1.8 16v starting problem

[PhillT 0]

done a search.. got 1 hit ( here )

 

but hasn't really helped my problem

 

basically, my C wouldn't fire at all this morning! it is slightly damp outside so thought it'd be damp in the dizzy, cleaned it all out (no moisture or oil in the dizzy that I could see/feel) and still no joy :cry: just kept turning over without firing at all!

 

can anyone please shed some light as to what else I can do to get it to start in the damp?

 

I know it's running a little rich (suspected WUR constantly open (set to cold)) but would have thought that would help starting in cold/damp conditions?

 

it's got a new dizzy, leads, plugs etc...

 

hope someone can please help me find the problem

 

Cheers guys

[Adam Darby 0]

when you switch on the ignition can you still hear the fuel pump switch on and prime the engine

[PhillT 0]

yep, was priming like a good'un

 

popped home at lunch and although the battery was almost flat it started and ran fine

 

think it may be a mixture of overfuelling and dampness somewhere

[Adam Darby 0]

I had a problem like that on my old one. at first it was only once in a while but it slowley got worse. It turned out on that 16v they dont have a crank sensor as such the have a sensor in the distributer and that broke, it took me age's to find out what it was though

[PhillT 0]

it's had a brand new dizzy fitted recently

 

is this sensor inside (and part of) the dizzy unit itself?

 

not 100% clued up on the 16v's yet... but the only thing I know of in the dizzy is the hall sender, and I have noticed the wires to that are not in the best of conditions

[PhillT 0]

well.. it's not a damp starting problem (as it's just not damp today!)

 

what is it with this rado and tuesdays??? :x

 

 

anyone got any suggestions what would cause it not to fire at all intermittently?

 

I'm starting to think maybe the immobiliser is starting to give up but don't have a clue how to remove it (or the old alarm that's still in there)... doesn't help that I don't have a good wiring diagram for the corrado 1.8 16v

 

Can anyone help? P p p please :cry:

[TomB 0]

Could it be your ignition switch on the way out? Does the rev counter jump erratically when you turn the key but it refuses to fire?

Cheers,

Tom

[PhillT 0]

it did.. but now the rev counter isn't moving at all when I switch the ignition on

 

only driven the car a week but the rev counter used to jump up to 4k and back

 

could it be related to the immobiliser? I'm going to remove this tonight and see if it makes a difference (had a look on my lunch break and it's only 4 wires)

[PhillT 0]

just a thought... if it was the ignition switch wouldn't that cause it not to turn over?

[Henny 0]

nope... the ignition switch has several different contacts inside it to switch different things at different times as you turn the key...

 

When mine went in J-DUB, I had exactly the same thing where it was allowing the starter motor to turn the engine over, but wasn't allowing power to the coil unless it was not at the start position... this meant I could bump start it, but it wouldn't start off the starter motor, even though the starter was turning the engine over perfectly well!

 

They're a bad design to be quite honest, and replacing the £25 part is worth doing even if it doesn't cure your problem as, at least, it'll rule it out as part of the problem... ;)

[PhillT 0]

ahhh I see, well if removing the immobiliser doesn't sort it I'll make a trip to VW tomorrow

 

I'll double check there's a spark from the coil HT

[PhillT 0]

ok, managed to get about 5 minutes of light when I got home

 

I'm getting 0v to the coil so it's definately electrical, definately on the LT side of things

 

think it's the ignition switch like you guys have suggested so grabbed the spare from my scrapper

 

is there anything else that it might be just in case this doesn't solve it? I must have the car running by saturday :shock:

 

thanks for all your help so far guys

[reaper1_3 0]

mine has the same problem although it is a 2.0ltr 16V wont start from the key but will bump start... starnge i had the ignition switch changed approx 4 months ago.... surely wouldnt have gone in that time??

[PhillT 0]

was it a GSF switch reaper?

[Adam Darby 0]

this is starting to sound more and more like my problem the distrobuter (not he dizzy cap) has some kind of sensor in it. Ive got a nearly new one you can borrow if you want to see if it is that.

[PhillT 0]

it's had a new dizzy (complete) fairly recently.. bosch one at that so hope it's not that

[PhillT 0]

:mad: stupid god damn car!!!

 

 

well, it's not the ignition switch, imobiliser's been removed and it's not that

 

I'm getting 12v to either side of the coil, swapped the coil and still no joy :cry:

 

 

anybody got any ideas? had this problem before?

 

getting sick to death of trying to sort out starting/running issues on VW's TBH and really need to get this on reliable soon

[PhillT 0]

well.. it's the ignition amplifier that's knackered (black box, 7 (I think) Pin connector that sit's next to the ECU)

 

put the one from my Mk1 in and it's now running (all be it lumpy on full throttle).. so I'm urgently on the hunt for a working on before saturday

 

if anyone's got one, and is local to Berkshire to I could collect tomorrow night (big long shot there but hope someone has) could you please PM me and let me know

 

you'd be saving my cars life :wink: