Totally and utterly pi$$ed off

Mrs has been looking for a convertable golf for a while. We found one, good price, highish miles but looked after and only done 2000 miles since 2007 (the girl who owned it moved to australia and only used it during the summer when visiting her folks in the UK).

Car ran fine, picked it up today and drove it about 15 miles to a garage, filled up, drove the 25 miles to the MOT station to get it tested. They had it for about 1hr, passed with flying colours. I went and picked it up, drove it home, absolutely fine. Never missed a beat all the time I was driving it.

When I got home I left it running for around 3-4 minutes just while I checked something else. The car started to splutter a bit then just died. I tried to start it again but no joy.

Left it for around 1hr and tried again, no joy. I've checked as much as I can see, there is fuel I think (smells like it's getting through) But I don't seem to be able to get a spark.

It's a 1.8i Mk3 Golf. The only other thing is the engine light (oil can) flashes about once a second for as long as you turn the engine over. Oil level is fine, nothing obvious anywhere.

It's been raining like a git most of the day on and off so my guess is water related but I would really appreciate any advice from out there. Just so damned annoying that it just stopped without any pre-warning at all

Thanks in advance

JB

that sucks

If the engine light flashes doesn't that mean there's a fault code to be read? If so that's where I'd start....

oil light will flash until it can get a constant pressure reading to either stay on or go out. Doubt thats the problem..

My money would be on coilpack / MAF / HT leads....

You aint filled it with diesel by mistake have you?

Check connection to crank position sensor, I have had issues

sounds like the coil pack has died, common fault, have a look on; http://www.clubgti.com/forum/
should'nt be too expensive have a look on GSF or Euro car parts.

I've had a coil pack go on my brothers Audi A3 and was still able to start the engine it just missed like a bugger. It showed up the engine management light as well so perhaps not the coil.

Is it the GTi engine or the 1.8 SPi?

Could be the coil or the hall sensor had both fail before.

Also worth checking the ecu didnt get flooded as its a bit vulnerable to getting damp!

we've had over 6 mk3 golfs in the family, had nearly all models bar a vr6.

I bet its the coil pack, its one big unit that will sit RH engine bay on the bulkhead, when it goes you usually loose all 4 sparks, unkike the individual coil sticks on a3's etc, I've never had one go whilst driving, they always seem to wait till you restart. the AA usually put a fluke tester on the wires going in, so if you've got a signal going in and no spark its probably that.

I once had the aa out as I live 15 miles from the nearest place who stocks them (gsf) he confirmed my suspissions drove me a 30 mile round trip to get the part, fitted it for me only to realise I didn't have homestart! he saw the funny side.... eventually!

Well, thanks again to all who replied.

It was indeed the coil pack

I went to GSF and got Coil pack, plug leads, dizzy cap and rotor arm. Changed the coil pack first and hey presto!

I changed the leads et al anyway as they had seen better days, best be on the safe side.

Thanks again guys, Mrs is well chuffed again