Gti won't start

I have never had any issues with my car starting, even after months off the road it would start after 5 seconds or so with a bit of a pump with the accelerator. I parked the car up on Sunday night after using it at the weekend and when I went to start it today it wouldn't go. At first I thought it was the battery so tried to jump start it but it wasn't that. I then decided to put more fuel in as it was low on fuel (not any lower than it has been before but it was in the red). It burst in to life with a press of the accelerator for about 30 seconds and then it just cut out. Now it won't start, it starts to turn over, sounds like it'll stay running and then it cuts out again. After 3 or so goes it won't even do that, it will just turns but wont start. Once left for 10 minutes or so it goes back to starting for a split second and then cut off again.

I am hoping someone has had the same problem and can tell me what the issue is or give me some pointers on what to try to help trace the fault.

Thanks in advance.

It sounds like it is firing on the fifth injector and that's it. Each time you do it, the engine gets a bit warmer until the thermotime switch cuts out the fifth injector and then you get nothing, until it cools down, and you start over again.
It's firing on the fifth which means you are getting a spark, so more likely to be a fuelling issue - if you let the fuel tank run very low, you may have sucked up some debris from the tank into the fuel system.
What model/year/engine is it?

LeeO said

It sounds like it is firing on the fifth injector and that's it. Each time you do it, the engine gets a bit warmer until the thermotime switch cuts out the fifth injector and then you get nothing, until it cools down, and you start over again.
It's firing on the fifth which means you are getting a spark, so more likely to be a fuelling issue - if you let the fuel tank run very low, you may have sucked up some debris from the tank into the fuel system.
What model/year/engine is it?

It's a 1983 1.8 gti. I'm thinking its a fuelling issue as well, have read about problems with the lift pump in the tank?

Not sure you have a lift pump, remove the back seat and black inspection cover, if you have 3 wires in the electrical connector then you have a lift pump if you only have 2 wires then you don't have a lift pump.

mark1gls said

Not sure you have a lift pump, remove the back seat and black inspection cover, if you have 3 wires in the electrical connector then you have a lift pump if you only have 2 wires then you don't have a lift pump.

I'll have a look at that tonight. How would I go about checking out if the other fuel pump is working properly? 

I'm not really up on tin top cars but I would still have a look in the fuel tank to check the fuel pick up and look for rust etc floating out in the fuel tank.

Check the fuel pump relay, remove it and then remove the relay below it and turn it 180 degrees the plug it in to where the fuel pump relay lives, this should make the fuel pump run as soon as you turn the ignition on with out the engine running, if the car starts then you need a new fuel pump relay.

Did you find an answer to this problem?

I have narrowed fault down to fell distributor by replacing everything else. I am really only getting fuel   from injector.

How can I adjust this I just get a trickle from 1,3 and 4. I have replaced the metering head  twice. And refurbing the old one. (I now have 3 that partially work.)
 

83's usually don't have a in-tank pump, that was a id year change in 84.5 to the 13 gallon tank in the Cabriolets.

Having 3 Fuel diz that partially work is like having none that work.

I would verify that you at least change the fuel filter as a good first step.  Verify that your fuel pressure is a good 75 psi on the input side.

I would verify that your metering head freely moves with a magnet and the plunger is not sticky.

On the input side of the metering head or fuel diz there is a Screen that can clog and not allow fuel to flow.  it was a thing that a TSB came out and said to remove it.

On Starting the car place the key in the ignition and turn it to run for about 5 seconds prior to allowing it to start.
This pressurizes the system and pre-pares the pump to deliver fuel.  If you don't you can have fuel delivery issues that the pump can't overcome.  Your telling it to deliver fuel before it gets up to speed and at the psi it needs,  Kind of like when your turn your pc on and it power faults, it will continue to power fault until you either unplug it for 5 seconds, Switch the main power off, then plug it in and turn the power supply back on.
Then it will power on correctly.  (old style of Tower systems.) .

On the vortex there are plenty of threads on car won't start 5th injector partially works.

I am not a CIS person, but I have read a lot of their threads over the years to know that is why I like my Digifarts….easier to diagnose.

Never run a car low on fuel….as it gets to be a habit, and then the fun begins…. Have a Daughter that thinks that 2 gallons of gas will last her 2 weeks, then she calls and cries about the car not starting….Burned out fuel pump.  I would have to drive 5 hours to University, to replace the pump…(glad i bought one with a LLW as about every 6 months I would have to make the trip…