Help Please! - My Testarossa starts for about a second then stops

It could be a number of things, sounds very like the cars fuel pump / injectors are cutting out, which could be any one of dozens of conections

There have been several threads on these sort of problems in the past, using the search function may help you to to eliminate some of the possible causes

 

The left side coil also controls the injection/fuel pumps, if that goes out, it only runs briefly as you describe. Otherwise the terminals at the fusebox are notorious for overheating and also the terminals at the connectors to the left of the engine at the frame.
Brian

 

If it only starts and runs for a second it seems like it runs only from the fuel provided by the cold-start injectors, and that it does not receive fuel through the fuel injectors.

I had problems with this last autumn, and there is already a thread on my search here on the forum.

In my case it turned out it was a bad connection on a wire connection on the backside of the starter engine that was the culprit. The bad connected wires come directly from the battery, and leads to a safety-relay that is supposed to cut the fuel-delivery in a crash. But as it seemes you have already checked this option. Therefore follow the hints on the old thread and you will have a lot of things to check out...

I spent very long time searching for this error myself, as I checked the solenoid connection early in the search, byt my probe must have mended the problem when I did the measurement, causing me to rule that out, and go looking elsewhere. The end of the story is that I ended up pulling out/measuring almost the entire electrical system connected to the fuel distribution/engine operation. Very tedious work, but at the same time very interesting, and I learned a lot about the car. And one week after I had solved the problem I actually received the wiring-diagrams which I found to be exactly the same as the ones I had drawn myself based on mesurements and following the wires around the car.....

Lars

 

If that's a CIS car, it could be as simple as the fuel pump safety switch: The "start" position runs the fuel pump, but the airflow switch isn't keeping it running.

 

Why worry about it ? If its only just been serviced then tell Graypaul to come & take it away & fix it.

I.

 

Sounds like a bad tachimetric realy..Its located behined the fuse panel in the front of the car. There was a pic posted of it on this sight at one time..but seeing as I suck at useing the search function..your on your own.!

 

I have encountered this problem in fuel injected race engines and boats when the fuel became contaminated with either water, or dirt or scale/rust from the inside wall of an nearly empty fuel tank. Check and replace your fuel filter, then try it again. If not successful, you may need to remove and clean out the injectors, or Heaven help you, replace them. It is certainly a fuel supply issue.
Ed

 

I would agree with Brian. I had the same situation on my TR and it ended up being the left side coil. Quick replacement of the coil and she fired right up. I bet if you try and fire her up and hold the gas down she will run but when you let off it dies.

Check the coil im sure that is it.

Minion

 

gfrench,

Did you get your TR running? What was the final outcome?