General Information on the Bosch K-Jetronic Injection System
Preface to the Primer
This is the first major face lift for the CIS Primer since it was uploaded to my Rennlist site in 2003 and updated many times since. I started this update in December 2012, and as of this date in 2013, I am still learning and still finding details about CIS I did not know when this site was first uploaded to Rennlist and later to JimsBasementWorkshop. I have not kept detailed records about when the content of any particular page was uploaded, or may have been modified. If the reader sees a misprint, mistake, verifiable error, or suggestion for improvement, of any sort, please notify me at email@example.com.
Purpose of the Primer
The purpose of the information on these pages is to provide answers to some of the basic questions which owners of 911 CIS cars (73 1/2 through 83 911s) typically have about their fuel systems, provide a reference point for troubleshooting, and for identification of components for those who are attempting to acquire basic knowledge.
History of the 911 CIS
For the 911, the changeover to CIS (Continuous Injection System) from MFI (Mechanical Fuel injection) started mid-'73 model year with the 2.4 liter 911 T. It was a relatively simple system when compared to that of the end-of-the-line CIS on the '83 SC. By the '84 model year, the CIS was history, being replaced by the Motronic Digital Motor Electronics.
1973.5 CIS Engine
1973 though 1983 chronology
The 1973.5 911 T, with it's 2.4 liter engine shown above, was the first CIS fuel systemproduced by Porsche and the first CIS system utilized for a passenger vehicle.
In '74, the CIS continued with the upgrade to the 2.7 liter engine and several changes were incorporated.
- Intake pipes changed from bent tubing to cast intake runners.
- Mounting holes for injectors moved from heads to base of intake runners.
- Fuel distributor recalibrated for larger 2.7 liter engine.
- Deceleration valve recalibrated for larger 2.7 liter engine.
- Cold start valve re-positioned in the intake manifold.
- Thermotime switch installed in chain housing cover to work in conjunction with the throttle switch to operate the cold start valve.
- Fuel injectors lengthened due to their elevated position in the intake runners.
Exsisting documentation of the CIS from '73 up through the '75 models is somewhat confusing, as there is just enough left out of the various books to make a hazy picture. The little factory spec book doesn't mention the specs for a vacuum controlled WUR for '74 or '75, but the factory manual does. So if one doesn't have additional knowledge of what the factory did, it's a little hard to figure out from reading the individual books. Each of the books is vague in different areas, and there is not a single book I have found yet that states they were definitely both used or that one was used and definitely not the other, for any of the years in question.
For US cars in '75, there was a change to a vacuum assisted WUR, which led to the discontinuance of the throttle operated Control Pressure Regulator. This component had adjusted the fuel mixture depending on throttle position, leaning out the mixture at mid-throttle position. The vacuum assisted WUR took over the job of mixture adjustment based on engine load determined from intake manifold vacuum in '75 for the US cars and in 76 for the Euro cars.
'76 saw other changes in the CIS system. The hand throttle was replaced by the auxiliary air valve, and the auxiliary air regulator. The fuel cutoff switch, located on the airflow sensor, was added as a safety feature. In '77, a vacuum switch, or thermo valve, was included to further enrich the mixture during cold starts.
The internal diameter of the intake runners was increased in '78, lasting through '79, and in '80 was reduced again for the US engines, while the RoW engines retained the large runners.
This was the last change until 1980 when the Lambda or O2 sensor was added. These components included the O2 sensor, the control box, a microswitch on the throttle body, and the frequency valve, which is plumbed into the fuel distributor to adjust the fuel mixture. The thermovalve was eliminated in this year. An internal manifold was also added to the air box to better distribute the cold start mixture. An additional throttle switch, an acceleration enrichement relay, and an updated control box were added in 1981.
Early Bosch K-Jetronic Technical Instruction Book
This is a PDF document which covers theory of operation for the introduction of the CIS in the 1973.5 911T. Much of this same information exists in this Primer. However, the Primer includes much additional practical information, such as system testing and individual 911 component specifications, not found in the PDF.