A4 1996 1.9 tdi starting problem

[liam walsh]

Hi All.
1996 A4 TDI 110 with 150k miles , The problem i have is , I turn the key the engine turns over,it seems like a normal start , i release the key as the engine starts to rev, it just gets to about 1000 rpm and then dies immediatly , it dies whether i have my foot on the accalerator or not. When cold the engine will start after 3 or 4 attempts .Its seems like a fuel problem or maybe an immobiliser problem but when the engine is warm the engine wont start even if i try it 50 times but eventually when the engine cools down a bit , i guess, it starts.
Once started the car runs faultlessly until i turn it off again.If it was an immobiliser problem I would think it shouldnt matter if the car is hot or cold .Is there any way to bypass the immobiliser to see if this is the problem ?
Also totally unrelated (i think ) the car looses a litre of water every 100 miles or so ,could this be due to a badly fitting coolant reservoir lid?
And the heaters seem to take ages to heat up ,as if the thermostat was stuck open or maybe removed altogether , no overheating problems ,temp gauge sits at about 90 or just below and water in the reservoir is clean (no gunk , no oil) so i've given the head gasket a clean bill of health.
I've only had the car a week so I dont know any history of it apart from what i've written above.
All input would be greatly appreciated.
Liam.

[Crasher]

The starting problem is the factory fitted immobiliser, a fault code scan of the immobiliser will probably show a reader coil fault. In case it is the chip in the key failing, do you have a spare key?

The immobiliser is very involved to bypass, involving having the ECU modified to delete the function.

The heater loss could be the coolant expansion cap if it is a poor fit or a leaking radiator but a visual inspection and pressure test would be required to diagnose it if the leak is subtle.

[liam walsh]

Hi Crasher,
Unfortunatly no spare key , is that a dealer only replacment? , sounds expensive !
I'll give the resevoir and cap a good cleaning and see how the water situation and heater issues respond.
Thanks for your help.
Liam.

[racin snake]

no trhis is not a dealer only part any good locksmith can cut and configure your key he probably can clone the one you have so its a straight start

[liam walsh]

Thank ppl , i'll get a replacement key cut and go from there , .

by the way when i get the key and they put the code on to it ,is that ready to start the car then , i dont have to do any other programming or anything , do i?

[racin snake]

that will depend if they clone the key or not but its easy to do with vag-com

[Owain Charles]

Hi Liam

Did you sort out your problem? I have a very similar problem with a MK4 Golf 1.9tdi.

I posted a similar message tonight and coincidentally, I am losing water but in my case from the windscreen wash resevoir.

I have had a scan and it did show a reader coil fault but I am reluctant to believe this and do not want to spend the £100 + VAT + labour with no real guarantees of success.

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Owain

[racin snake]

sometimes reader fault codes are logged not because the reader itself is broken .but the wires to it break .as they are very tight (not much wire stretched over the column ) have a good look here first .the reader coil is a whole barrel and key usually but you can have them ordered to your own key
as its a common problem on a4/6 i would be inclined to believe the scan

[Crasher]

The key chip can cause this, try your spare key.