88 GTI 8v first start after 10 years any advice welcome

Mahle Behr...made in PRC. Is this what it's all coming to? So sad.

 

Any advice or suggestions welcome……..

I finally bit the bullet and tackled the heater matrix replacement.
Without doubt the toughest task I’ve done. I took all the advice on here and managed to tear down and remove heater box (renewed foam on flaps) and rebuilt today. I plan to remove the recall valve as it was blocked solid.

this is all the good bit …..to my total disappointment at the end of eight hours struggle the car now won’t start. Has always started first turn …..even today when driving out of garage to do matrix.
The only thing I did reluctantly was to unbolt and move coil out of the way to get at matrix pipe clips. Was careful not to remove any plugs from it. Noticed a little earth strap running from rocker cover to one of the coils securing bolts.
First start attempt was with coil detached (but still connected)and earth strap detached…..so logically I thought I’ll need to re secure the coil and attach the earth strap to it. No joy. Fuel pumps priming and good battery……turning over strongly but not a kick?????
Extremely disappointing to say the least.
Didn’t disturb anything else that might be spark related….
Can anyone please suggest a checklist I could try……..much appreciated
R
Will post pic of the matrix tomorrow….big crack on plastic inpipe but never any sign of wet carpet. If ever there was a job needed done it was this. Presumably the recall valve prevented this.

can anyone please advise as to what I might’ve disturbed that is now causing the car not to start.
Most annoying…….
Any advice most appreciated
R

 

Well that's a pain in the balls after all that work with the matrix to say the least.

I'd bet good money that you are getting fuel but no spark and the only thing you moved was the coil and or the H.T. lead(s) - I would check the main H.T. lead and if needs be try a new one - I'd be very surprised if it was the coil, those things tend to last.

This is the one thing I hate about old cars - with the best of intentions you do decent and necessary work and then car decides it wants to become a massive paper weight because you moved something (carefully) and it wants have a sulk about it.

That's the stuff that drives me nuts.

I'm sorry that this happened and I completely understand how you're feeling - 99.9% of the time it's something dislodged/disconnected/damaged/broken in the area where you were working.

 

Cheers Costel
Absolutely hit the nail on the head there…the sheer disappointment as you say after hours of contortions and skinned knuckles to be presented with an unexpected issue like not starting.
I am however pleased with myself for having actually replaced the matrix it was badly cracked on one of the plastic pipes at top I’ll post a pic tomorrow….pretty bad to be fair.

what a job it was….but it’s done now. Just ordered a pair of clean new matrix hoses as can’t be bothered looking for 15mm copper pipe. I hate those spring clips with a passion… took maybe 2 hrs just to move stuff and wrestle them off. Probably Use jubilee clips to fit new hoses.
The blower works really well as I re foamed the blender doors. Used some leftover thin foam I had after laying a click floor.Just the right thickness and stuck beautifully with spray glue.
I presume I’ll have good heat from now on if I can get the thing to start again.
A big paperweight at the moment as you say I couldn’t even put it away in the garage. Hopefully I’ll discover what I’ve disturbed that’s causing the no start.
Your comment about old cars made me laugh out loud…….soooo true.
But as I walked away tonight thinking I’d wasted a day of my life I looked back and it was worthwhile so tomorrow I just ‘have’ to get it to start somehow

can a coil just die?
It was running perfectly this morning
Surely dizzy leads and plugs must still be fine?
Pulling my hair out here!!!
R

 

Double check the rocker cover to coil earth strap is making a good connection at the bulkhead end after it having been disconnected.

A poor earth could be as simple as the sequence of nut / bolt / washer / clamp being inadvertently changed when re installing or if not that maybe scrape clean the bulk head metal of paint / corrosion if present.

Hopefully not, but I believe the ECU can be damaged if the earths it needs aren't good or present.

Someone better qualified than me will be better answering that.

You say you first attempted starting with that rocker cover to coil earth cable not grounded to it's usual place on the bulkhead?

Is the fuel pump just priming as normal or is it continually running instead?

Are the injectors continually running / flooding the cylinders?

The spring clamps are a pain, but there's special pliers to help open / close them, even long reach versions with a cable set up to get at the awkward ones.

Jubilee clips don't expand / contract and on pipes that get hot / cold regularly they can bite down into the rubber. Repeated over time it can eventually result a poor seal.

 

I would start with checking spark at the spark plug, whip one out and see. Then you’ll know if it is your coil.

 

Well that’s my new thing learned today, I didn’t know that’s why spring clips are used

 

Thanks for all the above advice
On reconnecting the battery just now the familiar ecu click is not present?? It’s always made a clicking sound on battery reconnecting.
Is this a sign I’ve damaged the ecu by trying to start car without the bulkhead to rocker cover earth strap bolted on??
Is there perhaps a fuse which could have blown
Really struggling to remain positive
Any advice very welcome
R

 

Hi John
The fuel pump primes as usual not constant. I’m putting a new bulkhead to rocker cover earth on as a first step.
Can’t see anything disconnected??
Is there a fuse for ignition
Thanks
R

 

Hi John
Just checked there and the fuel pump primes as usual. Difficult to hear if pump is running while cranking due to noise of starter.
Yes the rev counter lifts a little when ignition turned off.
On my own here at moment so hard to check for spark and crank over.
I think I smell petrol after cranking so perhaps not a fuel issue..
Perhaps it’s a relief that the ecu may be ok
Thanks for taking time to reply
R

 

Pulled a plug out but don’t see a spark on cranking… should I see a spark at end of plug where it’s positioned in contact with the engine
As in pic

 

Few pics
New earth strap to bulkhead
Pic of ecu
Pic of coil ( one connector without a wire see arrow but can’t find any stray wires pulled out

 

If this problem wasn't Robert in Northern Ireland, I can absolutely guarantee it would be Robert in Canada/Southern Ireland - this is the kind of melting I get on a regular basis from older cars.

 

John you are correct about the alarm. There was an alarm fitted but I disconnected it back in the early nineties and never gave it another thought as car drove fine until now.
The alarm circuit box is still below the heater box as I discovered yesterday. I didn’t want to disturb anything so just left it alone. I do think it’s still connected to the + of the coil as you’ve noticed. I’ll post a close up of the coil connections for your advice on what should or shouldn’t be connected .
By the way I’m getting 12v on pins 1 and 3 of hall sender connector

 

So I’ve pulled the brown connector away from black and plugged black to+ of coil. Haven’t tried a start??????
Safe to go for it??
R

 

crank it