confirming hot start Options

[jmargush]

I have read several of the hot start (starter related not fuel) and have mixed opinions on the fix as the threads exhibit as well.

I have had the car on the road for 24 years and never had a problem with the stock setup.
then the other week at an autox I shut the car off in grid and it wouldn't turn over enough to start.

Let it cool down and it started fine.

Did some reading when I got home.

At this point I have cleaned all the connections except the one on the transmission.

Cables look good other than the one going to the alternator 9it have some corrosion around the terminal on the starter.

Ran it for 10 or so minutes the other day shut it off let it sit for a few minutes
it started but seemed a bit on the slow side
shut it off and tried again much slower but did eventually start
did it again and it was even slower
next time it wouldn't even turn over.
While doing this I was checking voltage form the ignition wire terminal on the solenoid to negative on battery.

it is down to about volts when trying to start.

so would you say this is confirmation of ignition switch or need for the additional solenoid or might the battery be weak?

[emerygt350]

I have read several of the hot start (starter related not fuel) and have mixed opinions on the fix as the threads exhibit as well.

I have had the car on the road for 24 years and never had a problem with the stock setup.
then the other week at an autox I shut the car off in grid and it wouldn't turn over enough to start.

Let it cool down and it started fine.

Did some reading when I got home.

At this point I have cleaned all the connections except the one on the transmission.

Cables look good other than the one going to the alternator 9it have some corrosion around the terminal on the starter.

Ran it for 10 or so minutes the other day shut it off let it sit for a few minutes
it started but seemed a bit on the slow side
shut it off and tried again much slower but did eventually start
did it again and it was even slower
next time it wouldn't even turn over.
While doing this I was checking voltage form the ignition wire terminal on the solenoid to negative on battery.

it is down to about volts when trying to start.

so would you say this is confirmation of ignition switch or need for the additional solenoid or might the battery be weak?

I don't think this is the solenoid issue. That just stops the starter from doing anything at all. It can be associated with a problem like yours because of the low voltage but in your case it really appears to be a ground or battery issue. You could add an extra ground from the negative battery terminal to the fan shroud (use a nice batt. Cable from a flaps that has two loops instead of the big lead terminal hookup ). There is a nice attachment point just to the right of the distributor. First I would clean the battery ground to the body, the connection from the battery to the starter, and the transmission ground.

How old is your battery?

[jmargush]

Only connection i haven't gotten a chance to check/clean yet is transmission to ground strap.

Ground to body have been cleaned.

Battery is at least 4 yrs old

[Ninja]

I'd install the hot start relay as a diagnostic step.

I believe in them. You can feed the relay from the battery terminal on the starter.

Original is a path from battery to ignition switch to solenoid. About 12 feet long with multiple connections.

The path with a hot start relay could be less than a foot with less connections.

I'd also install a bump start button somewhere in the engine compartment.

One of the members here made a super nice box mount with integral start button on it.

That's what I'll copy on mine.


50% of my "hard to start" cars get fixed with the relay. This is EVERYTHING, not just Porsche.

This rule only applies to old cars that didn't have a relay installed from the factory.

Everything modern I've hit already has a "start" relay installed.

Maybe the manufactures are on to something...

Grounds are SUPER important!

I'm also prone to add grounds, mostly on old stuff that didn't have enough to begin with.

[GregAmy]

I'm a big fan of the relays, too. It really does not make engineering sense to run the solenoid circuit's engagement current all the way up, through a plastic switch, then all the way back.

But an easy test: either get a remote start switch* and mount it to test when the starter isn't turning strongly, or be fluent in how to use a screwdriver on the back of the starter to jump it**. Both bypass the ignition switch circuit.

* Having a remote start switch in the toolbox is useful anyway when using the Cap'n Crusty procedure to adjust the valves from underneath.

** And for the love of everything holy, and your life, make sure it's out of gear and the wheels chocked.