Slow Starting

[colinham]

My new 1992 S2 seems to struggle when starting. The starter motor seems to be struggle on start up. The previous owner has a receipt in the service file for a £80 refurb on the motor which is only months old and my new heavy duty battery has around 800 cranking amps so the motor should wizz round. Is this a common problem with the S2 or is there an after market high touque replacement I could fit. The car starts after around a couple of seconds I just wish the starter motor would perform better, Any advice please guys or ideas would be most helpful. Colin

 

[GlennS]

All 944s take a bit of cranking before they fire. It's a feature of most cars that use that generation of Bosch engine management.

 

[Copperman05]

Sounds pretty normal, size of the cylinders doesn't help either. Mine hesitates sometimes, giving a pause between cranks, starter motor is probably on way out, but it still always starts so I don't worry much. Part of old 944 ownership it seems.


Edd

 

[andy watson]

One of the many 944 quirks [] when your battery is a bit low the cranking time is long enough for a cuppa [][]

 

[GlennS]

You can tell it's a 944 starting up from miles away. That characteristic "whir-whir-whir-whir-WUMP" is unmistakeable.

 

[frankydoom]

Yuppa exactly like that (as in GlennS post)

 

[pauljmcnulty]

It's also cold, so the oil's thicker and adding to the sheer effort it takes to turn over an S2 engine.

They do need a good battery, but if yours is new it's probably perfectly normal.

 

[edh]

Worth checking earth straps?

 

[944 man]

As Ed sasy, worth checking all of the connections. The battery is a long way from the starter and the current drop along with poor earths (and the minimum speed for fuel pump energising) means that they can really make a meal out of starting.



Simon

 

[Fred Hindle]

My 2.5 944 had exactly the same problem. Things were slightly improved by fitting a new DME relay but a new starter nearly flipped it on it's roof - started very quickly though.

Cheers,

 

[Veerzigzag]

That characteristic "whir-whir-whir-whir-WUMP" is unmistakeable.

As mine has no cat (factory option) I have to blip the throttle on start up to "clear its throat"; well, that's my excuse anyway. I like the way it frequently sets off my neighbour's car alarm.

 

[eddieedmo]

the only time mine starts immediately is when it has been sat in hot sun and then fires up at first touch.I suspect fuel pressure is higher thus not waiting for build up of fuel.

Nick []

 

[Gordon Attar]

Third or fourth turn is pretty standard before start up😊

 

[timmyturtle]

My S2 is slow to crank also,but it does fire up after a few turns.
It also has a new battery and the starter looks very new.

I seem to remember someone saying that some starters are replaced with lower capacity aftermarket ones,this is because someone has found a different one that fits physically to a 944,but is not rated for a 944

 

[J4CKO]

Mine spins over quickly but takes a few turns, it is to build a little drama and give it an air of a Merlin being started.

 

[944 man]

Mine starts quickly. Very quickly going by many of the psots here.

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Mine turns over very slowly, tum..... tum ....... brumm [] almost always on the first turn of the key

 

[Lowtimer]

Mine always sounded slow to crank, but always fired, until the day the (probably original) starter motor burned out. After I fitted a new starter it's been much more cheerful, and always starts within about half a second to a second, even after having been left for a month on the battery conditioner.

944man's point about the length of cable, and ensuring good earths, is a good one. After all these years it could easily be that several strands within a starter cable are no longer intact, which would not only lead to high resistance and poor cranking, but could lead to a localised hot spot. Replacing the cable is probably one of those things we ought to do every 20 years or so.

 

[J4CKO]

Turbos may start a little quicker due to being a lower capacity and lower compression, does that sound plausible ?

 

[Diver944]

Absolutley Jacko. Turbos are 'chug fire', S2's have always been 'chug chug fire' in my experience. Since 1998 I have had a rebuilt starter, a new starter, several batteries and changed multiple leads and earthstraps. They all make the starter spin faster but its still 'chug chug fire' []