My car wont start and stay running!

[LogiK]

Ok so with increasing frequency my car will not start.

It turns over, fires and then dies about a second later. Keep on trying and keep on trying and eventually it just starts and runs fine. It never dies once its running ok.

But getting it to start can be a PITA.

I cant trace it down to water or anything like that. Wiggling the ignition switch does not help. It is just tempremental and decides to f*** up when it wants to.

Any ideas? Help!

My Golf is a 96 GL Classic. (ADY, Euro-spec, Australian).

Cheers

[any001]

If anyone out there has heard of a solution to this I would be appreciative too.

It's more of a pain in the butt than anything. And yeah, there is no rhyme or rhythm to it, it just randomly won't start.

Mine is a VR6 MK3 1995

THANKS.

[h100vw]

The starting and cutting out is most likely the immobiliser. The usual fix is to re-rack the pick up plug just below the ignition lock. Take the lower shroud off the column and follow the wires down until you find the plug. Disconnect it and reconnect it.

Gavin

[badgerboards]

hey mate, i had a problem similar to this. mine was the key switch amplifier part that sits arounf the ignition barrel (should be brown). i pulled it off gave it a wipe and put it back on. started. i had to to this every now and then till it came more frequent. so i just replaced it.
its the part which send the signal of the key to ECU to say that this key belongs to this car basically.
that took me sooo long to figure out when it was happening to me. i used to get real frustrated that it wouldnt start when i needed it to. but would start when just going for a pointless drive.
let me know how you go. hope my problem helps

[G_1991]

make sure u turn off all ur aircon about a minute before you finish ur drive. mine did it heaps and i heard off a mate about the aircon problem, somthing about it puts to much stress on the engine on start-up. since then i dont run aircon if i have to, or turn it off roughly a minute before i get home it starts perfect the next day.

hope that helps

[G-O-L-F-1.8]

hey mate,
if it fires up it could be your cat converter.. mine was blocked n same thing seemed to happen. if it had ne problems before it happened id say unbolt the cat converter n try and see if it runs...

hope it helps

[LogiK]

Ive decided its either the amplifier thing, or ignition switch.

It only does it so imtermittently. 2 weeks good now..

[Golf Loon]

THe way to test both is when it wont start, take the key out, turn it over and try again. If it then starts, is probably the reader coil.

Or when it is turned all the way to the right and it wont start, lift the key at the end of its cycle. If that fixes it, its the ignition switch.

My money is on the reader coil, or the chip in the key. Do you have another key?? Try it if you have one.

[LogiK]

Cheers Matt,

Got myself another project!

Will see next time it doesnt work. Pretty sure it doesnt work when ive turned it over previously.

[cicca_294]

If anyone out there has heard of a solution to this I would be appreciative too.

It's more of a pain in the butt than anything. And yeah, there is no rhyme or rhythm to it, it just randomly won't start.

Mine is a VR6 MK3 1995

THANKS.

hey man, mines actually at the mechanics, had exactly the same problem, to a point where it wouldnt start at all....
ended up being the contact switch in the ignition-easy fix

[VR6]

Had the same problem (fires and then dies about a second later) disassembled the ignition barrel with out much success. Cars with the auto sparky now. Apparently the engine ecu ignores the immobiliser signal, hopefully this doesn't cost me a fortune.

[browndizzle]

Reading over the posts in this thread, not sure if my issue is the same?? Cause mine starts up first time every time, however, its a delayed, laboured start :l it takes a few seconds more than it should and kicks over, but only just. Anyone had this issue?? I took it to the mechanic, he diagnosed it as a faulty coolant temp sensor, saying that it was injecting too much fuel on start up than it needed. He put the new one in on wednesday, but its still happenin!

Any ideas?? Again, not sure if this is related to what you guys are speakin of, as it sounds like you guys take a few attempts to start??

Cheers,

Simon.

[dark]

My money is on the reader coil, or the chip in the key. Do you have another key?? Try it if you have one.

Wait - theres a chip in the key?? Thats not good I take that thing in the water surfing!!

[Defaultuser0520]

My black plastic housing falls apart all the time around the key, I have never seen a chip in there??

[VR28LT]

not all mk3s have the chip for the immobiliser in the key
my white one which is a mid 94 doesn't but my old grey one which was a 96 did
not sure if it was an option for early mk3s and was standard on later mk3s ???