Reggit

Check your engine earth connections and also check battery and starter motor connections are clean and tight. You may have a high resistance from a bad (or corroded) connection somewhere in the starter circuit.

Asking on behalf of a mate; Does anyone know what spec atf is correct for a VR6 auto box? It's on a golf although I doubt that matters. He's too tight to use VW stuff and can't find a x-ref to other makes of oil. Ta.

Check you've got a spark, Disconnect any of the plug leads at the plug end, connect to any old (but working) spark plug and lay it on the engine so you can see the electrodes. The metal body of the plug needs to be in contact with earthed metal on the engine. Turn the engine over as if trying to start the car at the same time watch the spark plug, you should be able to see a spark between the electrodes, it's easier to see in the dark. Try it and let us know the result.

You need 3 things for an engine to run, fuel, spark (at the right time) and compression. You've got fuel and a spark, but is it at the right time? I suspect the timing is out, don't know how it's set on the G though. If it's electics or mechanical. I'm sure someone who knows will advise soon. Have you checked compression? Although I wouldn't expect you'd loose it on all 4 cylinders and you'd get some signs of life if only a couple where good.

Only asking on here cause I lent a mate my bentley manual and can I get it back now? I've been having a very intermittent no-start now for a couple of years, but it's now getting more regular. The engine will crank, and the fuel pump relay may or may not click rapidly, what I have found is that if I remove and replace relay 99 the thing will then start, however the other day I replaced it in the wrong location and it still started, only found out when the wipers wouldn't work on slow speed! Does anyone have any ideas what relay 99 controls (other than wipers) or other ideas about this annoying problem. Car is a VR6 btw.

Judging by your symptoms, it looks as though something is permanantly drawing current, hence the sparking at the battery terminals. I'd expect a little sparking as some stuff will draw current whilst in the quiescent state (turned off). By the fact it is going dead within a day or less points to several Amps being drawn. eg a 65Ah battery should be able to provide 65 Amps for 1 hour, or 1 Amp for 65 hours, therefore a 5 Amp constant draw would kill it in around 13 hours (if my brain is working ok). Dunno what you've got fitted, but this is a commonish size for the example. To have much chance of finding the source, you'll need an ammeter hooked up in series with the battery, or a clamp on one as someone suggested, then disconnect everything until the reading drops. I'd guess that you've probably got a short to ground somewhere, given the short time the battery holds charge for. If you get no where with it give me a shout (via PM) as I may be able to help/hinder you. I'm not far away assuming you are where your profile says!

I've had a similar problem to this; here's my experience. Turn engine over, no start but fuel injection relay switching. Disconnected engine speed sensor - obviously no start, but fuel injection relay not switching. Therefore I assumed speed sensor was good. My problem was quite intermittent, but I finally traced it to the car being damp inside. I had a leaking tailgate, after fixing that and drying car out the problem never returned, except for the time I forgot to close tailgate and it rained heavily. I assumed there was moisture buildup on relay contacts, indead removing all the relays and giving the board a good spray of WD40 before replacing the relays would usually effect a temporary cure. My car is also rarely used.

Fuel pump is on the same fuse!

Brake fluid is hygroscopic (I think that's the right term), meaning it absorbs water from the atmosphere. If it hasn't been changed within the last couple of years, there could well be enough there to freeze in the conditions you have. However, surely this would affect all the brakes to some extent. Another possibility is that one of your rubber brake hoses has perished and internally collapsed. This makes it act as a one way valve, the brake will come on, but not release properly. Third option, your brake caliper needs overhauling.

Dunno weight, but for a courier I've used http://www.parcel2go.com in the past and found them well priced. Parcels upto 25Kg if I remember correctly.

Mine's 2x2, there are 4 cables in total, the black plug has red and Brown power cables and the white has the grey/white and yellow signal cables. so 2 connectors with 2 cables on each, hence 2x2

I'll do that if you want, I'll PM contact details.

If you're still struggling, try this. A botch I always find useful. Take spark plugs out and make sure they are clean, and preferably sparking as described above. Pour a little petrol into each of the bores (careful not to wash grit etc into engine) by a little I mean about a teaspoon full. Put plugs back in, attach HT leads and try and start engine. It should catch on the petrol and fire into life for a couple of seconds. If it runs briefly this tells you that the engine electronics are ok and fault is in the fuel system.

was8v, I've got a working vagcom on a laptop, and quite local to you. If you want to try your cable on my (works!) lappy give us a shout.

Saw a Blue (aqua?) J reg G60, parked near the Cow and Calf pub on Ilkley Moor yesterday around 3.30

What's the chances that the clocks have been changed for those from a 4 cylinder car? That would make it read wrong, but not sure if it would be high or low... Looks like time for a new counter anyway.

Ok, I may be totally wrong with this so some one please confirm. I thought LHD VR6's were equipped with an electronic servo of some kind, rather than the conventional one fitted to RHD cars. If this is so, that pipe wouldn't be needed.

Either of you two live at Centenary Mill? Seen two VRs in the car park there. One of the cars at centenary mill belongs to 'Oakley' on this forum, the other is a v nice immaculate storm, dunno if owner is on here though.

White G reg with black wheels in Longridge, Preston. I was reversing out of co-op car park. Older bloke driving, exchanged waves. Is it same car as above post?

Try http://www.parcels2go.com, good service (and cheap)although max weight is 25kg.

My old 350LC is keeping my without money at the minute (see link on sig). I've not started on my Triumph Spitfire which the floor fell out of about 4 years ago. That's still blocking my dad's garage.

Oakley, Give me a shout early next week if you're still having problems. I'm away this weekend and on holiday from 22nd of this month for a week. It does sound like the ISV though, which won't show on vagcom.

Just been routing through some old posts to try and find my symptoms, and have got confused, so seeking advice. VR6 - oiled up plug on number 6, other 5 cylinders are ok. It uses what I think is a lot of oil, a litre every 1000-1500 miles although the handbook says this is fine. Very occasionally there is a puff of oil smoke when hitting throttle after overrun, but not all the time and no visible smoke at anyother time when driving. Would changing to a thicker oil help the situation (I've got to change the oil in the next couple of weeks anyway). It is currently using the VW stuff, topped up as needed. Is this indicative of something expensive on it's way. Car has 87,000 miles on it and been properly looked after.

That sounds very similar to a plug failure I had the other month, a 2000 mile pulg had destroyed it's insulator and suddenly stopped firing. This was in number 6, and to cap it all I was only pootling along at the time! I thing I have a photo of it somewhere, if I can find it I'll upload it so you can compare.

Is it a turbo diesel? I had an Astra turbo diesel as a works car, that kept blowing the top hose off the intercooler(tightening it to me own torque settings rather than Vauxhalls preferred figures cured it permenantly) and dropping into safety mode, ran like a pig in that condition. Again I don't know about the 10mph bit.