Jump to content

Welcome to RennTech.org Community, Guest

There are many great features available to you once you register at RennTech.org
You are free to view posts here, but you must log in to reply to existing posts, or to start your own new topic. Like most online communities, there are costs involved to maintain a site like this - so we encourage our members to donate. All donations go to the costs operating and maintaining this site. We prefer that guests take part in our community and we offer a lot in return to those willing to join our corner of the Porsche world. This site is 99 percent member supported (less than 1 percent comes from advertising) - so please consider an annual donation to keep this site running.

Here are some of the features available - once you register at RennTech.org

  • View Classified Ads
  • DIY Tutorials
  • Porsche TSB Listings (limited)
  • VIN Decoder
  • Special Offers
  • OBD II P-Codes
  • Paint Codes
  • Registry
  • Videos System
  • View Reviews
  • and get rid of this welcome message

It takes just a few minutes to register, and it's FREE

Contributing Members also get these additional benefits:
(you become a Contributing Member by donating money to the operation of this site)

  • No ads - advertisements are removed
  • Access the Contributors Only Forum
  • Contributing Members Only Downloads
  • Send attachments with PMs
  • All image/file storage limits are substantially increased for all Contributing Members
  • Option Codes Lookup
  • VIN Option Lookups (limited)

ralendrum

Members
  • Posts

    15
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by ralendrum

  1. This problem sounds very similar to the one I had ( Stray Voltage). My explanation may not have been the greatest but my problems started when I "Tuned Up" my engine. I had the ABS, PDAS (four wheel drive looking) and CEL light all on. When I drove the car I would get the red lights flashing on and off when hitting bumps and eventually the CEL would flash. When the CEL flashed the engine would die and then come right back on. I went through all of the ABS and braking checks. I have the Durametric program and had all kinds of codes about controller being bad, relays being bad. I eventually read somewhere that the ignition system could cause the same problems. I started playing around with the coil/ignitor plugs and found that one of the ignition circuits was the cause. To make a long story short I narrowed it down to the lower spark plugs. I removed the wires and checked resistance, all good. I removed the plugs again and checked gap, still all good. I plugged everything back in and started the car. It runs like a top. I have since taken it on many drives and have never had a light come back on nor a miss from the engine. I am guessing that one plug wire must not have seated and was arcing to ground. This scrambles the computers (ABS and ECU) to give me the problems. I know it sounds too simple but I would look into the ignition end of things. Bob
  2. I figured the problem out. I thought that the wire from the ignitor to the coil was seperate so that when you plugged in to the ignitor you were also plugging into the coil mounted above it. Turns out the ignitor has no external wiring and has nothing to do with the coil mounted above it. The wire (Green to the forward coil) actually comes out of the plug. This means that the ignitor has nothing to do with the problem so no matter which one you plug into you are still running off the coil that mates with the plug/harness. Bob
  3. I will try toi keep this as short as I can. After tuning up my 1990 C4 the ABS and PDAS warning light were on (as well as the main"!" light. When I test drove it the CEL also came on. All of a sudden the lights started flashing on and off. The CEL light flashed once and the engine cut out when it did. I went home and parked it for a while then read up on it. My computer scan said that the ABS / PDA Relay was faulty. I also got a code that said the ABS module was bad. The more I read the more likely it seemed to be Ignition Interfeirance. After carrying out all of the tests I could on the ABS system I started looking towards the ignition. This is where it got interesting. I unplugged the harness plug at the rear Ignition Controller (Ignitor). When I did this the car ran exactly the same, lights on and engine cutting in and out (getting nervous). I plugged the rear plug in and unplugged the front one. The lights went out and the engine nevr missed a beat. I even test drove the car with the rear plug on the front ignitor/coil. It worked fine. So the question is what could make it act up. I know the signal wire from the ECU is a shielded wire. Any advice would be a great help. Bob
  4. I don't know if I am looking for help or a place to unload. I have been through my HVAC system in my 1990 C4 every which way I can. I checked for Flap operation and none of the motors respond to the controller. I jumped power to 4 of the 5 motors and they move when powered directly. I bought the Durametric package but at this age all I get are codes saying that the flap motor is not working. because this controller seemed to be a problem I went ahead and sent it to Auto ECU in Tennesee. They charged me $500 CAN and returned it. All I found was that there was asticker on the bottom saying it tested OK. I plugged the unit back in to the car and the only improvement was that the little fan on the back turned for about 15 minutes then quit. Everything else worked the same as when I sent it to them. I went through and checked the unit further and found that there is no signal voltage nor power to the Flap motors. I have all the same faults showing as before (after clearing them several times). I contacted Auto ECU and asked them about a service report or some information as to what they found. I got an e-mail back saying I should send it in for warranty. I did this (at cost of $100 CAN) and again received it back with another sticker on it saying tested OK. I plugged it in and this time nothing works. At least before I could turn the AC Condensor fan off and on as well as turn the rear booster fan on by pushing the Defrost button. Now nothing works. I contacted them and they suggested that maybe the main power contact inside came off during shipping, go ahead and return it for warranty. They still have never said what was wrong or what was repaired. Anyway they also put stickers over the screws so that warranty is void if I open it. At $100 every time I am undecided about returning it. Does anybody have any suggestions. I may go ahead and open the unit to see if there is something obvious. I would like to buy a unit but I don't really want to spend the $2000 that I have seen for a new unit. The other problem is that to modify to a 993 unit you need to jump a wire. The opening that the new wire goes to already has a wire in mine. My other option is to make my own control panel using manual switches to move the flaps and power the other functions through the original switches. If someone has any advice I would like to hear about it. I don't know anyone with a functional unit so trying another one isn't possible. Anybody know of another repair company. Thanks for letting me tell my story, hopefully it may help other people in deciding who to send electronics to. Thanks Bob Lendrum
  5. I have been trouble shooting the Heating/Air Conditioning in my 1990 C4. At first I thought that the servos must have failed but it now apears that it could be the main control unit. I removed the plugs and jumpered the pins to se if the motor / gate would work. All 3 I tried work fine and under their own power. I did a little reading and it would seem that the air sampling fan in the back of the controler is not working either. The main fan controls all seem to work so I set the servos to cold and thought I would drive it this way for the summer. I found a rebuilt unit on line for about $1200 and I would spend the money if I was sure it would fix all my problems. The A/C compressor clutch does not engage but until I am sure themain unit works I am not too worried about that. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to check the unit out to confirm if it has completely failed. Does anyone know of anything that could disable all of the servos? Need Help. Thanks Bob
  6. I am having a heck of a time checking the oil level in my 1990 C4. The car is an ROW and did not come with an owners manual. I do have the 964 "bible" that is very helpful but it does not answer my question. I had an oil change done at a reputable shop when I first bought the car. I noticed a small leak from the area of the oil tank. When I use the dipstick it does not show any oil. The guage on the dash showed a level but as I have no experience I am not sure what is normal. I added a litre of oil thinking that it would register on the dipstick. It didn't. I ran the car for a day or so and the level on the guage read fairly high. I added another litre of oil and actually thought I saw oil on the dipstick but I must have been dreaming since it has never registered again. Now I know I have too much oil since the guage on the dash reads high all the time. I suspect that the only way to get it back to normal will be to drain the tank down and add back the 6 liters (??) that are supposed to be in the tank. My real question is why I can't see oil on the dipstick. Is there an elbow in the tube inside the tank that directs the stick down into the oil? If so do you think it could break off so the stick would not touch the oil. I tried to unscrew the tube at the tank but it is seized and I did not want to break it off. Any ideas???
  7. Just a quick update to the mystery of the Check Engine Light. I removed the gauge and checked. There is a Check Engine light opening on the back of the gauge. The hole was filled by a white plug. The same type of plug filled several other sockets that are not in use in my car. I installed a bulb in the socket and the light comes on when I turn the ignition on and it goes out when the car starts but I don't think it is really connected to anything. I will leave the bulb in it just for curiosity.
  8. Well I thought I would update / put to rest this thread. I removed the drivers seat from my 2000 C4 (first disconnecting battery) and unhooked the attached wiring harnesses. When I pulled the seat out I could see where the harness went past the cushion and into the switch panel. I removed the 2 screws from the switch panel and could see that the harness was not in the cutout that it is supposed to run through but was "pinched" between the seat frame and cushion. All 5 wires (maybe 6) were rubbed through the insulation and were grounded to the seat frame. Bottom line was I unplugged the harness and pulled it through as far as I could then cut back the tape on the harness. I repaired and taped each wire then retaped the bundle. With all the extra tape the bundle is thick enough that the only place it will go is through the cut out. I reinstalled the seat and had a small problem. It turns out that the harness to the switch panel will plug into the wrong pins. Usually they are set up so you can't plug the harness in the wrong place. I removed the seat anchor bolts and replugged the harness and all works well. This turned out to be a lot simpler fix than I was expecting. It didn't involve replacing any parts and now I can use all the power seat and memory functions. Bob
  9. Thanks for the input. I believe that it was supposed to be a mid year change for 1991. Since I don't have this car in my garage I can't even tell you if it even has the light or not. I have a couple of jobs to do on my wife's 2000 996 (used to be ours till I bought the 964) then I will swap them around and look at this one. Now off to deal with the runaway seat in the 996
  10. I ran the VIN ( WP0ZZZ96ZLS401952) and it didn't really give much other than it is a ROW and it is in fact a 1990 C$ Coupe.
  11. I know this may sound stupid but it is driving me crazy. I bought a 1990 C4 that is a ROW car (came from Japan but is LH drive). I took it to a "reputable independent shop" in Calgary and they really picked the car apart. One issue was that the person that had it before me had a "chip" installed. As soon as they heard this they went on and on about the check engine light not working and therefore someone had disconnected it. I drove the car home and stored it away for the winter so I did not verify this myself but according to a book (Dennison ?) that came with the car the check engine light was not installed until 1991. Does anyone know anything about this?
  12. Sorry if this is a repeat but I tried posting this before and I never did see it posted. Anyway I got in my car ( 2000 C4 996 ) and the seat back started automatically moving ahead. It actually pinned me against the steering wheel. I managed to get out and reset the seat using the memory button. I again sat in the car and the back startted moving. After pushing down on the seat in several places I manged to make it move. I reset the seat to my memory position and removed the fuse for the drivers seat. That allows me to drive the car safely. My question is if anyone has heard of this before. Any insight into where the problem might be. Do I need to remove the seat or is there anything that I can acces by removing the switch panel on the side of the seat. The thought of the seat taking off while driving is a bit frightening. Imagine being pressed firmly against the steering wheel hitting something and having the air bag go off.
  13. Funny thing happened yesterday. My 2000 C4 996 had a runaway drivers side seat back. When I sat down the seat back started to move ahead. It trapped me between the seat back and steering wheel. Luckily I was sitting still when this happened and I managed to bail out of the car. After fooling around and resetting the seat to the memory position I noticed that it happens everytime I push down on the seat. I finally reset the power functions back to the memory positions and pulled the E3 fuse to disable the seat. I know this points to a short in the wiring or switch. I was just wondering if this is fairly common, common or rare. Anybody have any idea what to look for or any tips on hunting the problem down. I imagine I will end up removing the seat. Thanks for any help Bob Lendrum
  14. Try 0951 or 0949 Lorne Wanted to write and thank you for saving the day. We tried the 2 codes you supplied and neither worked. I remembered that you suggested going up or down by 2s. I thought up and my wife thought down, so of course we went with hers. She was right (****). Anyway the radio works and you save the day. Bob & Annette Lendrum
  15. Hi We just discovered (after changing the battery) that the code card that was included with the car is not for the radio that is now in the car. Maybe the original was stolen or broken?? Here is the information that we have found and we hope that you can help us. Thanks B & A Model CDR220 Type 4462 Ser Y5033962
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.