[V8] Intermittent no-start and rotten egg smell

[urq]

... I'm guessing the aftermarket radio wire disconnect and reconnect was a
fluke ... perhaps not though ... 

That "vacuum pump" next to the battery does quite a bit more than locking
and unlocking the doors ... the alarm is in this box too.  One possibility
is that the alarm is acting up and sometimes is preventing actuation of the
starter solenoid.  If you look for the starter lockout relay in the relay
box, remove the relay and jumper the contacts that connect the ignition
switch to the starter solenoid the starter might work as you expect.  The
other possible culprit that comes to mind is the starter solenoid itself.
You can do a quick test by jumpering from the +12V battery jumper lug to the
appropriate connection on the starter (the wire that is connected to the
ignition switch).  

Steve Buchholz

-----Original Message-----

After installing a new air filter and cleaning the spark plugs, I tried to
start the newly acquired 93.  It wouldn't.  The fuel pump relay would click
once, engine would not turn over.  There seemed to be no current draw (I
tried starting it with an interior lamp on, it wouldn't fade).  PO had an
aftermarket radio installed and left some cables connected to the vacum pump
next to the battery, which I removed.  I reconnected those and tried again -
the car started.

It ran at high idle, about 2000 rpm, dropped to 1000 rpm when in Drive.  I
will check the TPS tomorrow.  At some point it gave a nasty smell of rotten
eggs - where's that coming from?

I let it run until it warmed up and switched it off.  Came back ten minutes
later, without disconnecting anything - it wouldn't start.  Same symptoms:
when the key is turned, fuel pump relay clicks, no voltage drops, engine
doesn't turn over.  Giving it a boost with a 60A charger doesn't help.  
Where should I look?

Radek
91 V8Q 5-sp
93 V8Q