Mk1 Golf 1.6, Keihin Carb - won't start.

unixhed · Post by **unixhed** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 5:19 pm

Yesterday drove round all morning. Car stood outside for about an hour - then would not start! Battery good, turned over fine, there was fuel, no spark. Took out the trusty meter, checked voltages on coil and Hall sender - OK. Put plugs back - car starts!
Went to local supermarket, spent about and hour and a half inside, car starts OK. Go to garage (about 100m away), put in petrol - car won't start!
Test meter again - 12V across coil, 12V across Hall sender, no 5V while turning over - Aha!
Buy new dizzy. Car starts, ride home.
This morning, car starts fine, drive about 3Ks, switch off, car starts fine. Drive about 10ks, park outside my house, inside for about and hour, car won't start.
No spark - Now I'm cross!
Call local mechanic, who unearths an ignition module from under the dash - replace. Still won't start - no spark.
Mechanic shakes his head - Mumble, mumble.
Looks under dash, finds black box - Aha! Must be immobiliser problem - thanks a lot, bye.
Turns out black box is Sanji ZX70 alarm only unit (disabled).
If I had hair, I would be tearing it out.

Any ideas, chaps?

Post by **Neuk** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 5:40 pm

An hour and a half at the supermarket, has your boyfriend/husband had a look at the car?

Greenz · Post by **Greenz** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:00 pm

Jireh buying the whole store

unixhed · Post by **unixhed** » Thu Oct 02, 2014 6:56 am

That's just nasty - I was repairing a computer, chaps!

unixhed · Post by **unixhed** » Thu Oct 02, 2014 6:59 am

Anyway - this morning, the damn car starts! Does anyone know of a problem which can affect the ignition circuit by the ambient temperature?

Nextech · Post by **Nextech** » Thu Oct 02, 2014 7:05 am

Fantastic replies.

How were you testing to see if there is spark? Did you replace the rotor? When the car runs does it run smooth?

Are you sure that there was fuel? U_flow carb motors suffer from fuel evaporation in the float bowl when hot and standing. Just a thought

Post by **Neuk** » Thu Oct 02, 2014 7:24 am

unixhed wrote:That's just nasty - I was repairing a computer, chaps!

At least you have a sense of humor...

It is strange that the issue comes and goes, I would start with checking all your contact/connection points. Perhaps you have a bad earth somewhere...

Scooby89 · Post by **Scooby89** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 12:57 am

I had the exact same problem with my golf, same setup, but in my case it turned out to be the immobiliser. was a autowatch unit from 1997. I bypassed the unit, took it out, problem solved

Life937 · Post by **Life937** » Sat Oct 25, 2014 4:17 pm

Have you perhaps checked the coil?

I also had a similar problem with my caddy. Turned out to be a crack on the coil unit.

Replaced it and it has been fine ever since.

Mapolie · Post by **Mapolie** » Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:38 am

Hi guys I have the same problem mk1 13 curb is changed the plugs through oil in drive so 10k parking in the yard for so a hour drive again for so 30min and the damn thing just die under my feet no warning signs just died can sum1 tel me what's wrong mbe cause on my car everything is new but just won't start

Supervan II · Post by **Supervan II** » Fri Feb 09, 2018 10:11 am

I'd check:
a) Earth strap and battery terminal connections;
b) HT leads (esp from coil to dizzy);
c) the coil itself

dazza · Post by **dazza** » Fri Feb 09, 2018 2:03 pm

If the HT leads are original I would look at replacing those, may just be intermittent issues with leads that are poked

Post by **Neuk** » Fri Feb 09, 2018 2:53 pm

dazza wrote:If the HT leads are original I would look at replacing those, may just be intermittent issues with leads that are poked

Just check which HT leads you can get

I replaced the ones on my MkI but Goldwagen only had the newer type so I had to replace the distributor cap which no longer fitted the coil lead so I had to replace that as well.