Boxster Won't Start--Electrical Issue!

[Jetflyby]

Have a 2000 Boxster S, aftermarket, pro installed stereo. Last year, I installed a backup camera and it worked well. While backing out of my garage yesterday morning, I noticed it wasn't working. After coming home from work, popped the trunk and started troubleshooting, and found that the power wire wasn't carrying power from the radio (where I jumped power from) to the back of the car. It was getting late so started to pack things up for another day when I noticed my radio had no power going to it, wouldn't turn on. I thought--hey this looks like a fuse issue, but when I checked fuses D8 and D9, they were fine...checked the fuse on the radio and it was fine as well.

Then the real fun began--turned the key and it the car didn't make a sound...wouldn't turn over,no clicking, cranking, or otherwise! I thought--could have drained the battery with all the troubleshooting so I trickle charged it overnight and still no luck.

It is acting like a Boxster acts if you don't fully depress the clutch while trying to start it--the instrument cluster lights all turn on, the climate control, windows, and top all work (although the aftermarket mod to the top switch that allows for one-touch closing of the top stopped working).

I was thinking of disconnecting the battery for an hour or so just to see if it helps, read it in some forums...will this erase the error codes?

Thought it might not hurt to go through all the fuses to see if any have blown...thinking that the power line for the backup camera (which wasn't carrying power from the front to the back of the car for my backup camera) might have lost insulation and may be causing a short somewhere causing a fuse to blow?

Could electrical gremlins have thrown my security system? If that happens do all the dash lights still light when turning the key like mine does?

Any suggestion?

Thanks in advance!

Mike

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Jetflyby

Have a 2000 Boxster S, aftermarket, pro installed stereo. Last year, I installed a backup camera and it worked well. While backing out of my garage yesterday morning, I noticed it wasn't working. After coming home from work, popped the trunk and started troubleshooting, and found that the power wire wasn't carrying power from the radio (where I jumped power from) to the back of the car. It was getting late so started to pack things up for another day when I noticed my radio had no power going to it, wouldn't turn on. I thought--hey this looks like a fuse issue, but when I checked fuses D8 and D9, they were fine...checked the fuse on the radio and it was fine as well.

Then the real fun began--turned the key and it the car didn't make a sound...wouldn't turn over,no clicking, cranking, or otherwise! I thought--could have drained the battery with all the troubleshooting so I trickle charged it overnight and still no luck.

It is acting like a Boxster acts if you don't fully depress the clutch while trying to start it--the instrument cluster lights all turn on, the climate control, windows, and top all work (although the aftermarket mod to the top switch that allows for one-touch closing of the top stopped working).

I was thinking of disconnecting the battery for an hour or so just to see if it helps, read it in some forums...will this erase the error codes?

Thought it might not hurt to go through all the fuses to see if any have blown...thinking that the power line for the backup camera (which wasn't carrying power from the front to the back of the car for my backup camera) might have lost insulation and may be causing a short somewhere causing a fuse to blow?

Could electrical gremlins have thrown my security system? If that happens do all the dash lights still light when turning the key like mine does?

Any suggestion?

Thanks in advance!

Mike

Suggestion number one: Never disconnect the battery "to clear codes" until they have been read by a Porsche specific scan tool. The DME collects and stores data that can often be very helpful in guiding you to the correct solution to your problems. When you dump all that data by disconnecting the battery, you are flying totally blind............

[baxter]

Your best bet is that Loren will show up here soon.......

[Jetflyby]

Thanks--JFP, to clarify I poorly asked the question: Will disconnecting the battery clear the codes? It sounds like you interpreted it to mean that I wanted to use it as a tactic to solve my problem. From your reply, I am assuming that by disconnecting the battery the codes WILL clear, which I wish to avoid due to the reason you mention...

Baxter--I will hope that Loren posts, I certainly am stumped, other than perhaps it being a fault in the clutch safety interlock switch.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Jetflyby

Thanks--JFP, to clarify I poorly asked the question: Will disconnecting the battery clear the codes? It sounds like you interpreted it to mean that I wanted to use it as a tactic to solve my problem. From your reply, I am assuming that by disconnecting the battery the codes WILL clear, which I wish to avoid due to the reason you mention...

Baxter--I will hope that Loren posts, I certainly am stumped, other than perhaps it being a fault in the clutch safety interlock switch.

Disconnecting the battery will clear the DME of most codes (but not all as some require special steps), as well as all accumulated operational parameter data (PID's), both of which are a wealth of information for a diagnostic tech to access in determining all of the problems or issues are effecting the car's performance. But once the battery is disconnected, all that accumulated information is lost forever, which is why we always caution against taking that step, at least until the recorded data is captured by a Porsche specific scan tool. And while some codes will retrigger immediately, others take time and some miles before they reappear.

All too often, we get cars into the shop where the owners have made incorrect assumption's about what is causing a given problem, then swapped out often expensive parts, only to find the problem persists. And when we get the car, all the data is gone due to a battery disconnection dump, and we are left scratching our heads as to what is actually wrong with the car. As we then have to keep and run the car for a bit to obtain more information, it tends to both raise the cost of the repair as well as keeping the car longer than we normally would need.

[Jetflyby]

Hey JFP--it is tempting to dive into this myself, actually had success in the past, but what you say makes sense. I don't mind trying something if it doesn't mess up my chances of finding a fix later. Thanks much, makes sense.

[offshore]

I had the same problem this morning, everything turned on but when I turned the key nothing. After checking that trans was in park I tried again and nothing. Finally I used the remote to lock and unlock the car from the inside and bingo car started right up.

[ppbon]

... electrical portion of the ignition switch.
DIY instructions here: http://pedrosgarage.com/Site_3/Repla...on_Switch.html

Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Originally Posted by Jetflyby

Have a 2000 Boxster S, aftermarket, pro installed stereo. Last year, I installed a backup camera and it worked well. While backing out of my garage yesterday morning, I noticed it wasn't working. After coming home from work, popped the trunk and started troubleshooting, and found that the power wire wasn't carrying power from the radio (where I jumped power from) to the back of the car. It was getting late so started to pack things up for another day when I noticed my radio had no power going to it, wouldn't turn on. I thought--hey this looks like a fuse issue, but when I checked fuses D8 and D9, they were fine...checked the fuse on the radio and it was fine as well.

Then the real fun began--turned the key and it the car didn't make a sound...wouldn't turn over,no clicking, cranking, or otherwise! I thought--could have drained the battery with all the troubleshooting so I trickle charged it overnight and still no luck.

It is acting like a Boxster acts if you don't fully depress the clutch while trying to start it--the instrument cluster lights all turn on, the climate control, windows, and top all work (although the aftermarket mod to the top switch that allows for one-touch closing of the top stopped working).

I was thinking of disconnecting the battery for an hour or so just to see if it helps, read it in some forums...will this erase the error codes?

Thought it might not hurt to go through all the fuses to see if any have blown...thinking that the power line for the backup camera (which wasn't carrying power from the front to the back of the car for my backup camera) might have lost insulation and may be causing a short somewhere causing a fuse to blow?

Could electrical gremlins have thrown my security system? If that happens do all the dash lights still light when turning the key like mine does?

Any suggestion?

Thanks in advance!

Mike

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