Golf Mk4 1.9 GT TDI (115) 2000 (159k miles)
Hi all
Hope someone can help.
I have an issue with my golf when it is cold and just starting off.
If I try and drive away from cold I will get couple of hundred meters and the car will start to judder quite strongly and will then usually stall (unless I can keep the revs up and sometimes even then). If I can get past this point (by keeping revs up till the engine is warm) or if I start and leave the car to warm up on the drive for 5-10 mins then it is fine (it won't stall if it is just sitting on the drive warming up).
Once the car has stalled (or if it fails to start first time) then it is difficult to restart. To start it you have to keep the starter going and feather the accelerator pedal and then after 10-20 secs it will begin to try and start but sounding like a tractor or a 2 stroke and after a 3-5 seconds of sounding like this it will usually fire up properly. The problem is that this starting procedure can easily flatten the battery.
The starting issue is odd because it will sound like its about to start with no problems but if you release the key too quickly before its properly running and it stops, then starting it becomes a challenge.
I bought this car off a mate of mine who’s wife had had it for a year or so, in August it had the top end rebuilt as the head gasket was starting to go so head was skimmed, new gasket, new glow plugs.
We bought it in November and he said it had been fine (although sometimes a little tricky to start) and for the first few weeks no issues but as weather turning a little colder this cold starting issue has become more problematic.
From reading a few threads it might be air in the system that leaks in overnight (the air in the system is air free but once its tried to start its then replaced with fuel with air in, causing the starting issue. Does this sound like a possibility?
I have changed the 109 relay (just to make sure) and this weekend I am going to clean the EGR valve and change the fuel filter and the fuel filter T valve (in case air leaking in here).
However before I get into this I wanted to know if there was anything else I should try replacing or cleaning while I’m working on it.
Many thanks for any suggestions and if you know of any other threads I should read I'd be grateful if you could point me in their direction.
Cheers
