Reggit

When it turns over, do you hear a relay constantly clicking in the cabin? If YES, change the X-relief relay If NO, change the fuel pump relay I've had the same problem on mine with both symptoms at various times, the above changes solved it. Obviously can't say yours is the same, but it's a cheap is fix. I didn't suspect the relay for the 'NO' option, but I changes it and my cars been faultless since.

My wife bought me the single seater experience at silverstone last year. Brilliant day out. The cars didn't feel that fast to me, then it's reletive to what's around you, it was the handling that blew me away. Enjoy your birthday.

First of all get it scanned for fault codes. There are loads of people on here with the ability to do it, and most will help out for free if you are local to them. Post your location or look on the sticky at the top of this section.

:crazyeyes: What's with the snowplough on the front end? To add to pyro's post, built in a basement with no lights by a blind man with no sense of ... well anything At least he's got 300bhp from a G60, that must make up for the abortion he's made of the bodywork.

Good call - changed the relays and it has been starting reliably again. Thank you. :thumbleft:

I've got this random non-starting problem which is gradually getting worse; The engine turns fine but just won't try and fire. No relays click when cranking. It will eventually start after multiple attempts if the battery holds up that long. Once it does start it runs fine. (I've had a no-start issue before, but that time a relay was chattering whilst it was cranked - this one's different.) Today it played up and I noticed that the fuel pump didn't appear to prime. After about 4 seconds of the ignition being turned on a relay clicked (pump turn off signal?), but no whine from the pump. Is the prime cycle controlled by a different circuit than the constant run cycle? The car runs fine usually, just has this annoying non-start issue, then it's fine when it eventually start. I'm wondering if it is the pump going weak as I can hear it whining if the parcel shelf is removed. Before anyone suggests it, the ignition switch has been changed with a decent geniune VW one. If anyone's got any ideas I'd be grateful - the wifes hinting at getting something reliable (and boringly mundane!) Cheers.

another vote for a knackered battery.

Mine keeps dropping slowly to 5PSI, but my wheels are in dire need of refurbing. I've put it down to a bad seal on the rim due to alloy corrosion. Just keep regularly checking/inflating them.

I'd say one of the sensor wires has come adrift as well. Also check your plugs/leads haven't had oil accidently spilled on them and causing a misfire.

Mine does 400 miles from £70 if it gets reasonable runs, otherwise general local runs it's down to 300 miles to the tank.

X-Relief relay?. Have a search, I've a similar thread knocking about somewhere.

How quick is it going flat? Check the boot light isn't staying on.

Just come across your thread, I don't normally lurk in the general car chat area... Have you had chance to look at the fuse box yet? From your description, I think it likely that you've an intermittent short in the wiring somewhere. Your fusebox being hot is a symptom - possibly not the cause, but an easy place to start looking. Your other symptoms also fit with this theory, engine loosing power as coil is starve of electric, it will probably only be able to provide some of the required power, probably enough to keep one or two cylinders firing. Your engine will still idle (but at a lower speed and will be very loathe to rev), the banging in the exhaust is the unburned fuel igniting in the exhaust etc. Makes sense to me anyway. I wonder if there's any way of temoprarily rigging an ammeter to it to see what is happening (current wise) when the car starts acting up? Don't try that yourself as its not like fitting a voltmeter and needs heavy cabling. Just my thoughts. and finally, don't break it - I reckon there's only a bit of dodgy wiring causing the problems.

If a battery is completely discharged, it won't try and turn the engine on jump leads until it's been sat hooked up for 5-10 minutes. I assume the flat battery tries to recharge itself first (to put it simply - it's something to do this the changing internal resistance of a flat battery). Your 3 mile run has probably discharged the battery too much. Get it on a charger overnight, or take your car on a 30 mile drive to recharge it from the alternator. The whining from the rear can only be the fuel pump as the previous posts say.

If car has been stood for an extended period, it could have more water in the exhaust than is normal, and therefore take longer to get rid of it. Have you noticed the coolant level going down? If it isn't it can't be loosing water through the head gasket.

That's what we like - a nice cheap fix :)

Sounds like a cell has died on the battery, it can and does happen. Mine went the same way a few years ago. Often seems to happen during the first cold snap of winter (well to me anyway)

Not familiar with dizzy'd VR's as mine's a coilpack motor, but a few general checks for a dizzy engine. 1. Pull king lead off distributer and hold it to metallic part of engine. Get someone to crank the engine and see if there's a spark (hold it with something insulated so you don't get a belt) 2. Bugger ... I don't suppose they've got points inside the dizzy have they? other stuff. 3. Are the fuel injectors operating? 4. are all necessary relays in place? Crank sensor will report an error if engine not running although it could be faulty. Mine failed and stopped the spark and fuel so still could be an issue. Check it's plugged into the right connection though, I remember someone had an issue with a none running motor and two sensor connections had been reversed. Where abouts are you? Perhaps someone near you would be willing to cast a 2nd pair of eyes at the problem.

If your heater's not working you've probably got an airlock in the cooling system, or possibly jammed (shut) thermostat meaning the coolant won't flow properly and you'll probably overpressurise the system resulting in coolant escaping from wherever it can.

That sounds like one phase of the alternator has failed. It will still work, but only at 2/3rds capacity assuming this is the case. Can you continuity check the alternator windings?

Sorted it - pending test run. The dash light is behaving as it should now so fingers crossed it'll be ok again. Got the snapped stud out by a mixture of brute force and ignorance! Ok I drilled a 2mm hole down the centre, just enough room to do that from the front. Then using a chisel I could slightly collapse the remnents of the stud which allowed WD40 to penetrate the threads. Then using a tool called a 'footprint' - this grips the stud and tightens as you turn - the rust lost it's battle and the thread started to turn. Thread then cleaned up with appropriate size tap, sensor hole cleaned with a dremel then everything refitted. No major dismantling was needed it the end - thankfully. Cheers for advise - it was appreciated.

Got the sensor out using a cold chisel and a broken screwdriver as a punch thru the ABS rotor holes. Going to make a start on the snapped bolt tomorrow evening. Thanks for the tip KIPVW, I may try that approach if plus gas and a blow torch don't have any success. Now for sale on ebay - 'corrado ABS sensor - untested' :lol:

If anyone's any suggestions on how to butcher the ABS sensor out and the sheared allen bolt - I'm all ears. Especially if I dont need to dismantle too much and spend much dosh.

I think we at slight cross purposes - it's the bit I've circled below that I'm trying to get off. Not the whole assembly.

I'm stuck - I can't shift the hub (wheel carrier/abs rotor). I've got the centre nut undone, wheel, caliper and disc removed. The hub looks like it should just pull off, but it won't shift. used a puller with as much force as I dare - but wonder if I've missed something. HELP appreciated.