Starting Problem

[Guest new2gti]

I have a 205 1.9 gti and it wont start

 

what is the first check i should do to see if i can find the problem

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

Does it crank over but not fire up? Or does it not crank over at all?

 

When has this problem started happening?

 

More info needed.

[Guest new2gti]

when i turn the key it tries but only for a second then it cuts out. i have checked the spark plugs and they seem ok (but was going to renew them anyway)

 

could it be the distributer? I checked the leads where inserted and they were except 1 was loose. i took it out and looked inside there is a orange rusty colour within? I pushed the lead on firmly and tried again but no response. (just to add there are 5 leads the 4 that come from the spark plugs are ok the 1 that was loose is connected else-where)

 

 

i am trying to teach my self basic mechanics in my spare time

Edited December 18, 2007 by new2gti

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

You say... when i turn the key it tries but only for a second then it cuts out. i have checked the spark plugs and they seem ok (but was going to renew them anyway)

 

do you mean it cranks over for a few seconds then stops?? if thats the case it could be the battery..

[hodgy 0]

when i turn the key it tries but only for a second then it cuts out. i have checked the spark plugs and they seem ok (but was going to renew them anyway)

 

could it be the distributer? I checked the leads where inserted and they were except 1 was loose. i took it out and looked inside there is a orange rusty colour within? I pushed the lead on firmly and tried again but no response. (just to add there are 5 leads the 4 that come from the spark plugs are ok the 1 that was loose is connected else-where)

i am trying to teach my self basic mechanics in my spare time

 

 

you mean the one that goes to the coil.

[Guest new2gti]

do you mean it cranks over for a few seconds then stops?? if thats the case it could be the battery..

 

No it dosen't crank over it tries to and i have 1)charged the battery 2)tried to jump start and 3)tried another battery

 

 

 

you mean the one that goes to the coil.

 

i think so?

 

im gonna have another look at it in day light b4 i go to college

[hodgy 0]

i go for the one on the coil aint connected right and you havent got a park going thru it

[Guest new2gti]

ok cool but the orange rusty dust is nothing to worry about

[hodgy 0]

its only £2 for a universal plug from halfords so get one of those

 

 

i think anything in the lead isnt a good thing. what bout spraying wd40 on the end of it to wash the crap away to get it to start then get some new leads for £20 from gfs

[Guest new2gti]

ok ill try that then mate. thanks for ur help ill post back tomorrow to tell u the outcome lol.

 

 

 

have a merry christmas

Edited December 18, 2007 by new2gti

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

if its not cranking and its deff a good batery try putting a wire between the positive batery terminal and the solonoid on the starter, if it cranks over like that then its probably a s*ity brown multiplug causing you the problem, if it dosent do anything then its probably a dud starter

 

EDIT:-

 

If your un sure what i mean by the solonoid its this bit circled

 

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k296/con...augh/c172_1.jpg

 

the starters on the front of the engin undr the thropttle body

Edited December 19, 2007 by M_R_205

[Guest new2gti]

ok will any wire do to make the connection. I have some standard 2.5 mm2 cable?

 

 

i tried spraying the multi plug going to the coil with wd40 and cleaning it out like hodgy said and still nothing

 

 

i bought the car 3 months ago for £200 pound off a friend knowing that it was a non starter but wanted a challege for myself, as i said b4 to teach myself all i can.

 

if it is the starter is it simple for me to change?

 

plus what does a car do when the engine is seized?

Edited December 19, 2007 by new2gti

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

yea any cable is fine, starter is a piece of cake to replace but slightly akward to get to, if the engine is siezed i imagine the starter would just click as it tryes to turn the engine over, but iv never experienced a siezed engin so not 100% sure tbh

 

 

Have you tryed jump starting it?

Edited December 19, 2007 by M_R_205

[Guest new2gti]

yes m8 ive tried to jump start but not a bump start. I got told it might go if i push it quite fast in 2nd gear and lift up the clutch?

 

i need to goto college now but this is my last day there today so i got 2 weeks over xmas to give it a good look over. and when i get back ill try what u said by connecting a wire from the poss terminal to the solonoid (what does that do btw? sorta cut out a middle man)

 

after these tests there cant be much more to try i think. to be fair as far as i am aware there is only 4 things a car needs i think for a car to at least crank over? like u said could be the starter its worth a try with that £50-60 i think they are? Ill give it a good service first though spend a lil more time on it b4 i change

 

 

on your oppinion do u think ive bought a dud lol. The body work is in excellent cond, has the half leather all in good shape. Engine is very clean.

[steve@cornwall 100]

DON'T service it first!!!! That way when you do get it to turn over, if it won't start, you'll have made diagnosing the problem much more difficult by having altered more things

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

yea by putting the wire from the batery straight to the solonoid it misses out going from the battery to the fuse board to the ignition switch, back to the fuse board, through the multi plug and at last to the starter. so if that get it to crank over you know your problem is in that wire, (the solonoid pushes the starter gear (dunno the technical term) into the flywheel and sets it spinning)

 

if it still dosent work its either a jammed engine or dud starter

 

and yea i ment Bump start sorry, doing it in 3rd is a better idea id say, but as soon as it fires up (if it does) get the clutch back in and give it a couple revs

 

Btw when you turn the key does the starter click??

[Guest new2gti]

DON'T service it first!!!! That way when you do get it to turn over, if it won't start, you'll have made diagnosing the problem much more difficult by having altered more things

 

ok dude thanks for the advise i will try to get it to turn b4 i service

 

 

 

 

Btw when you turn the key does the starter click??

 

 

i think its the starter motor that clicks. as i said b4 some thing tries to happen but me being a noobie mechanic im not sure? ill get some1 to turn the key while i stand over the hood

 

 

thanks again for ur time guys you av been so much help so far. I hope i solve the problem very soon

 

 

 

if it still dosent work its either a jammed engine or dud starter

 

omg jammed doesnt sound good

 

gonna try the wire from poss to the solonoid ill post back with the outcome

[Guest new2gti]

ok not tried connecting wire to solonoid yet (couldnt find wire? I know its in my shed somewhere)

 

but i have found something that dosn't look good. I wish i could take a photo of it but i need a camera, ill get 1 2moz but ill try and explain it: it is some sort of wiring connection on like a m20 bolt (could be bigger) and a connector block connects it to 6 wires and the 6 wires split into 2 groups of 3. one of the groups of wires is connected by another connector block, but this is not connected to anything? i can see another connector and it looks like it should connect to it. Also the bolt looks like it should screw into somewhere too like on the car or the engine itself. could it be the earth connection?

[steve@cornwall 100]

If you put the car in 5th gear and get someone to give a hefty shove, you'll know if the engine has seized (jammed). You should get resistance, small move forward,resistance,small move forward etc If you get no movement it's either seized, or you're assistant is a wimp!!!! - a 12 year old should be able to move it.

[Guest new2gti]

If you put the car in 5th gear and get someone to give a hefty shove, you'll know if the engine has seized (jammed). You should get resistance, small move forward,resistance,small move forward etc If you get no movement it's either seized, or you're assistant is a wimp!!!! - a 12 year old should be able to move it.

 

 

phew thanks for that steve if i did it right the engine is not jammed

 

 

now i have found myself a nice piece of cable. Tomorrow i will try and connect it from the positive terminal on the battery to the starter solonoid. Do i need to put some eyelet crimps on the ends then connect to ensure a good connection? Or will i be ok to just wrap around the terminals?

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

If you put the car in 5th gear and get someone to give a hefty shove, you'll know if the engine has seized (jammed). You should get resistance, small move forward,resistance,small move forward etc If you get no movement it's either seized, or you're assistant is a wimp!!!! - a 12 year old should be able to move it.

phew thanks for that steve if i did it right the engine is not jammed

now i have found myself a nice piece of cable. Tomorrow i will try and connect it from the positive terminal on the battery to the starter solonoid. Do i need to put some eyelet crimps on the ends then connect to ensure a good connection? Or will i be ok to just wrap around the terminals?

 

 

You can get away with putting a spade connector on one end, and ficing that to the starter and just touching the cable on the battery terminal, just make sure the cars not in gear

[Guest new2gti]

Thanks alot m r 205 after u mentioned the starter solenoid i checked the connections going to it and found they where badly corroded on the connecion i cleaned them up with some glass paper and connected back together. It started first time . Yay.

 

I left it running for a little while then switched it off. I went to start it again and now it just turns over and will not start again? but it cranks over.

 

checks already made 1) full it tank 2) battery fully charged 3) battery terminals clean and tight and not corroded

 

is it time to check the spark plugs or could i have flooded the engine trying to start it too many times? Obviously its christmas tomorrow so im doing no more for a few days.

 

Just like to say merry christmas to all who reads this thread and have a good one hugs all round.

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

well if its started up once it should start again! take the plugs out and see if there ok and give them a little clean, also take the dizy cap off make sure the conatcts in there are ok, and give them a little clean,

[Guest new2gti]

thanks mate it starts fine now every time.

 

my idiot brother put his battery in instead of mine so the battery was the wrong 1 for the car we had 3 batteries in the boot dont ask me why?

 

 

It misfires when the car is stationary though, i take it that can be a number of things so time to find the problem step by step. So spark plugs need to come out and checked anyway.

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

thanks mate it starts fine now every time.

 

my idiot brother put his battery in instead of mine so the battery was the wrong 1 for the car we had 3 batteries in the boot dont ask me why?

It misfires when the car is stationary though, i take it that can be a number of things so time to find the problem step by step. So spark plugs need to come out and checked anyway.

 

Yea a misfire could be quite a few things, start at the plugs and work back over