1998 VW Polo 1.4 Auto CL - won't start after engine wash!

[The_Stig]

Hi Chaps and Chapesses,

I have a problem that I wonder if you can help please :)

So - Car was running perfectly, idling away on the drive and my son was Jetwashing over for me.

He opened the bonnet and I thought he was going to just jet the slam panel - but he went over the top of the engine and down the side (gearbox). The car then cut out.

It will now turn over - but not fire...

So - basics:
- I have a spark at every plug
- When removing the fuel feed to the fuel rail - I have fuel at ign on - and then on crank it also spurts out

So I have spark - and Fuel - and you would assume air as the butterfly on the throttle operates perfectly.

Tried a drop of fuel in the butterfly for good measure but no difference.

Any ideas? I assume something to do with the injectors not opening?

I am an ex Saab / Vauxhall mechanic so know my way around these things.. Potentially just water in a connection somewhere I suppose that will dry and problem over?

Frustrating!

thanks all :)

[The_Stig]

Sorry - I should add.

I have the Ross-Tech VCDS - and that reports no faults at all... So thinking that it can't be a sensor fault?

[Sam]

Welcome to VWAF :)

Leaving the plugs in, check the plug wells for water and blow any out with compressed air/WD40.

Check fuses on top of the battery and the rest of the electrics in the engine bay.

This is why you degrease an engine and not pressure wash it :(

[The_Stig]

Welcome to VWAF :)

Leaving the plugs in, check the plug wells for water and blow any out with compressed air/WD40.

Check fuses on top of the battery and the rest of the electrics in the engine bay.

This is why you degrease an engine and not pressure wash it :(

Thanks very much for the reply.

It was as he went over the plug area (through the shield) that it seemed to cut out.

Ill spray some WD40 into the wells with the plugs in and see what happens.

Is there any special way the injectors are powered up?

[Sam]

Have you checked any filters to see if they're damp, if it's sucked in water you could be looking at all sorts of fun.

Thinking about it, there's the main loom somewhere in the engine bay and from memory there's a connection there too, it's a big plug that twists the two halves together.

Sorry I can't be more specific but it's been a while since I've been in the engine bay of a 6n.

Edit: Injectors run from a loom IIRC, nothing special as far as I can remember.

[Crasher]

Water inside the distributor cap.

[The_Stig]

Have you checked any filters to see if they're damp, if it's sucked in water you could be looking at all sorts of fun.

Thinking about it, there's the main loom somewhere in the engine bay and from memory there's a connection there too, it's a big plug that twists the two halves together.

Sorry I can't be more specific but it's been a while since I've been in the engine bay of a 6n.

Edit: Injectors run from a loom IIRC, nothing special as far as I can remember.

Thanks again - so yes, I took the air filter off the top of the throttle body and it was bone dry - so its not taken in water I don't think.

I only had plus gas available yesterday so gave some connections a squirt of that. Will get some WD40 on the plug / lead wells and see how that goes tonight..

Really appreciate all the help.

[The_Stig]

Dizzy cap all dry too.

[zollaf]

have you taken the dizzy cap off and dried it out as crasher says. ?

you have, yes, hahhaa]#

[The_Stig]

have you taken the dizzy cap off and dried it out as crasher says. ?
I did mate - there was no water ingress in there at all.

[zollaf]

cool, we both typed at the same time.... i didn't see your reply until too late..

[Crasher]

If it has fuel, air, spark and squish all happening at the right time it should run so something is missing. The coil on the 6N can go weak, it will show a spark at atmospheric pressure but it won't ionise under compression but you can't see this so it fools you but sometimes the colour can give you a clue, if it is a fuzzy yellow instead of sharp blue. Personally I recommend Beru.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd20/Crasher1964/6N0905104coil.jpg (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/Crasher1964/media/6N0905104coil.jpg.html)

[The_Stig]

Well... tried her last night after she had sat for 24 hrs and she fired straight into life.... Phew - panic over...

[niall campbell]

good frosty night , drys everything out

[The_Stig]

Indeed.

Thanks for all the pointers chaps.. Greatly appreciated.

[Rob69]

Lesson learned by your lad as well !!