mak 0 Posted September 25, 2007 For the first time in nearly two years ( ) the car has started giving me jip, and low and behold its electrical . The symptons At the weekend I was coming of a dual carriage way, doing about 30, and when I went to change down the revs dropped of completley and the car just died. I slowed down, turned the key and it fired back into life as if nothing had happened. Since then its had a couple of little blips, normally when changing down or decelerating, with the same sympton but only for a second or two, and the car restarting itself. Then on the way home tonight (ironically the first time in four years I've used it to get to work) it died, again just as if someone had pulled the plug, without warning, and try as I might it wouldn't start. I sat there for ten minutes pondering life, tried my luck and it fired and drove 5miles home no problem. I've now banished it to the garage so it can think about what its done. The Cause OK I don't think its the fuel pump cutting out, becasue there is no spluttering, its just straight dead, so I reckon somehting is failing all of a sudden to give no spark. As with any electrical problems it could be one of a hundred things, so I'm hoping someone has had the same problem and can say "mak my dear boy, you need to replace the...." My first thoughts are tach relay and ign amp, although I'm not totally sure what symptons these produce? Any advice, as ever, much appreciated Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted September 25, 2007 The two classic causes are the tachy relay and the plug between the dizzy and the ignition amp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mak 0 Posted September 25, 2007 the plug between the dizzy and the ignition amp. do you mean the ht lead? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted September 25, 2007 no, theres a wire with a 3 pin plug that comes off the dizzy itself, not the cap. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve@cornwall 100 Posted September 25, 2007 My first gti did very similar to this. After parting with a substantial amount of cash to a "specialist" (the last time I used a garage!!!) to replace the timing belt, dizzy, leads it was no different. Turned out the rotor arm was shagged inside and slipping on the dizzy shaft. It would catch up and stick on cranking, only to slip again in use. Def worth a try as they are cheap. BTW mine was a new Halfrauds one! being new it wasn't suspected by the garage Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veero 1 Posted September 25, 2007 Yeah just before I Mi16'd it my 205 it did something extremely similar. It would splutter and die, yet restart as if someone had pressed a hidden reset switch 5 minutes later. Limped to a garage who had previously stitched me up for an MOT so I was desperate, old guy didn't even look up and said "ignition amp". Went home swapped it for the one that came with my Mi16 engine and gubbins and problem sorted just like that. If not yes check cap arm and leads. At least as a port of call for replacing things those bits are fairly cheap. Good luck Veero Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Miles 331 1 Cars Posted September 25, 2007 The Dizzy's are now also failing, The winding's inside break down and give sypton's just like the Amp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeremy 71 Posted September 25, 2007 (edited) Trace all wiring, as I had a similar issue. It turned out that the insulation on a wire had warn away causing an electrical short due to it being left to dangle free against an adge on the inner wing just next to the bonnet stay. The tape cost half a P, and the rest of the items nearly £50, non of which needed replacing LOL. Edited September 25, 2007 by jeremy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
