My jetta gl has died sorta... It'll start and run for about a second, then die. Then if I retry the starter will just crank it. I've waited over two hours to try and it'll just crank, but when I tried the next day it caught for a sec, then died. I was thinking the hall sender was bad, as the car would shut off as I was driving down the road, and turning the ignition switch off and on would start it again, w/out engaging the starter.
aaron
Check your fuel lines. you might have blocked lines, so enough fuel to start, but then die...
your ignition switch is bad.
I vote for a fuel problem. However from here it is hard to tell.
My '87 GTi had very similar symptoms two years ago. I could start it and it would run for a second or two. Then I would not be able to start it again until I waited a couple of hours. With my parents visiting I needed the car ASAP and didn't have time to screw around with it myself. I had the car towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the main fuel pump (not the transfer fuel pump in the tank). Problem solved.
I am not sure if the mechanic replaced only the pump or if he replaced the whole carrier with pump, filter and accumulator. Before I had the car towed I opened the fuel return line from the fuel distributor and turned on the fuel pumps. There was some fuel coming out from the return line, but less that specified in Bentley.
aar>
I second the ignition switch. If you get the car running, jiggle the key just a little bit. See if that turns the car off. Similarly, when I had a bad switch, I'd crank the car and once it was runing, turn the key ever so slightly back towards me.
It sounds to me like you have a gas motor (somehow the thread has developed a diesel feel).
Darryl.
So I went and tried to start the jetta yesterday, and it fired up, ran rough at idle, but ran. I was able to drive it to the gas station, put some gas in it, then drive it approx. 2 miles, then it died again. The whole time it would rev normally to 3000rpm, but would refuse to go over that rpm. After it died, it started again, and I was able to get another half mile, before dying for the night.
This is....perplexing.
aaron
Sounds like fuel starvation.
The in-tank transfer fuel pumps fail freely and frequently and are easy to both test and replace. I would start there, not only because it is a likely trouble spot, but also because it is nice, easy work. Bentley tells you how to test the pump for proper fuel flow. Bentley says to remove the fuel pump relay and replace it with a short for 10 seconds. I find it easier to remove and ground the wire going to the distributor center terminal and crank the starter for 10 seconds. This will not give proper operating voltage for the pump, so any measurement of flow is invalid, but my experience with the transfer fuel pump is that the failure mode is no flow at all rather than limited flow.
Then go >
You don't happen to have a puff of smoke on startup. i.e. indicating worn valve stem seals?
Also a vac leak could cause it to start for a second and die. But, you said it went 2 miles and then quit again. So, as most folks are recommending-check the transfer pump!
Paul '89 Jetta
Can you hear a loud buzzing coming from the area of the gas tank?
Is the car cough>Also a vac leak could cause it to start for a second and die. But, you said it
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