Car won't start now.

[Jim Bowen 1]

Had it back on road for 2 months now and had to abandon it and stick it back in garage 4 times.

 

Won't start now. Ignition comes on. Then when I turn key to start it. Nothing. Can hear a relay click. No turning over. Am thinking ignition switch. Not sure immobiliser is playing up. Dont really know how to tell.

 

Any tests I can do? Will order ignition switch anyway. Can I disconnect immobiliser at all?

 

In the meantime its back to driving the reliable little french car that never goes wrong. Lol

[Supercharged 2]

If the (factory) imob is playing up then it will start and cut out immediately... Do you think the battery is ok??

 

You need to check if you're getting 12V down the thickish red/black wire from the ignition switch to the starter solenoid while someone turns the key to crank.

 

If you don't then it's most likely a bad switch, if you do then faulty starter / bad wiring around the starting circuit.

[robrado974 1]

I would look at the starter motor first . Can you hear that clicking ,as if it wants to work but cant ? .Use the handle of a hammer and give it a knock or rock the car forwards in gear , sometimes they get stuck . With the Ignition switch, sometimes if you wiggle the key when trying to start up it will start if its on its way out .Also look at battery connections .Try these first . The search will help as well ,theres something in there about old switch plugs and new ones , one black and one white ? one is new and one old ,so you know if its been changed . Rob

Edited January 28, 2013 by robrado974

[quicky1980 0]

as robrado said, mine often does this and just needs a slight tap on the starter

[Jon_vr6 1]

Sounds exactly like i had, went to turn the key one morning and nothing but a click from the starter motor, changed ignition switch and starter motor and still the same turned out to be corrosion on the red wire from the battery to starter motor took off and cleaned up and worked first time and has been fine ever since

[Jim Bowen 1]

Just thinking about things now.

 

Starter motor always made a noise like was continuing to run after car started. Like the noise if you turn the key with engine running. I changed the starter motor while doing the rebuild for a low mileage one off the forum. Noise went away but came back quite quickly.

 

Last month a couple of times the car wouldn't start both hot starts. Stopped for fuel and 2nd time was a bacon roll.

 

Also notice quite a change in engine note and vibration when turning lights or fans on. Like a power drop. Have had a couple of times when I stop at a junction at night the idle feels too low and car shakes. Goes away with a little rev.

 

---------- Post added at 9:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 9:05 PM ----------

 

Can't heat starter motor doing anything.

[davidwort 0]

 

Last month a couple of times the car wouldn't start both hot starts. Stopped for fuel and 2nd time was a bacon roll.

 

classic starter solenoid trouble, heat from the engine weakening the electro magnet on a hot start

[Jim Bowen 1]

Could something else be causing it as swapped complete starter motor unit.

 

Am thinking to try a switch and new battery. My battery is quite old and did sit in garage for 18months. Although I charged it every few months.

 

Is the starter solenoid easy to get off? Didn't really notice it before. Just thought it was all one thing.

[Supercharged 2]

The solenoid is the smaller of the 2 cylinders - try hitting it with a breaker bar to free it off...

 

Battery - take it to Halfords to be tested

[davidwort 0]

you can swap the solenoids, but I'd only attempt to get one off with the starter off the car. I suppose the earths could be an issue, there's a number of them IIRC, from the solenoid to starter and starter to the body of the car, also the energising feed to the solenoid gets weak with age, not sure if this is wiring, relay or ignition switch related though. some people even add another relay (like with headlight looms) so the solenoid gets full voltage at cranking, and just use the existing feed to trigger the relay.

[Jim Bowen 1]

Forgot to mention, the 2 non-starts when it was hot, it was cranking but just kept turning over.

 

I did a multi meter test on battery this morning (all i had time to check) and it was 12.6v which is ok isn't it?

 

Will order a switch today anyway as its the original as far as i know and cars nearly done 200,000miles. Going to check starter power etc as described, cheers. Had a quick look and can see the solonoid as well, are they expensive?

[davidwort 0]

oh well, not the starter or solenoid then if it was turning over :)

 

---------- Post added at 9:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:45 AM ----------

 

sounds more like one of the engine sensors (CPS?) one of the VR experts will know.

I've swapped solenoids off old starters but as they are usually a whole unit on exchange I doubt you could buy the solenoid separately, but I'm sure they could be refurbed

[Supercharged 2]

Yeah if it's cranking then it's not a starter fault - could be ECU relay, Crank sensor etc but best to start with the ignition switch but can't believe it's the original one!

 

Battery voltage is ok but that doesn't actually tell you if it has the ability to supply current needed to run the car but again, if it's cranking then it's most likely ok

 

You can test the switch by just plugging the new one in without actually fitting it

[Jim Bowen 1]

Its not cranking at the moment, just a click from a relay (109 i think) can you buy relays from anywhere or are they VW specific? Just incase i need to change them at any point. Am now thinking about buying spares for the future problems i'm likely to have.

 

The hot start problem just happened twice and its not done it since, The starter motor groan/overrun has slowly started to happen more and more. But like i say, it did that since i bought the car 6yrs ago and i've recently changed the motor and noise didn't happen for the first couple of weeks.

[Supercharged 2]

Ah ok - then it's back to the original issue then, get the battery tested and new ignition switch - could well be the starter though if it's been over-running.

[Jim Bowen 1]

Something i worry about is i've heard some sort of bush getting mentioned on the end of the starter motor?

 

I remember a little copper coloured ring on the end of it, is that what people mean? Otherwise i worry i missed something out

[Supercharged 2]

Yep - that's the one... I think the issue is elsewhere though

[Jim Bowen 1]

Ordered the switch so get that tomorrow, will have a proper look then, think i've got a good list of things to check now, cheers.

 

Will report back (when i get stuck no doubt)

[seanl82 23]

Have you tried jumping it? Click could just be the battery proper dead! If it is, it may not start even with a jump, but it may turn over. At least then you can diagnose it a bit more accurately.

[Jim Bowen 1]

Well all the lights and stuff work ok. Battery shows 12.6volts.

 

It makes no attempt to start. When I turn key to start it does nothing. A relay clicks and the power to everything else goes off like when you start car normally.

 

Might find some time in the morning to see if starter is getting power.

[DriverVR6 11]

JB, maybe worth trying this if the new ignition switch still does not solve it. Infact, this is worth doing anyway as a good backup without actually cutting the loom and can be left insitu until needed.....

 

http://direct.the-corrado.net/showthread.php?41192-For-those-with-hot-start-problems-lil-update

[fragsxr 10]

used to own a transit that kept running the starter, had to turn the key back as it wasn't returning after starting so would defo try switch first. ignition key was badly worn also.

[Jim Bowen 1]

Just fitted the switch and it started start away, I hope that was the issue, i should of tried it before i took the old switch out in case it was something else. Oh well.

 

Even managed to get the ignition switch screw back in afterwards :D

[Supercharged 2]

Good man!

 

Wouldn't worry, you can try it first but you'd want to fit it anyway... worth getting a new key cut also if it's worn for the sake of a few quid

[Jim Bowen 1]

Thats a good plan, i already had one key wear out and using the spare now