the problem is between the ignition switch and the fusebox somewhere, or fusebox itself is damaged. only other thing is maybe the main live or earth to the fusebox is playing up, but if that happened you would loose the dash clock as well? you need to get under there and check the wiring with a fine tooth comb, and check fusebox for water damage. might just have to bite the bullet and replace it! not as scary as it sounds, most of the plugs will only go in the right socket. just the single pin plugs you gotta watch out for
Just an update with mine, After checking the wiring and not being able to find anything, I changed the fuel pump relay. It cut out and when i tried the restart I could not hear the pump prime. So far its been a week of trouble free (engine wise) motoring!! With the engine troubles I now have to change both rear wheel bearings and my front calipers are sticking!!
MilkyJoe, just found this thread and have to say ive been having the same problem with my pb for a couple of years and still havent sorted it. Mine only seems to happen when its cold but I changed the ignition switch last year and its still the same. I broke down completely a couple of days ago and after changing the coil and rotary arm, dizzy cap I thought id sorted it,,well it ran ok for about 40 miles and now its doing the same. In summer it doent cut out but now the weather is well icy I dropped daughter off at school this morning and I counted it cut out 5 times If the relay has sorted yours im giving it ago,,cheers for updating your thread.
Hows it getting on mate? any cut outs lately? Got a similar problem on mine for the last few years and its getting worse. Just ordered a relay so fingers crossed it turns out to be that
Since I changed the relay it has been trouble free. Even when its been -14C in the mornings!! Starting first time every time!! Still a little worried about it but so far its been ok. I am going to change the ignition coil when I get my bearings and calipers done. I got the relay for 10.00 from euro car parts. The only thing they are cheap on!!! Any luck with yours now???
Hi, Any of you guys still having problems with cutting out? My old mk3 2.0 8v is doing it now. it started with my immoliliser not working it was just dead (the red light stopped working) I've cleaned up the battery terminals and it works now but the car still cuts out. It seems to do it when the car is not cold, ie the temp reaches over 60 degrees. I can hear the relay clicking off and on so it appears to be working, or breaking down and then cutting back in. Any ideas please people?
Hi, no the oil light does, then goes out as the car restarts it happens during normal driving, on the main dual carrigeway at say 60 mph then it restarts it's self, (cuts back in?) because i am travelling at 55/60 mph so it does not stop but i can hear the relay clicking. Thanks Edit: I should maybe add, it's covered 194000 miles and has service history up to 166000, it appears the last owner filled it up with fuel and drove it full stop, so no maintenance over the last 2 years.
right that means you arnt loosing the ignition feed from the switch, so start by replacing the ecu and fuel pump relays. unless you can narrow down which one is clicking? prob more likely to be the ecu relay, which is the cheaper of the 2 from VW
Hi, My local VW agent wants the numbers off the relay to enable them to check stock etc. Does anyone know which ones they are? I thought by telling them which relays i needed they would be able to tell me the number.... thanks.
Its HIGHLY unlikely to be a relay if it cuts when running, the relay generally works or not. It will be losing the feed to the rleay, and the most likely culprit is the ignition switch. My MK2 has been a bit of a pain recently, with the fuel pump sometimes not priming when turning the key, its a dodgy connection at the ignition switch. same fault will cause the car to cut out when driving. I'm gonna stick another loom from the ingition switch to the fusebox in at the weekend, hopefully that'll fix it for good, if not i'll swap in another switch.
Check the wiring diagram, there is not much to the circuit. http://volkswagen.msk.ru/electro/golf90.zip
I'm pretty sure its not the ignition switch becasue the warning lights come on the dash when it cuts out, the dash lights and the switch both get a feed from the same wire off the ignition switch. unless its an incredibly quick ign switch power cut out... of course if its the fuel pump relay clicking this would point to the engine cutting out for another reason entirely, such as crank sensor issue or something along those lines
Thanks guys, Shortly after my last post i took a trip to gsf to get a relay, it's around 20 miles away and i just got back, a 4 hour trip! , the poor old girl kept cutting out and was popping and banging on occasions, then just wouldn't start at all, so i called a mate and got a tow. now it starts and runs for a short time then cuts out. I will try the maiun agents in the morning. Thanks very much for the help guys Is a crank sensor expensive to replace? I think i might get it done anyway, after buying the relay then buy a new distributor too, not sure about buying a new ignition switch/lock i bet that costs a few . Mind, it just eliminates the known weak spots because the car is getting on a bit now.
crank sensor is 50iirc from GSF, but its only fitted to the later mk3 8v agg/ady. basically if it has an isv then it doesnt have a crank sensor its a bit tricky to replce, put jack under engine and undo front mount, jack engien till it lifts off the mount. undo starter bolts and remove the front mount bracket, then you have good access to the crank sensor. its right down the bottom of the block next to the gearbox. just under the oil filter/front mount. edit: oh and Andys wiring diagram link is no good to you as you have a MK3 Golf, Andy's link is for MK2.
The relays are on order for tomorrow morning The crank sensor: my car is a 1997 "P" reg. It sounds too much for me to do, i'm not a young chap anymore and it's bl**dy cold here today. I think i will look for a good friendly independent. The distributor is very dirty inside so i might as well get that replaced that too.
I bought a fuel pump relay (well I thought it was) and no difference. The car will not run at moment it start up then cuts out within minutes and wont start again. Ive just been out to try and dissable the immobiliser and the car was running and just as it cut out I heard a relay click. Started it again and a few moments later I heard a relay click then it cut out and wont start. Battery flat so on charge and we have no car till its sorted. Went on google to check out what other relays there are and disscovered that I may have bought a bloody rear wiper relay by mistake!! The haynes shows relay number 2 (72)as fuel pump but the diagrams Im seeing now show that relay number 12 (80) is the pump!! bloody confused. Is there an ecu relay aswell that may be at fault? its a digifant 1991 pb engine??
