Disturbing intermittant problem with A2 Golf suddenly not starting with ignition dead

I have a strange problem that crops up. Once it caused me to have my Digifant 88 Golf towed like 50 miles to start right up after being towed because after coming out from a movie theater the car failed to start though the starter turned the engine.

When this intermittant problem crops up, the engine is free from ANY firing. No sign of life just cranking. Coincidendally, I thought the day before it happened again, "hey this must have been fixed as it did not happen for several months."

Well, it has occurred twice now in two days. Sometimes it seems like if I move the wiring from the computer box it seems after to start BUT this could be coincidental. The last time it did, yesterday, I removed the harness from the ignition module on top of the computer box, replaced it and it started, I thought, "hey that is what it was!!". Well, it was coincidental as it happened again today and this did nothing.

I just wonder if this is my ignition switch that goes off intermittantly and suddenly makes contact again. This is usually after I play around with some wires so one has the false perception that it was the wiring connections.

I am going to work on it tomorrow. Now, in the Digifant Golf I should get voltage on my coil with the ignition on, correct? I wll do some tests tomorrow with a multimeter. The computer box does not allow voltage to be off and on to the coil, does it? Perhaps this could also be the ignition control module BUT, keep in mind when this happens ALL firing is completely dead.

Thanks for any opinions or comments.

Westley

Reply to
Westley
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You need to find out if your missing fuel or gas. Next time instead of "fiddleing with wires", pull a plug wire and have someone crank it. No spark=ignition. Got spark then check fuel. There's a screw in a nipple for testing fuel pressure. Remove it (don't loose it) and crank briefly. I suspect you'll have no fuel. If so determine the two pins of the fuel pump relay and jumper them and see what happens. You may find water from a leaking windshield in the relay. You have 2 fuel pumps, one in the tank and a second under the rear seat area of the car. If the first one goes bad the second will work untill the overload kills it. It's the expensive one.

Good Luck Jo Bo

Reply to
Jo Bo

Thanks for the reply. For whatever reason. fiddling with the wires did bail me out a couple times. This could have been coincidental with the intermittent problem suddenly reversing itself.

It NEVER happens when the engine is running ONLY if you turn it off and try to restart most of the time after you have left the car for a period and go back later, though it has done this immediately after turning the engine off, too.

I found this situation twice this week going to my car in the driveway and ran perfectly before I turned it off.

Just went out with my multitestor to test some voltages. When I turned the key, it would not start FOR A SECOND then, I heard a 'high pitched whine' seemingly coming from the engine compartment not the usual fuel pump sound THEN IT STARTED perhaps a sound like the injectors being primed up - so after reading your reply and this sound I heard before it started again - sounds like it could be related to the fuel pump or relay - there has been moisture around my relay box - perhaps I sound pull the relay and clean the terminals.

I kind of wish it didn't come back to life so fast so I could have ran the tests to find out what caused it. This is the problem with an intermittent problem. I would rather have something die completely then fix it.

One way also to see it there is any spark is to simply put a timing light on one of the wires (the inductive type with a wire clamp) and see it flashes when cranked. I had no time to do any of these tests as it started AGAIN - it is these intermittent problems that can leave a person stranded.

Westley

Reply to
Westley

I had a relay go bad in my other Scirocco some years back and it made a sound similar to what you describe. It sounded like a motor spinning up. After I replaced it, I took the cover off and powered it up and found that rather than simply closing it was oscillating, in the open position, very rapidy for anywhere from a second to many seconds before it finally clicked over and closed the circuit. I never did figure out what was wrong with it, and it didn't do it every time.

- Bill

Reply to
Bill Leary

Wa la! I think you broke the code. It actually sounded like a hard drive spinning up for a second. I know of nothing that should give this type of sound up front, except like you say - the relay. I will try another relay. Could be it. Thanks!

Westley

Reply to
Westley

I had a simular problem... thought it was mosture.. tore the whole engine apart with a buddy with the same engine. did peice by peice from his to see if it was the problem got nothing.

I replaced the coil.. after a bit thought I solved it. seemed like after short distance from cold start it would possibly not heat up enough and possibly mositure.. but then it happened again. I was pissed. so I did new plugs, new sparkies, new distrib cap.. spreyed it down with wD 40 .. checked all my grounds.. it seemed to happen near 0 C ,-1, -2, 1 ,2 Celceus

I eventualy had the same problem.

Then I knoticed something (91 jetta) there was 1 quarter tank of gas.. I yet had no gas coming to the engine.

got some gas it fired right up. I am one of thous people who do not keep the tank full. every since then I have kept it above half a tank have not had the problem for over a year now.

I have had bad gas.. ran at least 3 times the injector cleaner and a few othere fuel cleaners through just to make sure. seems good. I love my VW. Own 3!!

hate to have to figure out a problem on a GM..

H> >

Reply to
m

Now, after being convinced it was the fuel relay, I went out the other day to start it and . . there it goes again . . just cranks . . generally anyone who owns a VW knows that if it doesn't start right away it probably will not start . .THIS TIME . . I put my hand over the relay box and starting tapping on the relays and making sure that they were seated . . .2 seconds later . . it started right up . . so I am convinced (unless again this is way-out coincidental) that this is the relay . has not done it since . perhaps it was coming loose a bit in the socket, nevertheless, I will replace it when I get a chance.

Westley

Reply to
Westley

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