Engine Won't Start

[hiltow]

My car (Mk2 1.6GT - Pierburg Carb) has been off the road in storage since October, but started up every now and then.

Took it out of the garage today and let the engine get up to running temperature, revving the engine now and then. The engine was running with the car stationary for 15 minutes. After letting it idle for it bit the engine gradually died taking about three seconds to do so, making a slight pop before it cut out.

Now car won't start - sometimes it will run very weakly for a few seconds before cutting out as if it's not getting full compression.

Fuel is getting to the carb and I've cleaned the spark plugs (only 1k miles on them), but it makes no difference. Dizzy cap and arm also have 1k miles on them.

In January I filled the tank right up to the top to try and prevent rusting inside the tank. I know that fuel goes off, but it shouldn't have turned to sludge in 6 months. It's sounding like a blockage of some sort. Any ideas on where to target (that's if it's a blockage)?

[the edmundator]

I can recommend checking the ignition amplifier.

[hiltow]

Cheers - whereabouts is the ignition amplifier?

[the edmundator]

It hides under the plastic scuttle tray that covers the wiper motor etc. It's over on the nearside (passenger) end mounted on an aluminium block.

Basically, if your car will start when it's cold and run for a while until it stalls for no apparent reason, and you have verified a spark and fuel supply (before it stalls), this is likely to be a culprit. After it has stalled you will have lost the spark for a while until the ignition amplifier cools down again... unless it has finally given up altogether.

If you buy a new one, you need to be very careful to get the right part - best to take it to a GSF or VW dealer locally and check the replacement part.

Your coil might be another suspect.

[hiltow]

Cheers for this edmundator - I'll investigate. I must admit that I never thought a problem like that would have been caused by that little box of tricks in the bulkhead! I hope it's the cause because I'd much rather attach another ignition module than go playing around replacing fuel lines and having to mess with the carb.

May take a few days for me to get the part and I'll let you know.

[hiltow]

The ignition module has now been de-listed by VW. On second thoughts I tried starting the car a few times and then checking to see if the module was warm - it was cold.

The engine will start to fire maybe every second / third attempt but not 'run' in the proper sense - it justs splutters on for about three seconds maximum and stops with a pop. Does this still definitely sound like an problem on the ignition side?

I've no equipment to test the coil either - this thing's driving me mad!

[the edmundator]

You should probably get the timing checked as well (or do it yourself if you can). I found the RAC very helpful at this point, but then I've paid for homestart etc.

[dozzum]

Mine was playing up like this along with some other problems i havent solved yet. When it went for its MOT and had the CO level adjusted it stopped dying. Could be worth doing as its really simple and should be cheap/free depending on how friendly you are with a garage.

[hiltow]

Cheers for all the suggestions. This is very much 'work still in progress'. As the car is completely immobile I called a supposed 'VW specialist' mobile mechanic to at least diagnose the fault for me.

What a mistake. Apart from tearing apart my engine bay (the car's a minter) without any thought, using the front-panel of the engine bay as a work bench he fixed nothing at all and walked off the job because he couldn't fix it and didn't want me standing there whilst he was working! He didn't even check for sparks before trying to turn the engine over with a spanner via the alternator and moving the distributor so as to deliberataly put the timing out. Luckily the batterly went flat before he could do any damage.

Now I'm left with a car that I've been advised should not be started and still isn't fixed. Now forking out for it to be trailered off to a garage I normally use who's careful with things - who wants some gorilla scratching your new engine bay parts when it's a near concours 'bay?

[Nate]

where abouts in the country are you?

[dozzum]

Correct me if im wrong but i didnt know moving the distibutor would mess with the timing???

If you think youre not gettin compression then buy a compression tester, should be able to get one for less than £20. Really simple to use just take out all youre spark plugs, push into each cyclinder and turn over in turn. Ive got the same car as you and i got 90psi when i checked mine the other day.

If you suspect fuel then check youre fuel filter. Is it full of crud, they only cost £1 new so you can always change it and see if shit comes through.
SImple check for fuel is to get a metre of fuel pipe and run it from the fuel pump to a clean tank of petrol. If it runs ok then you know its dirty fuel/lines.

Hope some of this helps.

Rich

[hiltow]

Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

[hiltow]

We have ignition and lift off - engine now running again.

The timing on the belt side of things was ok, but the distributor timing has been reset. The carb was taken off so that the mountings could be inspected. These were ok, but when the carb was refitted and the mountings tightened the engine starts fine first time - weird!

Let's hope it holds!

Thanks to all for the help on this one.

[Nate]

Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

was gonna offer to come and have a looky, but that's a bit far