GTI cutting out, oil light flashes

[Scooterist007]

Hi, wondered if anyone can help me cos i'm banging my head against a brickwall!  
I have a 1997 P reg gti 2.0l 8v and the problem i'm having is that the car keeps cutting out on me, it doesnt matter if i'm travelling at speed or not (infact its just happened while I was on the dartford crossing bridge at 5pm! very scarey) When it cuts out the oil light flashes and the rev counter goes straight to zero, now somtimes it will start straight away and somtimes it takes ages to start, when it doesnt start, the engine turns over as normal but the oil light flashes.
Now the first thing I checked was the Oil (duh!) But the oil is ok, when i take the oil filler cap of, there is presure there so I think the oil pump is ok, and I dont think its an oil problem cos if there was a problem surley it would do it all the time, somtimes its weeks before it would cut out and somtimes it does it several times a day! I once went to a party when I met a guy who is a salesman for vw, and he reckons its the hall effect sensor, now I dont know wether this is true, after all he just sells the dam things!

Please can anyone help me?

[msond]

This has happened to my golf twice now in the last week.

In my case, the oil light came on and the car cuts out. This happened twice whilst I was accelerating in second gear. Not when slowling down.

Any help would be appeciated as this could be quite dangerous.

[8vgti]

scooterist007, this sounds exactly like the problem I had on my 97 P 8v. It got progressively worse until eventually it wouldnt start at all. Took it to the dealer and they diagnosed it as the Hall Sender Relay (not sure which one if there is more than one). The part cost ?13 but the total bill was about ?80-100. I will search out the invoice if you like and what they did.

There have been similar posts on this forum about problems like this, but as I say the symptoms you describe are exactly like what happened to me. Let me know if you want me to dig out the bill....you may then be able to try it yourself and save about ?80.

[8vgti]

Sorry for the delay in replying scooterist007, but here goes.

VW invoice said: "checked for non-starting. No spark. Checked coil. No readings recorded at hall sender. Checked and replaced ecu power supply relay".

Part number is 165906381 (?13 + vat). Haynes manual or the like should tell you where that relay goes.

Hope you get it sorted

[Scooterist007]

Well thanks for the help, I will get a relay tomorrow and hopefully my problem should be sorted. I will post a reply in a few days to let you all know if this works.

Cheers Guys

[Simonet]

Thanks for the reply. I wonder how this guy got on with his new relay. I'm buying one today and will fit tonight. I'll post if the problem goes or stays.

I've looked for ages on the web site and found a another with the same symptons so hopefully this relay will fix it.

Thanks again and I hope I don't have any more problems or the car will be being changed!!!

[Simonet]

Well what a journey to pick up the relay! Engine cut out 3 times. It did start each time after a few mins, but eventually I left it at the road side and walked to the VW Dealer.

Came back fitted the relay and drove back to work trouble free. next few days will tell if its fixed!

Ironic thing is, when I was pushing the car from the main road so as not to block the traffic, a nice man on a bike stopped and help me push. He said he had exactly the same thing on his golf but it was the "Hall sensor"

I really hope this doesn't happen again, I quite like my red Golf.

[Simonet]

Fitted Relay,

Driven home, gone out later and come home,
Got up this morning and gave my wife the car to test.

She drove to work this morning after dropping the kids off at school.

Car hasn't stopped!  How long will this last?

[Simonet]

Sorry didn't see your message till now.

I got the part mentioned here! mine is an 8V and the part has a big "30" printed on the top of the relay.

I know its only been in for half a day but the cars done about 60 miles trouble free.

Yesterday it was cutting out every 5 mins on short journeys!

Part number is 165906381 (?14.99 inc vat)

[msond]

Where does the relay go?

 I can then compare the old with new.

Maybe the bloke at the dealer got it wrong.