98 Won't start in high humidity...

Hello,

When conditions are saturated humidity wise, to the point of rain, although it doesn't have to actually rain, she won't start. She's a 98 GL 2.0. She tends to get driven everyother day, so she sits in this weather sometimes.

I know there's a lot of things that can be replaced and I really havn't done any of it. I fixed and painted the ground connections under the battery. I tried misting the ignition leads looking for sparks/shorts. It's raining now, she wouldn't start this AM or PM, when it lets up we're going to see if there's spark under this condition...

She has a replacement windshield, but I haven't noticed any leaking anywhere. There must be some sensor somewhere, or at the computer itself, getting moisture... anyone know what sensor to check or where the computer is?

I've got the Bentley for A2 but this is an A3. My other car is a 1990 Jetta, it's fine.

thanks, ir

Ignition coil!!!!

I was going to say that but I didn't know if the 98 still had an ignition coil or coil packs. :-)

Likely the ignition system. Since you likely can't even remember when the plugs and wires have been replaced, that would be a good place to start. After that start working backwards towards the battery.

If it has those metal sparkplug caps then replace them for non-metal types..

SFC

"IR" schreef in bericht news:nP42f.4547$ snipped-for-privacy@fe03.lga...

Thanks to all, we we're using the "drive the other car if it's raining" method.. You have demystified it for me. Will start with plugs and go back, check spark. Coil is small flat thing, maybie it's a "pack".

Joseph Meehan wrote:

Sorry, I missed the earlier part of the thread.

If it's a VR6 engine, I ?think? there was a recall on the coil packs. They'd crack, let in moisture, etc.

Some have had success fixing it, that is resealing it. I saved the post here. Might not help if it's too far gone, but since it works when it's dry maybe it'll work.

I'm sure someone else has talked about using a water misting bottle in the dark to find the arcing...

BTW, the shielded plug wires aren't a cause of the problem unless they're bad. I'm still running the originals after nearly 100kmiles, most in the heat of Phoenix, AZ. The heat there eats this sort of stuff. The shielded wires will keep the RF emissions coming from the ignition system from getting into everything else. Radios, sensor wires...

Mark '95 Jetta GLS

Try running those caps in high humidity areas. My caps worked fine too in the summer but caused a lot of missfires during winter times...

SFC

"Mark Randol" schreef >> Thanks to all, we we're using the "drive the other car if it's raining"

SFC ( snipped-for-privacy@hetnet.nl) wrote: : Try running those caps in high humidity areas. My caps worked fine too in : the summer but caused a lot of missfires during winter times...

: SFC

Yes, but .....

Water is a very POOR conductor of electricity.

On the other hand, wet dirt usually is an excellent conductor.

My cure is to keep everything as clean as possible (more difficult with a rear engine vehicle, I expect??) and never waste money replacing anything when a really good 'detergent and water' cleanup will often solve the problem at NO cost.

Example: My first car, an MG TD, was one of a group often criticized as being overly sensitive to moisture. One day I got tired of this and won a bet (and also shut up a few critics) by opening the engine bonnet and turning a garden hose on the engine - both sides and concentrating on the stock ignition system. Then, amid jeers and boos, I announced that I was going to start the engine and drive around with not a hiccup or stutter - which I did!

.... so blame the wet dirt, not just the humidity. :-)

(BTW, this applies also to the *inside of the distributor cap.)

Ben F.

: "Mark Randol" schreef in bericht : news: snipped-for-privacy@news-server.austin.rr.com... : > In article , snipped-for-privacy@sequiteur.org says... : >> Thanks to all, we we're using the "drive the other car if it's raining" : >> method.. You have demystified it for me. Will start with plugs and go : >> back, check spark. Coil is small flat thing, maybie it's a "pack". : >

: > Sorry, I missed the earlier part of the thread. : >

: > If it's a VR6 engine, I ?think? there was a recall on the coil packs. : > They'd crack, let in moisture, etc. : >

: > Some have had success fixing it, that is resealing it. I saved the post : > here. Might not help if it's too far gone, but since it works when it's : > dry maybe it'll work. : >

: >

>

: > I'm sure someone else has talked about using a water misting bottle in : > the dark to find the arcing... : >

: > BTW, the shielded plug wires aren't a cause of the problem unless : > they're bad. I'm still running the originals after nearly 100kmiles, : > most in the heat of Phoenix, AZ. The heat there eats this sort of : > stuff. The shielded wires will keep the RF emissions coming from the : > ignition system from getting into everything else. Radios, sensor : > wires... : >

: > Mark : > '95 Jetta GLS : >

More likely a Lucas problem. While what you say regarding dirt is true, MG and most British vehicles of their day had greater problems because of the crappy Lucas electrical components. Loved my old Healey but hated it's wiring.

wkearney99 ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) wrote: : > Example: My first car, an MG TD, was one of a group often criticized as : > being overly sensitive to moisture.

: More likely a Lucas problem. While what you say regarding dirt is true, MG : and most British vehicles of their day had greater problems because of the : crappy Lucas electrical components. Loved my old Healey but hated it's : wiring.

I realize that this is rather off-topic for a VW newsgroup, but there

*might be some cross-brand value here, so I will continue. :-)

Having owned and driven a wide range of British cars over the past fifty plus years, I can say with confidence that *most of the poor reputation re. Lucas was much more a fad than a fact. With one possible exception, I had no more problems with Lucas components than I have had with any North American or East Asian vehicle.

The electrical problems of the British cars were almost entirely with the

*wiring, NOT the components being connected. This lets Lucas off the hook .... unless they manufactured the wiring harness for all the British vehicles. Even then, they may not be to blame.

I learned, only recently, that the standard practice of Brit car makers was to paint the bodies and frames **before installing the electricals. This meant that the body ground points for many / most electrical components were at least partly insulated by paint! NOT a good way to build a trouble free electrical system.

The 'possible exception' that I mentioned above was an Austin Marina - the most badly under-engineered car I have ever owned. I gave it away when, as I was road testing yet another mechanical repair job - that had nothing to do with any electrical system - smoke started to curl out from under the dash! Enough was enough!!

BTW, I currently own (along with the '84 Westfalia) a 1974 MGB and a 1966 Jaguar 3.8 Liter Sedan. :-) (NO electrical problems with either.)

Ben F.

Believe it or not, when it rains in AZ, it rains lots!

In PHX we got average about 7" of rain a year, and there are about 7 rainy days a year ;)

OK, that's an exaggeration (the days, not the rain), but it's not unusual to get over 1/2" during a storm. That's usually preceded by a BIG mountain of dust blown all over and in everything.

Besides, that's what dielectric grease is for...

Mark '95 Jetta GLS

You don't mean that you goop dielectric grease on the place where the arcing was visible when humidity is high? I thought I might be the only one to admit to that.

I cleaned the place with alcohol and distilled water. Let it dry well. Applied the grease: no more rough running at high-humidity times.

I had had the coil pack replaced earlier, after I thought I had a different cause to my problems. My $600. The new pack is probably more resistant to carbonizing the arcs that occur, but the arc distance was not any less. It was just not permanently damaged by the arcing.

You're right. I don't :)

Actually I haven't used it on my Jetta at all. I have used it on my motorcycle's connections. But a bit of dielectric grease at the connections to keep it clean is what it's for. Should keep stuff out of the plug boot and make things generally happier to come apart when needed as well.

OK, I did use it at the MAF sensor connector. Cleaned the contacts and put some on VERY sparingly. When I changed the air filter it looked like it was dirty/corroded/just needing it! Didn't fix anything or break anything.

Mark '95 Jetta GLS