RE: spyder 86 trouble

["Brian Shorey" <bshorey@domain.elided>]

> Help please. I have a 1986 spyder veloce that seems to have a problem
> that my mechanic said is going to cost me a lot of money to fix it. Hope
> any of you have a better idea to what is wrong with my car.
> Here is the problem: Without any apparent reason the car does not start
> even if until that particular moment was running O.K. In other words, I
> may be driving to the grocery store, park the car and later be unable to
> restart it. It can happen at any time without any warning. When I turn
> the key to start the engine, the starter activates O.K., there is full
> power throughout the car (lights, radio, etc. everything works), but the
> car won't start. It may take few minutes or days, and at a different try
> it will start right off, just like you would normally expect. It seems
> obvious that there is some electrical problem, and my mechanic tested
> the flow to the fuel pump, as well as a series of other wires and
> connectors, without finding the problem. He said that he does not have
> any idea and that he has to check every wires and what have you that is
> electrical in the car to try to solve this problem. It will take him
> days.... Is any of you that can suggest to me (so that I can try on my
> own to solve this problem) where I can look and try to find the problem?

Problems like this only cost a lot of money if you have an incompetent
mechanic who doesn't know how to troubleshoot.  For example, for a car that
is cutting in and out abruptly, I wouldn't start with the fuel pump.  Cars
with fuel pump problems will usually start, then sputter and die.

My gut instinct tells me that your ignition switch is bad.  I'd start with
that, then focus on the wires around the sensors that provide feedback to
the ECU - water temp, etc etc.  Check all the grounds in the engine
compartment, especially the main ground to between the block and the
chassis.  Make sure the battery voltage is high enough, L-Jet systems won't
start without at least a certain amount of voltage.  Check all the wires on
the sensors in the engine compartment.  Check the connections at the AFM.

Find a mechanic that knows how to troubleshoot electrical problems without
guessing, preferably one that is familiar with Bosch electronics.  There is
test equipment that can be plugged right in to the car that will test most
of the sensors, etc etc.

Hope this helps,

bs

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