Car won't start...

[DaveDSM]

90 TSi with 173k. Had been sitting for about 10 days since I last drove it. Alternator was rebuilt about 5k ago. New plugs and wires. Voltmeter shows 12.6v on the battery, tried to jump the car and that didn't work either. I turn the key, I hear the electrical startup noise, but the motor won't turn over all teh way, at most I get 400-500rpms before it dies. Fuel pressure gauge shows 40psi. What do I check/look for?

 

[GSGoinFast]

maybe the starter motor burnt out?

 

[DaveDSM]

maybe the starter motor burnt out?

More I searched through old topics, more I want to pull the starter off and have it tested. Where exactly is it located? I also wanna check the MPI fuse.

 

[GSGoinFast]

sorry i dont know where it is, im not to familiar with the 1g. i thought there was a 1g engine bay tutorial in the tech articles, but i looked and i couldnt find one

 

[DaveDSM]

sorry i dont know where it is, im not to familiar with the 1g. i thought there was a 1g engine bay tutorial in the tech articles, but i looked and i couldnt find one

I found the one with pictures, but it doesn't have the starter in it. Hmm..

 

[ThUnDaKaT85]

ok, if you look at the engine bay from the front, look down at the transmission. the starter is on the part of the engine, where the block and the tranny meet. theres 2 bolts holding it on. so look at the tranny from the top, then look down into where the tranny and block meet, and it on the side with the block. its a round cylinder. let me go take a picture real quick.....

 

[ThUnDaKaT85]

Ok, here is the shot of the engine bay, i got the angle just right so you can see a base point of the car instead of a jumbled engine bay. the starter is on the other side of where my zippy ties are. yea my starter bolts fell out so im using zippy ties to hold it on, youll probably have to take the tranny off to get to the starter, so.....
and if it is the starter, you wont get anything outta your car, youll just hear the sound of your fuel pump turning on, but thats it. so if your getting a crank but no turn, its probably fuel or spark related. hope this helps

 

[dthquazi1]

its a PITA to get to sometimes. Just Look under the Intake manifold on the tranny side. It bolts up to the tranny housing with two bolts. then you pull it out.

 

[tsigrl2016G]

I also wanna check the MPI fuse.

The multipurpose fuse junction box under the drivers side dash has a #19 fuse, it's the bottom-most row of the box and the last fuze at the right on the row. it serves for the radio, dome lights, foot lights, MPI control unit...but i've been re-wiring my engine harness and that fuze has been blown for a while and my car is still starting and running fine (for now)

 

[toojung2die]

90 TSi with 173k. Had been sitting for about 10 days since I last drove it. Alternator was rebuilt about 5k ago. New plugs and wires. Voltmeter shows 12.6v on the battery, tried to jump the car and that didn't work either. I turn the key, I hear the electrical startup noise, but the motor won't turn over all teh way, at most I get 400-500rpms before it dies. Fuel pressure gauge shows 40psi. What do I check/look for?

Your battery may be weak even though you show 12.6 V on the meter under no load. Check the battery voltage while cranking the engine. A good battery will only drop a couple of volts while cranking. A weak battery will drop to below 5 V while cranking. I've seen batteries so bad they would prevent a jump start.

 

[DaveDSM]

Thanks for all your help! Fuse was ok, gonna take out the starter tomorrow to test it. I'll let ya know if thats the culprit.

 

[eclipse90gsxt]

Probably most likley the starter soleniod which is ontop(bolted) to the starter.

The starter is 2 14mm bolts, and can be a bit tricky to get out with all the hoses, shifter cables, vaccum lines, on a stock car.