My 1.8 carb'd Mk2 Golf won't start

Well, that's almost it. It turns over with difficulty, starts and runs for a second or 2 then cuts out.

I've checked the battery voltage and it was below 11v.

I've tried charging it and it's not helping. Battery is a few years old so fine, will get a new one.

What I think is weird is that it runs for a bit then stops.

Would the battery issue cause this? Or is there something else wrong as well?

I'm miles from any motor factors here and only have girlfriends old bike and limited tools so I don't want to cycle miles (I'm already 2.5hrs late for work!) for a new battery then discover it's something else as well!

Help!


Cheers,
James

Dodgy alternator/ rectifyer

Well, I've replaced the battery.

It ran, then cut out again as before.

Just what I wanted to find after a hard day breaking concrete.

Even if it's the alternator then it should just run on the new battery shouldn't it?
I don't know how long it would take, but it should atleast be a few minutes until the batterys flat shouldn't it?

Cheers,
James

One of the works Trannys does this if you fire it up too soon after putting in the key, the code reader rejects the key and shuts off the engine, probably not relevant to your case though.

I know this sounds barbaric, try n rev it direct from startup and keep it well out of idle. If it then runs the fuel solenoid on the back of the carb is probably not getting power. That feeds from fuse 7 if memory serves.

If that don't do it, check if it runs out of spark or is there spark right up till the engine dies. Here I would suspect the ignition module, though they seldom give intermitent trouble.

[Edited on 19/3/09 by Land Locked]

Check for a spark. If you have a spark, it must be a fuelling issue. Pull the fuel pipe off the carbotooter and crank the engine to see if there is fuel there.
If there is no fuel there, check the lift pump.
Check the hose connections and check for splits or damage. Check any inline filters.
Work your way back to the tank. Check the connector at the tank.
If there was fuel at the tooter, take a plug out and see if its wet. If it's wet, it's overfuelling. If it's dry, try squirting a bit of easystart down the carb. If the fuel is getting to the carb but not down into the engine, check for a leak in the inlet fanimould drawing in air instead of fuel/air mix.

If the spark was dissappearing, check the immobaliser! I had a Seat and the thing would fire but die instantly. Not even run for a couple of seconds! It was driving me mad!! Then I discovered I had to pay a dealer to recode the ECU!!

It could also be any of the following: Coil breaking down, ballast resistor (if fitted), rotor arm failure, ignition amp, (if fitted).

Failing the above. put petrol in it....

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Originally posted by owelly
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Failing the above. put petrol in it....

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Immobiliser can cause those problems - it will work for a second, then stop. Can look like an electrical or fuel problem, when what's happening is that the immobiliser is stopping the engine. Why it can't just refuse to start from the very beginning, I don't know!

Something similar happened to my daughter's Mk4 Golf.

This presumes that you have an immobiliser!

Anyway - if you do have one, and you have 2 keys, try the other key...



[Edited on 19/3/09 by David Jenkins]

If possible check the voltage at the coil positive terminal with the ignition on , have had loads of mk2 where the ignition switch electrical contacts wear and only feed the coil when cranking which would cause your symptoms .Get you home bodge is wire coil direct to battery positive . Could be distributor /ignition module ? Also check vacuum pipes , the servo pipe is prone to splitting . The carb is likely to be a Pierberg? more trouble than their worth unless it's been changed for a weber,

I had golf's, loved them.

Had slow turning over - mucho improved after fitting big earth trap.

Had running problems - turned out to be immobiliser wired into the main feed to fuel pump instead of being wired into the relay feed (low tension side) - that one was a bugger to solve. Car was OK for a while but later the relay inside of immobiliser must have been getting a hard time and went high resistance.

As said already - if you have a good spark, check fuel feed. In my experience its more likely to be electrical problem.

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Originally posted by rusty nuts
The carb is likely to be a Pierberg? more trouble than their worth unless it's been changed for a weber,

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