japansam23

Hey, guys,
So I'm pretty new here, I joined the forum because I'm having a frustrating issue with my car. It's a '93 90s (2.8L V6, manual, non-quattro). Recently got it off craigslist for a pretty good deal.

When I can get it started, it is a very fun car, with plenty of pep still left. But as I said, it has been a pain to start since I got it. I have replaced the battery and spark plugs to no avail. When it starts, I'll run around town, and it usually starts strong after being run, which to me, sounds like an alternator issue. However, other times it cranks very strong, but with little to no spark.

Earlier this evening, for example, the car would not start, but after extensive wire-wiggling it finally fired and ran strong. After coming home, I shut it off, and then attempted to start it again, but nothing. It has strong crank from my new battery, but does not fire. I have dug through many other sites and forums, and people with similar intermittent starting issues reported it as being either a bad crank or camshaft sensor.

I also suspect a parasitic drain somewhere, but I'd like to get it to start reliably before tackling that one. If anybody has any input, I would greatly appreciate it!

Luxus Panzer

?

japansam23

That has also been suspect, but I am not exactly sure where it is located. Is it the black module on the firewall? And how would one test it definitively?

hubturn

I'll just go ahead and say it so that I can be the first one: Ignition switch.

japansam23

Well I guess at this point it could be anything, so I have been trying to pull the codes by the method on 12v.org, but with no luck. My check engine bulb could possibly be burnt out....

hubturn

What wires are you wiggling? Naturally, you checked, cleaned, and tightened the battery cables and ground wire attachment. I recommended changing the ignition switch because that has a high failure rate, it causes a host of strange indications, and based on the age of the car, it is a great place to start as a "known" condition. While I hate changing parts without a valid diagnosis, the ignition switch is easy to replace, and costs about $50. If the ignition key does not strongly snap back to the on position, or you have to help it a bit, it definitely needs to be replaced. Search the forum on this. Here's how to check for a drain, but my guess is a new ignition switch will take care of that, too. The drain will show in amps until you remove the fuse for the circuit with the problem. Then amps will go to zero.

Bill's Machine Shop

I have a '94 90 CS with a five speed manual that has plagued me with
intermittent start problems for years. Yes, I checked all forum
posts, Bentley's manual, the schematics, the sensors, all of it.
Last Sunday, it refused to start no matter what I did. I had to haul
it home for the first time.
After a day of sensor checks and start attempts, I went for the old tried and true method, Relay pull and replug. The lid for the fuse box under the hood on the driver's side can be removed for easier access. Open the box, lift and slide it a half inch to the right. it will come right out. I pulled three relays, tapped them against the windshield and reinserted them. One was the "Relief" relay. One was on the far right, and the other was the tall one labeled 217. I don't know which one was intermittent, or whether it was just weak contacts, but the car fired right up after I got them plugged back in.
The parasitic drain would be the clock.