Broken down help required

Bump start? Starter motor solenoid stuck?

What car?

Does it have drive by wire?

I'd start by checking the throttle for movement and the plugs on the TPS / idle switch / actuator if it's drive by wire.

Yet another nail in USENETs coffin but you may be better off on an owners fourm.

It has an electronic throttle body.

As its electric there is no movement on the throttle body, at least I think there is none. The power lead for the TB is clean and also cleaned it with elctrical cleaner and let it dry and still nothing.

Sorry Peter forgot to write the car its a MK4 golf 2001 petrol AZD engine.

Keep all solvents away from the throttle body you may create further problems.

The computer generation...

If the car won't turn over you have a fault with the starter motor or battery etc. If the dash lights are normal when you attempt a start, it's likely the relay which feeds the starter motor or the starter motor solenoid has failed.

Or the computer decides there's a fault and won't let you start...

To me it sounds like there are two transducers to read the position of the throttle, and they're giving conflicting readings.

David Taylor brought next idea :

Or the single transducer at initial start is seeing an invalid position reading.

Or the self check on switch on calibrates the throttle by moving it fully open to hit a limit switch and then fully shut on 2nd limit switch but didn't get the right signal(s) back.

Something is stuck or not connected. Limit switch(s), throttle or actuator.

But, AFAIK, none of these inhibit the starter on that generation golf. Hot wiring the starter to see if it's just a stuck solenoid would seem like a good starting point.

On a ten year old Golf?

It sounds like a starter motor or the switching circuit fault to me.

How about a partial battery failure? I've had a battery fail suddenly due to a crack between the plates. Such a battery might still be capable of showing 12V but not be able to supply enough current to do anything useful.

I would have thought that a jump start would be the logical first thing to try. Computer might be generating incorrect codes due to low voltage.

Tim

or even an immobiliser fault, the lights would still come on, but the starter would be inop.

is the immobiliser warning light flashing, on continuously, or goes out after three seconds?

Guilty as charged a bit of a techy geek... but not being the most mechanically minded person I used what I had.

have now found the fault after about 30 min in day light it was a corroded cable on the starter, which I managed to get a replacement for and fix in about 15 minutes. Never been so happy to be honest to hear it running. I guess the codes generated are whats known as ghost codes, although sometime the computer diagnostics are very helpful in fault finding and clearing codes, even resetting oil services, theres definitely a place for them in the tool box. Considering the cost of using a garage for such services, it has saved me a fortune in the past and paid for itself. But in the end I had to get my hands dirty the old fashioned way.

Pfft picked its time to good ga ga.

It could have been an immobiliser fault.

The golfy is quite sophisticated for a 10 year old car .. I have rear electric windows an all.

You were bang on the money Dave .. dodgy starter connection. In past cars the only fault I had was it would try to start but not turn. But this was a little odd, all the lights come on and you try to turn it and absolutely nothing, not attempt at starting no clicking ... bit odd, well for me as I've never encounted it.

Yep thinking on the same lines. When the key is turned on does the dash lights show a key symbol which indicates the key immobiliser problem. (could be like a flat battery in the key.

OP reported the fault fixed yesterday.

Chris