996 Won't Restart

[black on black]

my 02 996 c2 starts fine when cold, but once every three months it seems to defy me when fully warmed up.

the starter cranks slowly as if the battery is dead - it's not

after three or four times i give up and it starts fine after an hour or two or an overnight rest

this is ok when close to home, not so when away, as one can imagine

the mechanic whom i trust says everything's ok after testing the engine extensively

can it be the clutch switch, starter motor, the starter or something else?

any thoughts?

big thanks

[juniinc]

most likely it's the starter solenoid or starter relay,,,

I would start by checking the ground strap, battery connection, solenoid connection

[judgejon]

my 02 996 c2 starts fine when cold, but once every three months it seems to defy me when fully warmed up.

the starter cranks slowly as if the battery is dead - it's not

after three or four times i give up and it starts fine after an hour or two or an overnight rest

this is ok when close to home, not so when away, as one can imagine

the mechanic whom i trust says everything's ok after testing the engine extensively

can it be the clutch switch, starter motor, the starter or something else?

any thoughts?

big thanks

some connection is shorting due to heat expansion. tighten everything up... good luck.

[bmohr]

ditto on judgejons advice, but remember, you have to remove alot to get to your starter and even then you need several extensions to reach it..so if you do all that and it turns out your starter is going bad, you will have alot of work reinstalling your air intake throttle, alternator etc., and repeating until you can have a new or rebuilt starter ready to replace. So it might be a good idea to have a starter in hand before you start the removal process. Of course it matters less if this isn't your daily driver.

[wvicary]

Search the site as I'm sure this fault has been covered before. IIRC the cure was a battery cable junction block for the starter that needed cleaning and tightening.

[logray]

I had the exact same problem here and my fixes are documented in this thread.

[black on black]

thanks all for your input. there was a simple solution...or two. it turned out MY FLOOR MAT was riding high on the bulkhead preventing the clutch switch from activating the starter...how stupid is that? i attached the mat to the floor and it starts every time. had to replace the switch as a precaution - $35 expense. LOL