8v mk3 not starting on the key

Discussion in 'Engines' started by tango4262, Oct 16, 2017.

  1. tango4262 New Member

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    Hello everyone,

    My Mk3 GTI 8v was running problem free, starting first time etc.....


    Until the other day i went to Tesco and left the wipers on, my daughter had knocked whilst standing in the front with missus . I came out of shop and lo and behold the battery was flat, we bumped it drove home and thought nowt of it. Woke up this morning to take son to nursery car had battery but won't turn, just a faint hum of fuel pump. Later we bumped it again then i switched off in Morrison's (notice the pattern ????) same thing again, had to bump it. Then on the way home, literally out of nowhere doing about 50 the revs flipped to zero and pinged back to 3000, the car jolted with the fluctuation. Then didn't happen again for the rest of the journey.

    I'm fitting a new passenger side drive shaft at the weekend as its clicking in reverse, is this the possible reason for the jolting? Starting problem I'm thinking starter motor as there is always power just no ignition.
     
  2. rubjonny

    rubjonny Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    so do your wipers work with the ignition off then? if so thats a problem right there. if the battery gets really flat it doesnt do them much good so thats a possible reason, halfords will do a free battery check anyway. Or it might just need a charger put on it to get it fully charged, if you only do short journeys.

    does the battery light come on with the ignition then go out? if not then could be the blue charge trigger wire to the alternator is damaged somewhere and it wont properly charge the battery without it.

    the jolt you mention is probably down to whatever caused the revs to drop to 0, its possible the ignition switch or wiring is going bad. This may also explain why the wipers work with the ignition off, and possibly why the battery keeps going flat as well
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2017
  3. tango4262 New Member

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    Basically when i went to Tesco, i went in to the toilet and left partner and kids in the car, my partner turned ignition off shortly after. She says after that my daughter must have knocked wipers because she never saw them move. So the whole time we was all in Tesco the wiper switch was on but wipers not moving. That's how we found it.

    Journey home from Tesco is about 20 mins, when we drove to Morrison's that was a 20 min drive.

    I could go to the car right now and all electrics would work perfectly, i.e lights, radio, wipers, fuel gauge, windows.

    But turn the key all the way to start and all that happens is the fuel pump hums.
     
  4. rubjonny

    rubjonny Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    ok the wiper switch is probably a red herring, there is no voltage to the wiper motor or stalk with the ignition off they're on an ignition feed :)

    check the other points above, especially the battery light plus go over all the obvious checks under the bonnet, make sure battery cables all clean and tight, check starter motor wiring is all good etc then work from there. if the battery was totally flat it probably wants putting on charge overnight, once you have it tested and confirmed OK
     
  5. tango4262 New Member

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    Just to update, i ended up buying a starter and alternator and it seems okay now, think i just need new battery. For now I'm using a jump pack.
     

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