Not starting! Please help [bodged!]

Hi,

My golf cut out on me yesterday and has failed to run since.

There is no spark from the spark plugs or king lead.
The fuel pump doesn't buzz when the ignition is switched on.
The green indicator light on the dash glows a tiny bit when the ignition is on.

The engine turns over ok, just doesn't fire.

I replaced the fuel pump relay yesterday and did various checks like bridging the gap on the relay to make the fuel pump work.
The fuse for the fuel pump blew when i broke down yesterday but I have relpaced this also.

I have tried another coil from a mk2 and this didn't work either.
There doen't seem to be any current getting to the coil.

I've read lots of posts on here about simular situations, and seems to be pointing towards a "hall sender"? Or new distributor?
Would either of these being broken stop there being no current to the coil or no fuel pump priming?

I'm at a loss for what to do next. :dontknow:

Any help greatly appreciated

Cheers,
Liam

Have you an alarm or immobilzer fitted ?

If so look at that first , to suddenly cut out and find so many things dead must be down to one thing  :dontknow: . If not i would be tempted to delve in the fuze board and check for damage , burning etc then move to the ignition .

Keep it simple , for instant are all the wires correctly fitted to the battery are all the earths in the engine bay intact ?

Plenty to go at don't for get to post the solution or for more help …..

Yes there is an immobiliser fitted.
Not sure how it works, but when it has not been deactivated and I turn the key, nothing happens. When the immobiliser is deactived the engine turns over. So i assume its connected to the starter motor or something.

The earth wire on the rocker cover looks very tired and fraid, could this be the problem?! Such a small wire for such a big problem?!  :dontknow:

I got the same problem on my golf.
Completely cut out on me.
I thought it was the alarm/immobiliser myself. I called the alarm ppl and they said that if it was that the car would just not even tick over.
So i was like hmmmmmm!!!! what could it be. I did the same tests with the fuel pump and sparks.
I even changed the coil.
Then i looked to see where the wires went from the coil.
They lead to a unit that site near the wiper motor and looks like a scart socket with 7 pins. I had this tested and only 3 pins worked.
Have got a new one coming tommorow so am sure this will sort the issue out.
Hope this helps.
If you have any advice on what happened with yours i would like to kno.
Ez……Themarkedone.

Right fellas.
It was my fuel pump and the module.
All have now been changed and the car is back baby!!!!

Thanks for advice m8,
I've been having another look today, the car has been off the road for about 10 days now, very frustrating.

I've replaced the connection on the rocker cover earth wire and have taken the "ignition module?" off it's cage thing and wire brushed the whole lot to make sure it's getting earthed if it needs to? After seeing pictures in the Haynes manual i'm worried the "DIS" is missing? See pics bellow. The wires are there but are joined together as in the Haynes manual procedure to do the timing?

Anyway, back to the actual problem in hand….

I had a good look round the fuse box wiring and have found a mystery wire that is live all the time! It is brown with a white stripe, maybe this has shorted something out? Also, have noticed that my indicators do not work but the hazzards do?

Think i'm just gonna have to call out an auto electrician#?!

You need to temporarily bypass the immobiliser and feed +12V to both your coil and fuel pump relay, then try and start it. It seems suspicious that both of these devices no longer work, at the same time.

I had this problem too in April and i DID go to anauto electricain here is what was wrong with mine, In side the fuse box are 2 PCB whihc weren't connecting he "fixed" it and told me i should source a new fuse box ASAP, I would say try your fuse box the syptoms you described are scarily familiar, as many other posters on this website will confirm the Mk1 fusebox isn't the most reliable.
let us know how you get on.

Right, it's bodged!
Have fitted a wire from the battery to a switch then to the coil.
The car now runs!

Today I have also taken the fuse box apart!
Looks very complicated in there!
On the back, inside the big white connector in the middle there was a bit of water and lots of green corrosion. Does anyone know what the white connector controls or indeed the other colours? :?

I found out that the mystery live wire fits on to the interior light switch in the passenger door. So i now have an interior light!!

I have also had a good look at the immobiler.
It is a SELCA. It has about 8 black wires coming off which are spliced into various different wires in and around the fuse box. i.e The big red and black wire, the earth rose thingy etc
I checked breifly, but none seem to be loose of damaged?

I also came across an old kill switch that looked like it was fitted in the 80's or something! Was disconected. When i connected however it kept blowing fuse no.3 but not blowing the inline fuse on the wire?! Very strange. :dontknow:

Anyway, at least the car now runs, so i can drive it to an electricain rather than get it towed there!