Problems Starting Gti-6 After 2 Years Of No Use. Advise Needed

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

Hiya guys, haven't posted on here for a while but i am in need of some assistance. I haven't used my 205 for a couple of years and I got the bug back today and decided to dust her down and start her up. Although that what I intended, it didn't quite go that way. Being impatient I charged the battery and tried to fire her up. It turned over alright and there was even a couple of chuggs on the first try but she did not fire up. I promptly went to the garage and got myself 15 litres of fresh fuel. Put that in but still no luck. I am really after some fault finding advise. My thinking is the problem is either fuel or electric. If the injectors are clogged up, how do i go about cleaning them out and how do I check they are working? If there are fine, my next port of call will be the coil packs and the spark plugs. How do I check for a spark? and if there is no spark, how do I check if its the plugs or the coil packs? Thanks in advance guys. Any advise would be greatly appreciated

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Did you drain the old fuel? How much did you have in there to begin with?

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

No, that would be far too efficient. There wasn't a lot in there, just above empty.

Edited September 7, 2013 by icepug

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

I've had two 205's that had been stood for a couple of years, they had the same issue as yours. I tried adding a couple of jerry cans of fresh fuel into the stale stuff but it didn't work. My 2.0 turbo wouldn't fire up until I dropped the tank to drain it out and then used 100% fresh fuel. My 1.6 ran but misfired badly and barely idled.

 

I'm not saying this is your problem but I wouldn't be surprised

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

cool, that might be the way forward i guess. if I do that do i need to get the old stuff out of the fuel pipe and rail too? or will it just pump through eventually?

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

I'd drain it all out, get rid of all that nasty smelly stuff.

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

cool, might give that ago tomorrow then.I might take the fuel line off first and pump out a couple of litres first to see if the fresh stuff come though. If that doesn't work then I may well have to bite the bullet and ditch the whole lot. There nearly half a tank tho

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

Right, had a bit more of a tinker today. Drained the tank and filled with new petrol. Still doesn't want to start. Took a coil out and rested the plug on the head, no spark. Spoke to a pal of mine who informed me that when the ignition is on there should be a constant live to the coils, so I took one out and put the multi meter on it and there is no live, tried the other three and no live on them either. He also said that the coils get there feed from the ecu so I should check that the ecu is getting a live feed to. He said there should be 2-3 lives to it. I took the big connector of and tried every port. Only one port showed 12v and there where a couple that showed 0.75v. Could this be that I have a sticky relay some where and when I turn the ignition on the relay isn't switching and sending current to the ecu? If this is the case, what relay would it be. I have 4 in the dash and two in the engine bay that I can see. Any idea's would be great

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

Unplug and plug the double ignition relay a few times there may be corrosion on the pins

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

sounds like a plan. I didn't wire this conversion originally so I do not know what relay that is. Any ideas on how I identify it?

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

The double relay is located normally behind the ecu. About 1.5" by 3" in size.

normally black or possibly brown

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

My ecu is in the engine bay. I can find 2 standard size relays. 1'x1'. In the fuse box there are 2 more standard size ones and 2 double sized one 1'x2'. Can't seem to find one 1.5'x3'. You'd think it'd be easy being that size?

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

Diamond. Ill ave a look later when I get in. Cheers buddy

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

Right, I have managed to find that pesky relay. I took it off and it did look a bit cruddy but not to bad. I cleaned up the connections and re-fitted it but my darling 205 still did not want to fire up. I then removed it again and checked if there was any live feeds going to it which there is. 4 or 5 cant remember. Still no live to my coils though. Do I need a new relay although when its plugged back in, other things seem to be working like two other relays in the engine bay and the fuel pump. Anymore ideas?

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

Can you hear the fuel pump priming on the second turn of the key?

Is the fuse present in the fuse board? Is the fuse on the far right :15 amp.

 

Unplug and plug in the ecu and check the pins are not corroded.

 

Does sound like the ecu has magically locked itself but hopefully not!

 

Crank sensor present and working? That can give the exact same symptoms

Edited September 8, 2013 by Paul_13

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

Pump primes as normal, all fuses are present and correct. Ecu has been unplugged and plugged in a few times. I dont like the sound of a locked ecu. how do I fix that? Could it lock itself if left for a long time? do they have internal batteries they could have maybe gone flat? Thus causing it to lock itself?

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

A locked ecu would mean sourcing a new one. But try and find some one that has an unlocked one and try it on yours first.

I'd try a replacement crank sensor first.

 

I've had a ecu "lock" itself, but I think I fried it from using a cut off switch too many times that wasn't wired in correctly.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Paul_13

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

Next questions, where the crank sensor. lol. I shouldn't laugh but I've been working on aircooled lumps for years and this thing is like a spaceship in comparison

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

 

Located on top of the gearbox and next to the block. Check its plugged in too

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

What would you try first. A new relay or the crank sensor?

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

I'd get a replacement for both mate.

Unfortunately I don't have any spare to sell.

Where in Bedfordshire are you?

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

marston moreteyne. In between bedford and milton keynes on the a421

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

I may be able to help weekend after this one

[icepug 1 1 Cars]

that would be great chap if you don't mind. I have left the car not running for a long period of time before and never had this problem.