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View Full Version : Question Starting problem on MK2 TDi (1999)



randombadger
04-04-2010, 01:55 PM
I get back to work at 9.30pm and get into my car to drive home, all th ignition lights etc come on but when I turn the satrter nothing happens (no noise or anything). The battery is old and tired and struggled daily over the winter, so I assumed that it because has been sitting for 36 hrs after a short journey with all electrics going it might be flat. I put the jump leads from a work vehicle on it for 20mins and then try to start it...nothing. SO I take the work vehicle home.

Next day I buy a new battery and pop it in...nothing, so I put the new battery on charge (just in case..) after an hour I test the battery (12.7 Volts so it should easily turn the starter) and put it in, still nothing. (the old battery had 12.3 in it so wasn't completely flat).

I noted that all the electrics worked, radio, fan, lights etc, when turning the ignition the headlights dim, which I think means that energy is going somewhere, but the starter makes not a peep.

Some colleagues appeared and gave the car a push for about 30m it didn't bump start, they were just heading off to get a rope to tow it to the top of the hill and I tried the ignition and it started fine!!!??!!!. After that it started every time for the rest of the day. Next day I got in it aboyt midday and same again...nothing. I rolled it a couple of meters (luckily parked on a small hill) and turned the ignition and it started! after that it was fine all day. This morning it started fine.

Any idea what is wrong with it, is it just an iffy starter? (all the connections seem ok from a quick look), starter was given an overhaul by an automotive electrician when I got the gearbox replaced last winter.

Off on my hols next week and don't fancy getting stranded!

colinp4656
04-04-2010, 07:15 PM
hi,it sounds as if you have a bad contact somewhere, possibly within the starter motor-my sons tdi leon had similar problem- giving starter motor a gentle thump with a hammer and all worked fine -putting car in gear and rocking it forward and backward has same effect ,hope this helps ,regards colinp

micheal balbrig
04-04-2010, 08:44 PM
I get back to work at 9.30pm and get into my car to drive home, all th ignition lights etc come on but when I turn the satrter nothing happens (no noise or anything). The battery is old and tired and struggled daily over the winter, so I assumed that it because has been sitting for 36 hrs after a short journey with all electrics going it might be flat. I put the jump leads from a work vehicle on it for 20mins and then try to start it...nothing. SO I take the work vehicle home.

Next day I buy a new battery and pop it in...nothing, so I put the new battery on charge (just in case..) after an hour I test the battery (12.7 Volts so it should easily turn the starter) and put it in, still nothing. (the old battery had 12.3 in it so wasn't completely flat).

I noted that all the electrics worked, radio, fan, lights etc, when turning the ignition the headlights dim, which I think means that energy is going somewhere, but the starter makes not a peep.

Some colleagues appeared and gave the car a push for about 30m it didn't bump start, they were just heading off to get a rope to tow it to the top of the hill and I tried the ignition and it started fine!!!??!!!. After that it started every time for the rest of the day. Next day I got in it aboyt midday and same again...nothing. I rolled it a couple of meters (luckily parked on a small hill) and turned the ignition and it started! after that it was fine all day. This morning it started fine.

Any idea what is wrong with it, is it just an iffy starter? (all the connections seem ok from a quick look), starter was given an overhaul by an automotive electrician when I got the gearbox replaced last winter.

Off on my hols next week and don't fancy getting stranded!

If it happena again try a jump lead from battery negative to a good earthing
point on the engine. If starter operates it may point to a poor earth from battery to body or body to engine. Also a word of caution, avoid trying to charge a fully charged battery as the gases are highly explosive and a small
spark from battery / charger connection is enough to cause explosion

randombadger
01-05-2010, 10:05 AM
Just an update for future readers. The next day the car failed to start I connected a jump lead from negative terminal to engine block and nothing happened. I then decided that since it was astarter related problem I'd connect the jump straight to the starter casing. Car started perfectly.

The next day everything was fine, but the day after that nothing happened when I turned the key, I got out, connected lead from battery to starter case and it started straight away.

Since then it has not refused to start. My own theory is that the bad connection is in someway dampness related, the problem occurred after and extremely wet day when I drove about 40 miles on Motorway. I think the underside of the engine including the starter/gearbox may have got fairly wet (missing undertray) and this took a while to dry out causing intermittent bad contacts. Like I say, only a theory but it's been fine for several weeks now, will see what happens if we get prolonged wet weather.

Thanks for the suggestions