Jack frost, you meddling little bugger!

[The Mighty Elvi]

Winter's here, so as you can imagine my battery decided to end it's life.  Despite many CPR sessions it was pronounced dead this morning.  Popped down to GSF for a new one and they told me that they are now selling batteries at trade prices.  £36, thank you very much!  Halfrauds wanted £60 for a new one.

I digress, this is the question.  I've just put the new battery in, and all the electrical things work, but the engine turns over but wont start!  Is it because of the cold?  I did try to start it this morning as well with the old battery, is it flooded?  I'll check the dizzy tomorrow.

As a side note, I took the car for a jet wash yesterday and 2 miles from the garage at about 50 mph I had a sudden loss of engine power for about a second, radio and lights stayed on but speedo needle just dropped to zero and then it cut in again.

Was this somehow water ingress in to the engine bay, or was it prelude to my fuel pump / filter going as well, and hence my engine not turning over with new battery installed??

Any advice.

Thanks in advance.

[danny_p]

rev counter suddenly plumbeting is asing of ignition trobel on the low tension side

[Diamond Hell]

Let's not pretty it up here.

Have you checked the earths and cleaned them up?

It's gonna be an earth - it's an electrical problem on a Golf2

[Conker]

Just in case it isn't an earth as DH suggested, you could check for water ingress around the top of the TCI Module/ECU which is underneath the windscreen behind the airbox area, as this is near where water gets channeled from the windscreen and a jet wash may have soaked it.

[The Mighty Elvi]

Thanks guys.

I wire brushed the battery earth strap when I put the new battery on this evening. On the second long attempt it did start for about 2 seconds then died.

I guess any moisture around coil and ecu has frozen becuase it's damn cold where I live.  I clean around them and check dizzy leads as well.

Ask a stupid question but where are the other earth points in the engine bay, is it coil and gearbox?

thanks.

[Conker]

Ask a stupid question but where are the other earth points in the engine bay, is it coil and gearbox?

Theres one attached to the back of the intake manifold just above the dizzy thats prone to falling off (on mine anyway!).

[Mew]

Check the hall sender on the dizzy too