Cold start problem - 1.8 GTI (DX engine)

Guys,

Please could someone help me with this problem?

My 91 Sportline has a cold start problem.  It only happens when the car is stone cold, eg. overnight, first start.  Car always fires up instantly, but as I reverse the car out of the garage I have to give the car some revs and hold those revs - if I don't the car stalls.  :dontknow:

If the car does stall it usually takes a good few cranks to start again and needs reving to clear a spluttery idle.  I then need to hold revs on the throttle as I reverse out of the driveway otherwise it stalls again.  Once onto the road, I drive it 30 seconds down the road and stop at a junction, the car idles perfectly, needing no throttle riding to keep it idling.

All subsequent starts are fine thereafter - even if the car is left for a few hours.  This only affects the very first start of the day.  Hot starts are also fine.

Please can anyone advise of a possible explanation?

Car is a 91 Sportline, 1.8 GTI, DX engine code, 66k miles.  


Thanks in advance!

Check your cold start valve (mounted on top left on the inlet manifold) hope it helps !

x2

or ohm's test  the warm up up reg??

More likely to be leaking injectors.

Get some new O ring seals and whip them out and put them in jars, look for drips, leave them over night to see if any fuel leaks.

What happens is the injectors leak their content into the bores, there is then enough fuel to fire up from cold, but it will be very rich as it tries to clear the leaked fuel (that is the spluttering) eventually the fuel lines replenish with the fuel, hence your 30 seconds and she idles fine.

The Mrs Sportline behaved exactly the same and new injectors cured it - do do the test though as there is no point replacing injectors that are ok !!

Cheers for the advice guys.

Not sure it is the injectors, as the car starts and idles on the button in all other situations.  Back in the day, my old tintop used to really struggle to start after reaching operating temp, especially when left for a few hours - new injectors cured it.  My Sportline starts on teh button in similar situations, so maybe it's not leaky injectors?  :dontknow:  What do you reckon?

How do I check the cold start valve?

I agree
with lhasadreams
maybe you could pull the plugs first thing in the morning & shine a torch down the bores to check for petrol , if you pull a injector it also makes it easier to see with a torch.also you could maybe crank it round with a socket & then pull a plug & check for petrol on the plug.
baz