Dead dag dag on driveway! (Golf TDi non starter)

[Ross]

Any ideas - Mk4 Golf TDi won't start! The central locking works, all dash lights etc, so I don't think battery is an issue. That said it has only covered about 30 miles in the past couple of months. Finally got round to looking at the boost hose that keeps popping off - only to find it would start.

Dash lights come on, coil heater goes out, immobiliser goes out, turn the key and nothing - followed by a faint click like a solenoid engaging/disengaging. Definitely not the starter trying to engage...

Is there anything obvious to try? Could a low-but-not-dead battery cause it to not attempt to start? I'm at a loss, short of replacing the starter motor but that would be a shot in the dark... failing that, perhaps I'll break it for parts and buy a E39 530d

[Pirvu Eugen]

alarem cutting off the wire to the starter solenoid....or try to hit the starter with a bar or hammer...then try again!
Maibe will help!

[4WheelDrifter]

It could be an almost flat battery, Ross. It takes a lot of juice to crank a Dag-dag. I would try charging it or jumping it to start first.

[TimE-J]

With a golf tdi even a slight battery could cause it not to turn over, as 4wheeldrifter said it takes alot of power to crank them over.

[Fat Audi 80]

Deffo battery if it has been stood. Jump it off the RS2 and you should be away. (Assuming you have jump leads )

Good Luck.

Cheers,

Steve

[s2driveruk]

yup...had the same prob back in the summer with the S2....be worth checking the state of the battery too afterwards, mine was only capable of 11amps at cranking

[Ross]

OK chaps - seems it was the battery... after 20 mins of trying to jump if off Pete's passat it suddenly jumped into life - seems as if it doesn't try and crank if there's not enough juice. Ran it for half an hour, was happy to stop and then start, so I'll leave it a couple of days and try again. Seems worst case I'll have to replace the battery, but I've not changed it in 3 years of ownership so probably due.

The hose is a PITA, took it off and cleaned it up but still no joy - the clips grip a metal 'joiner' hose that sits between the MAF and intake hose - seems on one side the ridge that the clip joins to is rounded slightly and it's slipping off under pressure. Guess I'll be down the VW dealership, and the car is getting old enough to think about replacing

[s2_wot]

FWIW get the alternator checked at the same time as changing the battery. That said the cold weather has finished off loads of batteries that were hanging on for dear life.

[4WheelDrifter]

The hose is a PITA, took it off and cleaned it up but still no joy - the clips grip a metal 'joiner' hose that sits between the MAF and intake hose - seems on one side the ridge that the clip joins to is rounded slightly and it's slipping off under pressure. Guess I'll be down the VW dealership, and the car is getting old enough to think about replacing

Those metal-metal hose joints are a PITA. I had to replace one on the Lupo last year, and it needs replacing again. I've tried new O-rings too, but nothing seems to stop the standard joint from leaking. It's just a crap design, like most of the other hose joints on the TDI.

[Jenks]

Might be barking up the wrong tree here but does your battery light come on with the ignition? The reason I ask is,as I understand it, if the telltale wire from the alternator doesn't receive any current from the bulb then the alternator won't charge the battery. The break in the thin (blue ...I think) wire is usually above the front of the gearbox near the big fat starter wire.
With the ignition on and the engine not running the battery light earths through the alternator and illuminates until the engine is started. Then the alternator starts to charge and sends 12v back up the wire to the bulb. The bulb then goes out as it's receiving two lives and no earth. If this wire breaks then you have no warning that theres no charging and theres no charging cos theres no warning!! Bit daft really cos you don't always notice a light thats not on when it should be?!

Hope this makes some kind of sense.

Dan.

[Ross]

Thanks for the comments guys!

So- finally got hold of some metal-metal joins, lovely access on this one below the headlight but after some blind twekaing with a screw driver I had the old one off. Battery on charge overnight, and this morning she fired up first crank with no smoke either! I guess the leak-free intake makes a difference.

What with the price of fuel now, I've never been so excited to hear a dag-dag spring into life! I mean 1.41 what's with that... she's getting the cheap asda juice now and the RS is reserved for V-Power.

I've loved driving the RS2 daily over the winter, but she's retiring to the garage for a few months reserved for family days out and friday runs to the station. Need to get summer rubber back on as well! I'm going to give the Golf a week of reliable running to prove itself and then start on some of the jobs on the RS2