1.8 gti dx engine dies and won't start

Yellow,

I've seen this problem before in multiple forums but not yet seen any straight answer.

Car works like an angel. Drives fine. Has power. CO and everything good. Starts good and instantly.

1. Every now and then it just suddenly dies. Like turned off from the key. Then wont start. Just cranking. Seems hot. Something overheats?

2. Sometimes when car has sat for a while and you start it, it starts but then instantly dies. And then the same thing. Crank and crank and no start. When left in the sun it seems more probable to do this.

In both cases you can get it started with time, if you just keep cranking it in every few minutes for 20 to 30 minutes. Something cools down?

I've had the car for two years now and it's done this about 10 times all in all. Two of the times were last week. So I fear it's getting worse.

I've measured ht leads and checked distributor cap and rotor. Seems fine.

Can hall sensor have something to do with this?
Any other ideas?

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Carbed, or injected and year please.

Car is 1987 carbriolet. Injected.

I also think it's something to do with electrics.
Coil is a good guess.

It's irritating when it happens just every so often and I can't do checks when the fault is on.


BTW. I noticed there is small sideways movement on the distributor shaft. Anyone have an idea where I could find new bushings? Earlier there were bushing kits, but now I can't find any.

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Might be the ignition switch

Let me ask you if when running the thing you hear a high Pitched whine from the rear of the car driver side wheel arch?  yes/no.

Highest suspects from what I have seen are:
Bad in-tank pump, either the pump has failed or the inter connect hose has holed and or desintigrated.
This can cause the main pump to over work, and well it whines about it, and after a while it over heats and stops working,  20-30 minutes later it cools off and starts.

If no whine then usually the main pump.

Fuel Pump relays on the 80 and CIS are know to get over heated and the main connector pins get cold solder joints and stop working.  Once it stops and you turn the key off for a bit the solder cools and flows making connection.  This happens so much so that folks keep a spare relay in the glove box, and or a jumper to Jumper the relay, or take the horn relay out and use it inplace of the fuel pump relay over here.

Not all relays are the same see:
https://www.cabby-info.com/files/electrical/Relays_Kjetronic.pdf

Bad Battery to frame and frame to engine ground.
Iffy grounds to the rest of the things as well.

Bad ignition switches.

Hi,

Update

After changing distributor cover and rotor, I thought I solved the proble but…

It came back two days ago and car died 10km from home. This time it didn't wake up and I had to rent a trailer yesterday to get the car home.


Checks

Today I measured coil.
Secondary 3.15kohm.
Primary 0.8ohm.
Seems ok, or what do you think?

I pulled all the wires of from coil for measuring and when I put them back and turned power on, for the first time ever, I didn't hear the pressurising sound from the fuel pump. It's gone and I couldn't get it back.

I then measured fuel pump, and it didn't get power when engine was turning. I then removed the fuel pump relay and gave power to pump fuse (number 5). Fuel pump woke up! And car also started instantly when power to pump was connected. Also died as soon as power was disconnected.

Btw. I didn't hear the wining noise from the pump earlier so I think the pump is good.

But the fuel pump relay I think… No good.
Would you agree?

My relay is number 62.
Part number is 321 906 059 G.
I haven't still been able to find an exact replacement part. I found one, Topran brand, with H instead of the G in part number.
Will this work? Any idea where I could find a quality replacement for the fuel pump relay?

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Thanks Briano. I just took a second look to your relay document and saw that all the relays with different letters are interchangeable. Now if I just could find the Kräcker one somewhere.

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When it says a b c those are revisions.

Cabby-info.com has the good information on relays, and breaks down the bad from the good.

Starts well ✅
Runs well ✅
It stalls and won't restart ✅
After being driven a distance, stopped and won't restart ✅
Once cooled down/ left overnight will restart again without issue ✅
Replaced the fuel pump relay ✅


Those are all the symptoms I lived with for years (about 8!!). 😡
I replaced leads, coil, dizzy, did a compression test (well lhasadreams did!) and had numerous push starts etc.

Eventually it had a replacement fuel pump and Warm Up Regultor (WUR) and hasn't had the issue again. 
Try a replacement fuel pump first.