Mk1 55 Seat Leon FR Struggling to Start

[CheeseWeasel]

Hi guys,

My first post here, unfortunately an unhappy one. I've had my FR for less than a month now and when I've went out to start it tonight (very cold today) it won't start first time, I've had to give it a few times, cranking it for ages and pressing the accelerator to get it to work. Any ideas whats up with this? Big puff of black smoke when it eventually starts but I have no idea if its always done that.

Edit: - also noticed not getting the usual MPG, seems to have dropped off quite a bit.

Cheers.

 

[Nam-uk]

heater plugs there around £40 for a good set also crap Mph could mean Maf gone as well. also what miles does the car have?

 

[Seatmann]

Pumping the pedal wont do anything on a tdi, as he ^^ said you could try glowplugs or maybe the temp sensor is on dicky, might find more info if you could get someone to check things with vagcom/vcds.



Ps welcome to the site

 

[Martin_FR]

Are you giving it a few seconds on ignition before starting to warm up?
Pumping the pedal will likely make it worse, flooding the combustion chamber with more fuel when its struggling to ignite the fuel that is there. That black smoke is likely the excess fuel youve put in there burning off

 

[CheeseWeasel]

Thanks for the replys guys!

Yeah giving it until the lights go out before I fire it up. Tried it this morning, ignition onto 2 till the lights went out, did this a few times to let the plugs warm up then started fine! I then took it for a drive and there is no power, tops out at about 2k revs, won't go higher and seems very slow although the power was fine last night. Also I tried to start it up same procedure letting the plugs warm after I had stopped again, wouldn't start at all

not really any smoke today though, small bit of light colored smoke but its still very cold outside. The car has only done 45K miles.

Many thanks again guys.

 

[Martin_FR]

With it struggling for power and struggling to start couldnt be the fuel filter could it? When was it last serviced / fuel filter changed?

 

[CheeseWeasel]

Just had it out there started first time and back to normal power. Supposed to have had a service and fuel Filter change before I got it, stamped in the book as done.

Really strange and very annoying.

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

could it not have hit limp mode maybe,

as for starting could be glow plugs / harness or even the fuse / relay that controls it

ive replaced my plugs & harness just need to find where the relay for it is as im convinced they still dont work !!!

for some reason when i start mine which takes an age , if i hold fut on throttle it doesnt activate for a good few seconds before i can actually rev it , seems like something electronic holding the reving back

 

[n11tht]

ive replaced my plugs & harness just need to find where the relay for it is as im convinced they still dont work !!!

Andrew the relay is under the pollen filter cover, remove the cover and to the left you should see the relay.

 

[CheeseWeasel]

A quick update on my Seat, I've just picked it up from the garage all seems to be working now. What had happened was the turbo pipe had come loose which was why it wouldn't start. Not sure why it was so intermittent though. It hadn't happened for a whole week then nothing would get it to start so had to get it towed!

Hope this helps someone else.

 

[Bomber]

A quick update on my Seat, I've just picked it up from the garage all seems to be working now. What had happened was the turbo pipe had come loose which was why it wouldn't start. Not sure why it was so intermittent though. It hadn't happened for a whole week then nothing would get it to start so had to get it towed!

Hope this helps someone else.

Have an intermittent starting issue for a while now. No garage would give me an answer as to what it is so replacing a few sensors this weekend and see how she goes. Maybe worth looking at the pipe also!

 

[James_R]

Andrew the relay is under the pollen filter cover, remove the cover and to the left you should see the relay.

i wasnt aware of any relays in that position? about 5 on the relay plate behind the steering wheel (glow plug relay being position 4) and 2 in the engine bay.

A quick update on my Seat, I've just picked it up from the garage all seems to be working now. What had happened was the turbo pipe had come loose which was why it wouldn't start. Not sure why it was so intermittent though. It hadn't happened for a whole week then nothing would get it to start so had to get it towed!

Hope this helps someone else.

this unfortunatley is not possible and sounds like the dealer has talked some tripe to you, the car would start with all the turbo pipes removed so one being loose would not prevent it from running.

the most likely cause is or was the coolant temp sensor which would explain the smoking and poor mpg

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

i wasnt aware of any relays in that position? about 5 on the relay plate behind the steering wheel (glow plug relay being position 4) and 2 in the engine bay.



this unfortunatley is not possible and sounds like the dealer has talked some tripe to you, the car would start with all the turbo pipes removed so one being loose would not prevent it from running.

the most likely cause is or was the coolant temp sensor which would explain the smoking and poor mpg

Mj would there be any other symptoms for the coolant sensor being faulty , i have the smoking blue /grey struggle to start but does

mpg seems better since service has been done but not 50's

wheres the glow plug relay then as i had a fault code this moring relating to glow plugs again , they are only 3months old

so thinking theres no power going to them