Porsche Repair: 83 944 not starting?, loose ground, ground wires

Question
Hello,
  I just purchassed a 83 944. It ran great the first 2 days, then out of nowhere on my way home it died. I tried starting it, but all it would do is turn over. About ten minutes went by then it started with no problem. The nex day I drove to my shop about 2 hours later I went to leave and all it does is turn over. I replaced the coil, and still nothing. My volt meter tells me the coil has power, but there is no spark to the distributor. Also the coil to distributor wire has resistiance? Could I have a fried DME or possibly a bad DME relay, as some one else mentioned? Please help me if anyone can.

Thanks

Answer
Hi Preston,

If your problem is intermittent...like it sounds...I'd suspect a loose ground wire rather than a bad DME or relay.  These two items usually either work or or dead...they don't seem to have any warning phase where they work sometimes.

Recently, I had a similar experience and found a .75mm brown ground wire on its mounting but loose enough to move.  When it wanted to be grounded life was good.  When it wanted to be "not grounded" I got exactly the same symptoms as you.  I really couldn't imagine a tiny wire like that preventing a start...but it did.  You are searching in the right area...I would check, undo and re-do every ground wire near the coil.

So..I just took a look at the wiring diagram and see you have very few ground wires to check, but that's what it sounds like to me...as simple as a loose connection.  Take a look.

Dave