Hi everybody, I have a 2005
Boxster base
2.7l 6sp manual with 103.5k miles. I have had a no start issue since December and have done a lot to the car to attempt a fix. Car has no modifications, original radio, lights, everything. I have taken the car to a
Porsche
mechanic of 40 years and he even seems stumped on this one.
Main issue: Attempting to start- put key in, turn to accessory, lights come on, steering lock releases, all normal stuff is ok. Try to turn the key to start and car loses all power. Dash lights shut off, key gets stuck in lock and won’t come out until car randomly powers on hours later and releases it. Every time I replace an electrical component (battery, starter, alternator) the car will work perfect for a day then the same issue happens.
What I have fixed- all connections at battery cleaned with wire brush as well as connections at starter. Battery replaced first thing. Then replaced the alternator because it tested bad. Car worked fine for a day after alternator replacement. Then replaced starter motor. Again car worked perfect for 1 day afterwards then back to main issue. Car also has 2 extra grounds to frame on negative battery terminal.
Mechanic seems stumped and has never seen anything like this in his 37 years working on porsches. He suggested we try another new battery and an ignition switch. Gave him the green light for that but he didn’t seem like he thought it would solve the issue, just a good first step he said.
Attached is a video of my issue I uploaded to YouTube. PLEASE WATCH UNTIL END! Only 30 seconds. Issue happens at 22 seconds mark
It will show the entire issue.
I appreciate any and all suggestions, I have searched the forums for days and days and slightly similar issues seem to be solved by a starter relay (7), ignition switch, immobilizer, ECU replacement, battery cables themselves, cable from positive terminal to starter however I am fixing this on an ICU nurse salary which means I can’t afford to keep throwing $500 Bosch parts at this thing. Any and all suggestions would be so helpful. Thank you everyone!
Rob
If it were me, I'd go with swapping in a new ignition switch and probably would have done that first in fact. There have been a few reports of those switches failing in one way or another.
Good luck.
Hi Budman, switch and new battery were just installed and car now runs and drives properly... for now. It seems that when I replace an electrical component that the car works great for a day or two then the issue starts back up. Hopefully the switch solved it and I can enjoy it after 4 months sitting!
Alright everybody a quick update. New ignition switch and battery seemed to solve the issue for about 10 days, starting every single day, drove perfect, etc etc and then suddenly same issue. Click, all power lost, key stuck in lock, car won’t move or give any power at all. I’m at my wits end with the issue, I’ll hear any more ideas but after spending several thousand and not having the car fixed I think it’s finally time for the dealership and to spend big $$. I’ve been told to have them check the power distribution module for corrosion so I will be sure to mention that. If anyone can recommend a dealer near Montgomery county, Maryland that is honest I would appreciate it.
Edit
Well that sucks. I'm thinking the battery is suspect. Have you checked for something draining it. Your symptoms are very similar to a dead battery. I'd have that rechecked first to see what kind of power it's putting out and also before spending unnecessary money. It appears as though something might be draining it. Do you use a battery maintainer? Most of us that don't drive every day sure do because these cars seem to able to drain batteries in just a couple weeks. Assuming nothing is being left plugged in, it's definitely something electrical and throwing parts at it isn't the best strategy.
I agree. A quick check would be to see what the voltage level is when things are fine, versus when they aren't. If you're seeing a drop over those 10 days, then there is something draining it.
An even better test would be to put a current meter on the battery to see how much it's being drained. The problem there is we don't know what "normal" is, but given the 10-days you're stating here for the problem to come back, it would likely be an obvious/large drain.
Of course, as shop should be able to do these tests, but they will likely take the simplest direction, replace the battery, and send you on your way. You will either need to find a shop that will take the extra time and do the test right, or do it yourself. I'm happy to help with detailed testing, if you have the time, tools, and willingness to do it. I'm sure others would help as well. But you don't need to go to a dealer to have this investigated, as a good indy can do this as well... you just need to find someone that cares to spend the time on this and look deeply.
I would agree with the above. Before getting fleeced by the dealer, maybe you can find another
Porsche
indy in your area?
Not my forte, but could this possibly be a weird CANBUS issue? E.g one module has a fault that's causing the whole system to freak out once it hits a certain point?
Given it seems to be fine for a time after replacing some electrical components, it may be worth a look. Any of those would likely mean the battery was disconnected long enough to reset the electrical components and temporarily clear the issue. And from what you've said, it doesn't seem it's killing the battery when this happens, as it randomly powers back on later to allow the key to release.
As others have said, find another indy before going to the dealer. Electrical gremlins are a time-consuming pain on any modern car, and the dealer rate will murder you.
As stated above, you need to be able to see how much draw there is on the battery to do any troubleshooting. Get a clamp-on ammeter or “current clamp” first. Make sure it supports low voltage DC measurement. You can buy one for less than $35 on
Amazon
.
If it shows a significant draw with the car off then I would start pulling fuses until the current draw went away. Most likely culprits first (
PCM
, alarm, etc) and then I’d move on to other systems that are less likely.
If you don’t see any concerning draw with the car off then it becomes more difficult as I suspect that pulling some fuses are going to result in codes being set.
I know you said that you replaced the alternator. All of this is assuming that you are observing something above 13v while the car is running indicating that the system is charging.
Anyway, just food for thought.
