HEEELP - It won't start!

[GT-Eye]

This is my first post, apologies if it's a bit long.

I own a 1981 1600 GTI. The other week it died on me as I came up to a roundabout.  I was on the verge of calling the AA but managed to get it going again. The car performed faultlessly for the rest of the day.

I didn't use the car for a couple of days & when I came to start it the engine simply spun on its starter & would not catch.  To cut a long story short I found no spark coming from the Coil HT lead so I replaced the lead & dizzy cap.  This seemed to generate a spark from the coil but none form the HT leads.  So I replaced the HT lead & distributor but I now had no spark from the coil again so I replaced the coil & the ignition control unit mounted in the scuttle.  Despite all this I still cannot get a spark from the coil HT lead.

I have checked the fuelling and the filter isn't blocked, the pump primes & the plugs are getting wet with petrol whenever I turn the engine. To recap I have replaced....

HT leads
Distributor
Ignition Coil
Ignition Control unit.

I am now thinking it could be a broken wire somewhere?

Am I missing something obvious or has anyone had a similar problem. Please help as I am suffering major GTI withdrawal - I am having to drive my MK1 1.1 Golf C - & don't want to pay the excessive cost of receiving to a garage.

Thanks

[richandhazel]

Looks like you've changed just about everything there. I agree, look for broken wires, especially on the LT side of your ignition.......that's also tied in with your fuel pump relay, I have had a break in the wire between the fuel pump relay and the LT side of the coil.......took me ages to find.......all it turned out to be was a poor connection at the coil.

Check your earths, especially the one on the back of the rocker cover to the chassis/bulkhead........sounds like your gearbox one is fine as the engine is turning over.

Welcome to the site........I'm looking forward to seeing some pics of your mk1

[mk1]

Hmmm, tricky one this.
If you have spark at the coil lead but not the spark plugs check the cap and rotor arm. You have changed the cap and distributer, did you do the rotor arm?.
If you have no spark from the coil and the fuel pump runs when you crank I would say the distributor and ign amp are OK (as the pump relay is pulled in when it "sees" a pulse from the ign low tension at the coil). As rich said, check the connections on the ign coil, hope this helps.
Steve.

[GT-Eye]

Thanks, I'm going to have to check the wiring.  The wiring and connections look OK, so I am going to have to get my mate and his multimeter to come round and check for breaks in the wires.  

Here's a photo of my GTI - its completely standard (no dodgy leaking glass sunroof) apart from slightly lowered suspension and its lost the sidestripes and boot lid decal at some point.



This is an 1800 me and my mate recently picked up for ?200 . Body work has no rot and we managed to get it fired up after two years of no running - engine sounds smooth and rattle free .  However clutch is jammed - could not free it and it does have a glass sunroof  .  Other than that, i'd say its a bargain... might do it up as a trcak day car.

[GT-Eye]

Its mended  .  After replacing ?150 or so of ignition parts, turned out to just be the LT multi-pin plug that connects to the side of the dizzy - which cost ?4  .  Don't know if I am imagining it, but it does seem to run a lot smother and seems more pokey between 5000-6000 rpm