I can't understand why my car wont start.

[andre287]

Hi, I have a 2004 1.4fsi golf. Its always run fine, and recently there have been no indications of an imminent problem.

Today I changed the oil and oil filter. To get to the oil filter i had to take the engine cover off and im sure it all back on fine and that i haven't knocked any wires out or anything.

Then when I try to start it nothing happened,starter motor did nothing, tried jump starting it and still no luck. Although I cant see how, its as if removing the engine cover has done something to my car.

It seems like an electrical problem, the trip has randomly set to zero, and warning lights are going on and off at random. The front doors will lock, but the rears wont and the display by the speedo is intermittent.

Any ideas?
Thanks

[carmanic]

i would check battery connections and if they are fine then yo are going to have to retrace your steps as it definatly sounds like you have disturbed something.

[richard@thebrae]

Battery Connections

[andre287]

When you say battery connections do you just mean the wires on the positive and negative terminals of the battery, because they're definitely in. I've tried jump leads and push start. Ive checked the fuses in the engine bay but I dont know where the others are.

[richard@thebrae]

When you say battery connections do you just mean the wires on the positive and negative terminals of the battery, because they're definitely in. I've tried jump leads and push start. Ive checked the fuses in the engine bay but I dont know where the others are.

As you say you did not disturb anything, and the battery terminals are clean and firmly attached, what about the level of charge in the battery, are the headlights strong and bright ?
The symtoms you give all lead to a flat or badly connected battery.

[Flash2]

Try this...get your jump leads and connect both the red and black clips at one end of the leads to you battery Neg terminal. Now connect the black at the other end of the jump lead to a bolt or bracket on the engine block. Connect the other red clip to a bolt on the body. Finding a good bolt on the body will be a challenge. If your leads will reach, I'd connect the clip to the N/S door striker. Don't use the bolt that secure the main battery earth just to the right of the battery...that could be the one causing your problem. Now try and start it up. If it cranks over now then one of your main earths has a high resistance. Let us know how you get on.

Regards - Jim.

[carmanic]

at the end of the day the only thing you did was change the oil and filter and now the car wont start. the car dosnt have a mind of its own so you must have done something during the work you did. did you arc out something (create a spark) with any of the tools you were using (oil filter wrench etc.) with flashing lights on dash and all the other electrical faults you have you have either disturbed a main earth as mentioned in above post or the main posative feed somehow, or you have somehow spiked the module (usually caused by shorting/arcing out wires or by jumpstarting!) unless you are just relly unlucky and a totally unrelated fault has occured at that exact moment. if that is the case get the car to someone how knows what he is doing.