Can't believe it... honestly can't believe it.
Had a look at some MK3 GTIs for the last few weeks...
Thought i had found an absolute beauty! - MK3 GTI 8V
Mystic Blue, great colour, impeccable paint work and great interior, good service history... 5 door, really well looked after, no rust.
£800
The guy put a years MOT on it the on 07/11/11
I went to tax it, then pick it up today 08/11/11
(SUMMARY AT BOTTOM)30-40 mile drive, was great all the way back, in all gears at the whole range of revs.... i haven't driven in 8 months, so drive steady, but on ring roads give it the beans a couple of times...
Then on a dual carriageway i slowed right down for traffic lights (maybe 10mph?) in the middle lane (always the way) and the car just cuts out on me (or i was in gear, not on the clutch therefore stalled?)!! try and start the car again, nothing happens... sat in the middle of the road looking like a right muppet, my mate in the car with me with his arm in a sling (cant push) police came, pushed me to layby...
My mate came, helped my push it to McDonalds...
First thing first - Petrol, filled up jerry can (petrol pump number 13
tried to fill it to £5... landed on £5.01
Poured it in, still wouldn't start... Ok, my dad brings leads, try the jump start it, still doesn't work!
Another mate came down (i've been sat in McD's car park for 3 hours, FUNTIMES.) Hes a mechanic, family friend, really helpful he checks spark plug, no spark... (which are new, as are HT leads). I'm in contact with the seller throughout who sounds genuinely gutted and is a decent bloke.
Both say dizzy cap and rota arm havent been changed in a while - so yeah lets go for it, Halfrauds....
Put on dizzy cap and rota arm, get spark, still won't start!
Petrol fumes from back of the car, my mate tells me its not fuel thats the problem...
The engine is trying to turn over!!!
Another factor - Cobra immobiliser, 9 years old... Seller tells me he doesnt know much about it, (i played around with the fob when i was waiting for help) me and my mate have a look at the cobra alarm guides etc online, and we try and disarm the alarm with the card they give you, (you have to turn ignition a certain number of times) but the first stage of the process doesn't work, so there IS a fault with the Immobiliser.
I left my car in McD's, they didn't mind... so i now need to call out a cobra technician... Any chance this will mean i can drive away?! or will it just mean i now have a working immobiliser but still no working car :\
SUMMARY:I was slowing down to 10mph. Car died on me, or i stalled??.
Either way, i couldn't restart the car.
The car has had:
New cambelt
1 year old battery (4 year battery life)
New HP leads
New spark plugs
Filled it with petrol... still no joy. (friend arrives with tools, and mechanic skills)
Had no spark... but engine tries to start, turns over!
changed dizzy cap and rota arm
Had some spark!
. exhaust smells of petrol, my mechanic friend tells me he thinks petrol is fine..
Immobiliser is of an unknown quantity, i played with it as i was sat the car waiting for help... maybe messing it up? meaning that the new dizzy cap and rota arm were fixed, and the car would be fine with immobiliser sorted?
So... we try to disarm the immobiliser using the pin number, but do not even get to the stage of the immobiliser light (on top of the dash) responding. (turn ignition on/off 3 times within 7 seconds... then light should flash 3 times)
Doesn't work...
Going to call a technician in the morning and pray that he can get it sorted (if not, that the call out charge isn't too steep!)
Help? if you can't help, i hope my misery mildly amused you
