Starting Problems

[ben90tsi]

ok so sometimes it starts others not, my car (90 yalon tsi) has always been a bad starter, just today i replaced the wires and plugs, but didnt help. it started once but only after a wierd clicking sound. shut it off it starts back up, but if i wait a while it wont start but you can still heres some of the cylinders fire but it never quite makes it, so i checked the fuel filter to see if i was getting fuel and there was yet when i checked the fuel return like i wasnt getting any. i checked the spark again by pulling out the spark plug and wire and tryed turning the car over whith them out but there was a weak spark. and i aslo tryed spraying some starting fluid in it and it worked to get it started so does that mean a definite fuel problem? like i said it will start right up after the clicking noise but other than that it wont, sorry if i worded this wrong, i havent really narrowed things down so if anyone could tell me what else i could check/do that would be swell.

 

[Mike1992]

Time to pull the ECU and look for leaky caps

 

[ben90tsi]

does that require taking off the ECUs case exposing the internals, because when i had the car apart the ecu and wires looked fine at least from the outside.

 

[Mike1992]

Yes take off the panels that expose the ecu, take the ecu out of the car and unplug it from its harness. Take the 4 screws holding the top cover off and look for leaky brown crap under the capacitors or anywhere in on the board. Also smell it for a fishy odar.

 

[ben90tsi]

ok i pulled it and everything on the board looks new, no one has even opened it up before by the looks of it. there are no check engine lights of any sort and i would do a diagnostic test at school but im afraid it wouldnt start up again once i get it there

 

[Mike1992]

No brown goo or weird smell? Look very closely under the 3 capacitors, wheres the clicking sound coming from?

 

[ben90tsi]

nope no brown stuff or wierd smell, the clicking is coming from around the right hand side twoard the back of the engine bay, is there a fuel pemp relay or something because it clicks like 3 times then my car starts up both times its happend.

 

[Mike1992]

Sorry man, im clueless hopefully some smart fella will come in and help ya out

 

[ben90tsi]

thanks man i appreciate your input, anyone else have any ideas?