Starting issues - No / Doesn't / Won't Start - MERGED

[prodsm]

All "my car won't start" discussion threads are merged HERE. We've basically made it easier for those who insist upon not searching by grouping together all threads from those with similar issues so you can just scroll through and see some possible solutions. To search for info within this thread, use the "Search This Thread" feature in the black bar about 3" above what you're reading right now.

Could be anything from a loose battery terminal to internal engine damage, and literally everything in between which may involve the electrical, fuel, and ignition system...possibly even something that you screwed up while working on the car yourself. While it's unlikely we're going to diagnose and solve your problem over the internet, feel free to discuss any possible solutions.



I live in Canada and right now its not very warm out, about -30c
my car does not have a block heater too keep it warm.

I tryed to start my car this morning and it wouldent start, ive had this problem before but this time, the car doesnt crank at all it just makes a sound that sounds like an electric drill.

Whats wrong.

Thanks

 

['97 Cayenne]

Ok, but other than the BISS screw, how can I get my idle set perfectly? I don't see how I can set it without adjusting the fuel and air also?

FYI I have tried using only the BISS screw to set my idle at about 8-900rpm. I've had it all the way out and all the way in and I don't see the results that I should be getting

 

[LiquidX]

That's why you need to fix any air leaks you have. You are merely trying to get the idle set via airflow by setting the BISS so that ISCPosition reads a value of 30 at the determined RPM you set in Link. This needs to be done with a temp at a minimum of 180*

Now, you can go and add fuel in the fuel tab so your CombFT lowers to help you get a more stable idle.

 

['97 Cayenne]

hmm. alright. Idk if you noticed but the ISC is one of the sensors i deleted. I no longer have it on. I've done the fiav and isc block off plate. solely to clear up the engine bay

 

[LiquidX]

Is this a DD or a track car? I wouldn't suggest deleting the IAC on a DD so that may be one issue then I see.

So on that note, you'll need to adjust the BISS down to get it close to where your idle is set to after removing all air leaks (mainly TB foward).

 

['97 Cayenne]

Yeah it's my dd. I read around before getting rid of it and all in all it was a conclusion that it was fine to take it out.

I'll do a blt and fix leaks (if any). Then attempt to set the idle with the biss.

Just did a BLT this morning and I'm happy to say the the only leaks i have are from one or two injector o-rings. I'll see if I can get new ones at my local parts stores

BTW I did the test at my TB elbow

and by o-rings i means seats

 

[geno414]

test lite that's all.

 

[LiquidX]

Well, you need to do an ohm test.

 

[wickedz]

Desired to clean my car on lunch break. I had just 2 hours earlier drove just fine. Now it's a turn key and nothing period. I can't even get signal to close moonroof or windows. I checked for starter signal and there is. What I did after driving car first time was clean the car out of trash. Then I bungee cord the battery better as a temp fix ### its in the trunk. The ecu was on the floor so I installed that back to the pen spot. Now I have nothing from my ignition to start car. I checked fuses, ect. I went ahead and open the ecu and the link chip is good, but I had sticky bubbles around the C209 resistor cap thing on my board. Also IC107 looks like it has a small burn mark on the top of the cap. I tryed search on these but no luck. This is 95 2g tsi help please

 

[2gTurBoD]

Does your cel come on when you turn the key?

 

[dankboiwonder]

If you are getting nothing at all I would check all of your battery connections in the trunk, especially the ground wherever you have that. Wiggle the connectors on the posts and see if that helps.

Moving the ecu you may have pulled a weak connection out also. Do you have anything tapped into the ecu at all?

 

[rb26alpha]

check the battery connections and make sure battery not dead

 

[GSXTasy005]

can you push start the car? If you can, it might be a bad starter...

 

[PrimerPLus]

So some people are saying my head might have a crack in it. I am hoping it does not, going to get it magnafluxed, if it does then I will need a new head. Where can I find a head?

 

[BOOSTIN21]

If are desperate to speak with local guys log onto WiDSM.org

Contact the guys at ECMLink and get a username setup. A log will say more than this whole thread did. Too much bickering going on in this thread to get any real headway.

PM me with your contact info. As you have noticed by now, I am local to you. I have been in your shoes dealing with the same issues at the same age talking to people on the same site... I understand your frustration.

I can get you wiring diagrams and may have tools for you to borrow if i cant make it out to help.

But please become a member on WiDSM.org and DSMLink.com/forums


Cullen

 

[StarFawkes]

I went with the 1g version of this gasket kit for my build. It's a little on the expensive side but to me it was worth it. Cometic Complete Top End Gasket Kit 4G63 4G63T Eclipse Evo 1 2 3 [PRO2006T] - $179.95 : Real Street Performance Engine Parts, Pistons Rods Cams Valvetrain and More

 

[PrimerPLus]

Oh not too bad, I got my gaskets from STM, all OEM, head, intake, exhaust, valve cover.

 

[geno414]

im still thinking its a ground somewhere.. sounds just like one.. and thats whats common with those 2 sensors for sure.. also you... if i was there im sure we could knock this out pretty quick .. little too far of a drive

are you familiar with a multimeter at all? or even a test light?

i also fixed my post where i said they shared the same 5v ref ect doesnt use one..... i meant ground


if you wanted we could speak on phone and i could help you ALOT better and faster.. just saying.. im thinking this is a splice problem but alldata is so jacked up that it wont tell me where splice 51 is.. ###

did you mean the pins came out of the connector at the ECT sensor?

Thank you mrfister11, you called me walked me threw the problems told me what parts i needed and now my car works. and for every one else thank you two for trying to help me.

 

[Groffster]

So swapped the head... now the engine wont start. Gonna do another compression test see if my old head somehow was bad also. Not sure where else to go from here

 

[LiquidX]

Post up what was fixed and what you replaced or did for future searches.

 

['97 Cayenne]

alright i think part of the issue with my high idle was the fact that i think i put my throttle plate upside down from how it was when i took it out. fixed that i'm pretty sure.

Also, I set the tps voltage with the car off and it was fine (i think) at .55ish volts closed and 4.99-5volts wot. and the throttle position correlated with that. but when i turned the car on the volts and throttle position were both higher. am i supposed to set the tps with the car running?

Here a log I've just done by setting the idle with the biss screw. This is during open loop as you can see. Idk if this is okay or not.

FYI i have not fixed my boost leaks at the injector seats yet. those will have to wait to be ordered on thursday. But I would like to get this idle and a/f somewhat down if i can for now

 

[LiquidX]

The leaking injectors will mess with your trims being post TB.

The TPS can be set with the car off but power needs applied to get the voltage signal. It needs to to be set at 0.63v. Do that and then run the throttle adjustment tool on link. Verify that your throttle cable is adjusted properly and you are not having the throttle plate open at idle.

 

[geno414]

Post up what was fixed and what you replaced or did for future searches.

The problem was i had a bad TPS and plug i had to make a new plug for the TPS and the CTS was shot i bought a new one from advanced auto problem solved.
now the 11th i'm heading to get my car tuned !

 

[Kalabalik1]

Hi All DSM:ers.
Sorry for this long message but I'm doing my best to explain in the best way I can for all of you to understand my problem here.

I'm in a big dilemma here.
I just bought an Eagle Talon 92 Tsi AWD from San Diego.
I'm a guy that lives in Sweden and wanted this car for 12 years now since it does not exist in Europe.
I've driven it From San Diego to Fort Lauderdale FL with no issues at all.
Ran great, if not perfect. Two months after, I received it home at last.
When the car arrived here I noticed the idle being uneven and a little high when it got hot.
So I asked my tuneup/mechanic about this and he said to change the thermostat because the ones in the USA are different than the ones here in Europe. He talked about that the ones in the states opens at 75 degrees and here they open 82 degrees, for the climate.
So I did that cause it sounded logical. I replaced it with a new "Swedish" one, topped up with cooling fluid but my stupid ass forgot to reattach the radiator hose and drove of.
After I drove about 5 minutes I saw smoke in my car and pulled over directly realised that the smoke from the engine compartment leaked in the car.
I opened the hood saw that I needed more cooling fluid thinking the thermostat opened and swallowed the fist coolant I filled with.
Drove of to fill her up a bit with gas.
Drove of again on to the highway and just after about 5 minutes again I noticed that the temperature wanted to go up but seemed to cool down again to the center of the meter from time to time but all of a sudden the car just lost power and started stalling but no bumping just lost the power completely.
I shifted down from 5:th gear to the 4:th trying to rev it up but still nothing.
So I stopped on the side of the highway and opened the hood to check and saw the fat hose from the radiator to the thermostat housing was loose.
So my guess is that because the hose was not attached it overheated a liiitle bit and shut it self of somehow caused by a sensor or something.
So I reattached the hose and let it cool down a bit, topped up with more coolant fluid that got lost on the way.
But when I tried to start it it gave me a different sound and no start, kind of like the starter just lost power or the alternator stopped working.
So I towed it home to check on some basic things with my Haynes Manual, my mechanic friends and my knowledge of cars which I have a bit.

What I checked was, with no results:

1. Jumped the car with my brothers Audi A6 while it was running. (still same sound and slow crank kind of). The car not really jumping while attempt to start just rotates the engine. As it did on the side of the highway.

2. Checked compression with an manual meter and digital. (get no compression at all). Timing seems aligned as it should so no slips there. Felt with my hands and can feel pressure from every cylinder. Got no smoke nor overheat while driving so the odds of the head gasket being blown is veeeery low.

3. Took out the starter and checked it, the solenoid pinion slips out and the starter spins fast and freely. (Checked on the internet -google- for an accurate test and it seems to be working fine).


Now I am really stuck because what I am thinking is that the alternator stopped working, that's the common thing causing it to stall like that but should fire back up with a jump start but not load the battery while running, so I guess my alternator is ok.
What can the problem here be, everybody says that this is an very unusual problem and nobody here knows what it could be, not even Mitsubishi here in Sweden?????

Can it be a sensor that shut the car down duo to the little overheat it got duo to the hose or did I get an additional problem while it stalled out, did my fuel pump just stopped working or WTF is going on here?????
This is driving me nuts, my life isn't how it should be at all right now and plus I am now sitting with an Nissan Micra with a bad transmission and this DSM here with this strange cranking sound. Cant move anywhere from my house and the nearest town is 10 miles from here.
Cried already a couple of times these days because cant find any hope in life cause everything similar to this happens to me all the time.
Can someone be so kind and help me out on this one so I can find JUST a liiitle hope in life.
This beautiful car would be a great start for me.

Sincerely Alex
people can email me at: [email protected]
I check my email often.

 

[steve]

2. Checked compression with an manual meter and digital. (get no compression at all). Timing seems aligned as it should so no slips there. Felt with my hands and can feel pressure from every cylinder. Got no smoke nor overheat while driving so the odds of the head gasket being blown is veeeery low.

No compression is the first thing I'd track down.

Remove the top timing belt cover and have someone crank the engine while you watch. Make sure the cams are rotating. If they are, retest the compression making sure to pull all the spark plugs and hold the throttle open.

Second thing to check due to the number of times it fails is the ECU.
Make sure that when you turn the ignition on, the CEL turns on for 5 seconds and then turns off. That the factory boost gauge moves to zero until you start cranking and returns to zero when you stop (assuming the engine doesn't start)

 

[Kalabalik1]

Thanks alot for the fast reply.

I saw that the cams were moving yesterday, I checked that already.
I haven't done the ECU tests yet, Ill do it right now and ill get back with results.

Thanks alot again.

Sincerely Alex

I'm sorry I forgot to say that I topped up with about 1/4 of a gallon 10w 40 engine oil(semi synthetic) in it before I drove off because I noticed that it was very low on oil before I drove off.
Could the oil have something to do with the stalling and loss of compression??

One other thing, I didn't get what you men't with restoring the compression. Pulling the spark plugs out no problem but what do you mean by leave the throttle open. Is it when I crank it without the plugs and throttle open or?
Some say I should disconnect the injectors, put some engine oil in every cylinder, put the sparks back and crank it a couple of times to build up compression and then plug back the injectors??

Sincerely Alex

Now I checked the ECU and it seems ok. With the CEL lamp, it shutted down after 5 seconds, but still the same lame crank with no compression.
But I think I located my problem........when I turn the ignition to ON I hear NO sound at all from the Fuel Pump.
Shouldn't it give me some kind of buzz or something when I turn the ignition to ON??
Did my fuel pump breakdown on me???

Sincerely Alex

Checked the pump today also and it pisses out gasoline when cranking. So the pump seems ok that too.
Now I really don't know what this could be.
Could my alternator be that worn out that it doesn't matter if I jump it or not???
That it gives so poor energy that even the starter wont really crank it up.
It just rotates slowly, that leads to that I CANNOT test the compression either with that poor crank.
Doesn't matter a good battery or not, tested with both, boosters and all.
Still that lame crank,

WHATS GOING ON??????

Not Sincere any more
Very depressed ALEX

yes the starter can shut it down. if the starter has a short it can draw the juice from the battery and shut it down. the starter just don,t start your car and its job is done. it has something to do with the charging system too because the hot cable from the battery runs to the starter.

I found this on another thread. Can this really be the case here?

Sincerely Alex