16v slow turn over / not starting

[Chris-White]

hi,

i have an issue with my new 2.0 16v golf. It wont start half the time!

What happens is it turns over very slowly and tries to go, but is just not spinning the engine fast enough, basically feels like the battery is dead.

I have changed the starter motor, wires from starter to alternator and battery, and put in a known good battery that i even charged overnight to make sure.I also leaned the connections on the battery, but not the earth on the gearbox (i couldnt get it off with the limited tools i have with me)

The car does have an immobiliser of the old put the dongle in the slot variety and the light goes off, could this possibly be stopping it?

Cheers.

[Conker]

Have you tried a jump start, that will help prove if its battery related. Then try a bump start.

If its trying to start, surely the immobiliser isn't the problem?

[Chris-White]

Starts on a bump and a jump.
sometimes it just fires up straight away too.

I charged the battery overnight as well, and that battery started my jetta fine last time it was used.

[bomp]

You might need a battery with more Amps to crank the 2.0, as the power might take a dive quicker during cranking. Try a deisel battery or one with more amps.

[Leon R]

As Bomp said try the bigger battery first if you can borrow one as its the easiest way to diagnose, then try a bigger earth cable.

I've read about this when mine did the same, search for diesel starter as this was more powerful and got 2.0 16vs going:

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=26476.0 (although his car is an 8v)

ClubGTi has some similar posts

However mine was cured by getting a beefier, thicker earth strap. My problem only happened when the engine was hot and i went to restart it, maybe some sort of resistance problem.

[Mew]

This may be a coincidence or it may be the reason, but we found something earlier:

When the king lead is disconnected from the dizzy cap and is rested on the inlet manifold the engine turns over extremely quickly, probably quicker than most mk2s i've experienced! Connect the king lead back up and its back to the old trick of slow turn over and not starting. 

The cables that earth onto the dizzy look a little suspect, but by the time we found this it was dark and cold. Anyone know what the earths on the dizzy are for and if they could be responsible for this problem?

[dubslug]

i knida had same prob on my 8v, mine turned out to be ignition switch, now fires up first time every time

[Mew]

Turned out to be a combo of timing and a dead dizzy cap 

[Chris-White]

Yep, fires up first time now, even at 4am when its freezing cold.

and its sold