not even in here.

I'm out of the loop. What happened?

Ok guys. Just a quick update.

I changed the ignition switch with the $9 URO from Amazon. It was easy enough. Maybe took 30 minutes due to position upside down under the steering wheel.

The car turned on 3 times in a row. A little "angrier" than normal. I will drive it to work today to see if it's gonna disappoint me.

This is probably just my mind playing tricks on me, but I feel like the key is smoother. I do remember having issues that the key would have to be force now and then to be turned. It had to be "just right" to turn. Now, it's going around much easier. Also in and out.

I will report back.

Another symptom of a bad switch.

Ok. Drove to work and back today. 15 miles each way. Both of the times, the car turned on without any problem.

However, I think that every time the car didnt start it was hot. As in I drove for 20 minutes, stopped to eat or pump gas and then tried to start it. It never not worked when it was cold.

Ok guys, I updated the OP with more details of the issue! Bad news and horrible news

Bad news
Car was working for a week. Put some gas in it and everything seemed to be dandy. But it got worse.

It just stopped staying on. It would turn on for 3 seconds and shut down. I tried it enough over 2 days that now it doesn't even turn on anymore.


I uploaded a video of the event. This was last night.

http://youtu.be/N5sAB14e2GY

Horrible news
Wife hasn't left yet



Any advice?

Have you checked fuel pressure?

I agree with Pwave on fuel pressure. You can force the pump to run by jumping the relay. if the pump runs with proper pressure, then check the crank position sensor. You can also put the old switch back in.

Hmmm, I will check. I think the durametric has an activation that lets you run the pump. Would that work?

I'd jump the relay (takes out variables ) and check for pressure.

After a big fight, the wife said she was leaving me. She packed her bags. At the door, she turned around and said, "You bastard, you planned this, didn't you?"

I said, "No! What makes you think that?"

She said, "Your friends. The ones hiding behind the couch with the balloons."

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1432702810.jpg

And looking at the fuse box it would be one standing up and one laid down in the middle of the square and at the bottom of it....

like this...

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1432696875.jpg

jump those two connections and you should have fuel, if not fuel pump time

I do hear he watches Cannon and Mannix................

Thanks for all the suggestions. I haven't had time yet, but I could get another video of the issue happening:

https://youtu.be/1Fyqh6slO6E

I will work on it tomorrow.

Good plan. I think I will put a camera too in the room.