Dead golf - immobiliser?

Question

Weird problem just killed my golf. I have a 1.8GL Automatic Golf on a "P" plate. It has been running okay with no problems yet all of a sudden it will not attempt to start.

The symptoms are that when I turn the key in the ignition to the first position, the dashboard lights up with the usual oil, etc lights coming on and the needle on the petrol gauge starts to climb towards the full position. When the needle gets half way up the scale, the power to the dash cuts off. The power to the rest of the car is still working except to the horn and the electric sunroof and possibly the windows though I have not tried them.

This happens each time I try to start it. I have tried using a different key, thinking the immobiliser chip has frie din the other key but this has not made a difference.

Anyone got any ideas what the problem is?

TIA, Pep.

dave AKA vwdoc1 · Accepted Answer

ignition switch?ground wire?

Lost In Space/Woodchuck · Answer

here in the USA it's usually a ignition switch.

samstone · Answer

i guess the ign. sw. too ,   maybe failures of these caused by HEAVYkey rings. :-/

Pep · Answer

Okay, thanks everyone, guess I'll have to crack the steering columnand have a look at it :)

Madesio · Answer

When an immobilizer activates, the vehicle will start, run, then die. This is something else. Have you checked your battery? Fuses? Any burned wires? Rule out the obvious before you start digging too deep.

Pep · Answer

Checked the battery already and that is fine, the headlights and radio, etc all work.

So I'm about to start checking the ignition circuit from the battery back to the ignition switch as there are some stray wires in the engine bay, where it looks like there was an alarm at some time. So possibly a loose wire, though the symptoms all suggest something else as I don;t see why the dash lights up then goes out, I would have thought a faulty wire would be either broken or not!

Can;t do this for around another week though as I don;t have the time at the moment :(

Cheers, Pep

Dead golf - immobiliser?

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