1.8 20v Won't Start

[griffinballs]

Hi all

Leon mk1 1.8 20v non turbo. 2003.
Car won't start.

Story is, car has always had the characteristic VW starter motor whine after start. So I decided to change it. Got a new Bosch one. Fitted it, car started up ok first time, I literally started it to check it was working and turned it off.
Next time I went to start the car, it just wouldn't go. Crank it enough and the oil pressure light starts flashing.

Tried using jump leads thinking maybe battery was short on voltage, no go. Battery was tested the day before I took it off road by a motor factors and it was found to be spot on. Still 230 or something cca with a 260 from new so battery is good.

Starter motor seems fine, turns the engine over, belts are moving. Is it just not powerful enough? Although I'd still have thought, if the engines turning, its gonna start, the starter doesn't need to go a particular speed.

I had a broken pipe on my inlet manifold which I thought may have been causing the issue but now I've replaced it, the problem remains. I also have an exhaust manifold gasket leak which has been making me overfuel by 14% on my long term fuel trim for a long time, months.

I've tested for spark and cylinder number 4 is firing ok, haven't tested the others, but couldn't smell any fuel from the bore after the test or see any dampness on the piston. So I think I'm getting no fuel. Fuel pump is priming. I've tried removing the fuse for the pump and cranking with a wide open throttle to clear any flood and replaced the fuse, reprimed a few times, and still the same.

I'm guessing most people here know these cars very well so has Anyone got any ideas what could have gone wrong? I can't see any wiring damage anywhere. I've put all necessary connectors and sensors back how they should be, not new to mechanics, been doing it around 15 years so know my way around an engine. But I'm buggered if I know what's up here

I have a Snap on Solus scanner and have checked for codes. I did get a 18010 Power Supply Terminal 30 Voltage too Low P1602 Intermittent DTC last time I connected it which was when I first got the trouble about a week ago.

Last thing to add, the last time I tried to start it, when I turned the key, the door locks blipped back and forth. Also, for a while now, when I start the car, the stereo has been resetting its memory. The ground seems fine to me, checked for resistance between engine and battery negative, all good. Battery negative terminal is a little bit loose, as in you can't take it off, but it does turn if you move it with enough pressure. Could it be as simple as that terminal is borked?
Also, when the stereo has been resetting, the car has been sluggish to turn over at first. And has often needed throttle to get started from cold. Which I hope the vacuum leak I've fixed has resolved if I could only start the car.

Sorry to waffle on, thanks for any help and encouragement.

 

[mty12345]

Hi mate, sorry to hear of your troubles, i can understand why you're stumped if you have spark and fuel, yet it still wont start.

The terminal 30 code is almost always generated by low battery voltage while trying to start the engine. Not sure thats really related.

The only thing i can think is to remove the battery tray and clean up the main earth lead from battery to the body, perhaps the fact that the radio kept going off is the clue to solving it..... sorry can't be more help.

I'll have a think and repost if i think of anything else.

Edit: sometimes when checking the resistance of the earth with a multimeter, it can be misleading. There might be no resistance to the small voltage/current from the meter, but the huge current needed at start up, can sometimes cause resistance issues that only show up then.

 

[griffinballs]

Very helpful response mate, thank you.
Also, I'm from Bristol too.

I'm gonna rip out the battery tray tomorrow and check out the earth. Its where I was headed next, and then the wiring I had to move to get the starter out as that's quite tight, hopefully I haven't broke anything there, can't see a break but maybe there is under there.
I'll report back once I've sorted that.

 

[mty12345]

No probs buddy, you're more than welcome. Always good to see a fellow bristolian on here

I hope the battery earth sorts it for you, i'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[griffinballs]

Sorry it took so long to get doing anything. Weather has been crap.

Right, I've got it started. But now I've got bigger problems lol. My bloody alarm goes off after the cars been on for about 10 seconds.

I also still need some throttle to get the car started. If I crank it with no throttle, it starts and quickly dies every time.

I haven't actually looked under my battery tray for a grounding problem, but I did try putting a jump lead from battery negative post to the engine mount which looked like it would be a good enough chassis earth. But still the alarm goes off.

Any ideas all? Alarm means we're now moving into seat/vw specific issues rather than car won't start. So now, I need your years of expertise more than ever lol.

Thanks for any and all help, really appreciate this. Miss my little leon, love the car. Had much faster cars before but this thing has always been the full package, I love it.

 

[griffinballs]

I just read a post of someone with exactly this issue on this forum. He changed the starter and after the alarm was going off after some time just like mine. His turned out to be battery voltage.

So mine I reckon could have dropped low due to cranking so much trying to start it these last few weeks. So now I plan to try jump starting it with my mrs' car as soon as the person parked in front of me moves lol

I'll report back shortly.

 

[griffinballs]

OK. So it worked.
We're back up and running. Alarm now not going off.

So to sum up if the battery doesn't have enough amps of juice charged up then the alarm will go off for about 30 seconds after about 10-20 seconds of being started.
After that 30 seconds, every time the door is open or closed, the alarm will sound for a further 30 seconds.
All it needs is a charge, so start 'er up with the aid of a jump start if necessary. Run the car for about thirty minutes. Turn off the car, lock and unlock with the fob. Now it should be all good.

And what ultimately caused my no start issue. I still don't actually know, I think it was flooded by me giving too much gas. Then my initial start after I changed the starter I started up and within 1 second, switched the car off, always run it for a bit, that's all I can make it out to be. Looking back, if it happened again, I'd rather take out the spark plugs and dry them off and try again with a wide open and slowly reducing the throttle for a good 15-30 seconds cranking. Could have had it running again on day one.

Oh well, on the bright side, the vacuum line I repaired does appear to have made the car run a little bit better and my fuel trim issue of +14% on the long term has decreased, currently at 2.3%, hopefully it will stay down this time.

And best of all, the new starter is great. Quieter than it was before in normal operation, and no after start VW whine. I've put up with that for over a year lol ever since I got the car.

Thanks for all the help, see you again soon, I have more issues, but the car works again so that brings this thread to a close.