Daughter's 94 1.4 golf engine has been cutting out occaisionally. No warning and no pattern to it. I doubted what she was saying at first but now it's happened to me. Engine just dies with no prior warning. Did it to me whilst driving & was fortunate that I could pull over safely. I think this is almost certainly electrical ans strangly (I think) when the egine dies the oil warning light flashes. It wouldn't start again immediately but adter waiting 5/10 mins started no problem and drove away perefectly normally.
Any ideas gratefully received.
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I would have gone for the pwer control relay R15 but you say the pressure light was flashing implying you have power. If it was the fuel pump then it would fade away rather than just sut down so ignition may be the problem here. Have a peice of wire handy so when it does it again and it will not start you can insert it into one of the plug leads and allow a 5 mm gap and check for a spark when cranking. This could ne the notourius sensor in the distributor thus the loss of spark. If when the car restarted did it instantly run perfectly or was it rough for a while. IS the 94 1.4 a Single point injector. Regards Peter
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Thanks Peter
When restarted it ran pefectly, as though nothing had happened. As far as I am aware this is a singlepoint injector.
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islandman
The warning light flashing is the instrument pod's way of indicating an oil-pressure warning system fault condition. In this case it's probably being fooled by residual oil pressure keeping one pressure switch open while there's no rev signal coming from the engine ECU. [A stationary engine shouldn't have oil pressure...]
Peter's distributor Hall-effect sensor [£40 from VW; pig to fit] is the most likely by far; also try the ignition amplifier in the coil, or even the ignition switch contacts over-heating.
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This sounds like the common VW carb freezing problem. Does it do it more often when the weather is damp and cold. It can freeze even when the outside temperature is above freezing.
If so, check the warm air intake system is working correctly.
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Friend's 96 2.0 Golf had exactly same problem cutting out and then restarting for a few weeks until packed up completely and had to be towed in . Garage fixed it by fitting new hall effect sensor in distributor and also a cam sensor i think.
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Thanks guys for the advice --- apologies for the awful spelling in my original post -- did it quickly whilst at work!
Pete - your suggestion re carb freezing up: When it happened to me the weather was quite mild so wouldn't have thought this was the case. Would this happen to an injection system though - albeit only single point.
I am certain this is electrical by the way there is no warning either just before and when it restarts -- almost like throwing a switch. The trouble is that I assume that any checks done when ok will not show any fault. I guess it is best to check the spark when it next occurs. Thanks Peter D
This type of thing is annoying at best but I don't want it packing up somewhere with my daughter driving so I need to get it sorted.
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I don't know if the 1.4 94 engine uses the same coil as my 2L 96, but if it does I would test it as follows as the symtoms sound the same.
In the dark mist spray the coil with water, get your daughter to look under the bonnet whilst you try and start the car. Any leak from a cracked coil will show up well. Best of luck.
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It may be worth trying replacement of the relay which controls the ECU. About £10.00+ VAT and a push fit in the fuse box. I do not have the part number but I sure someone out there will have it. Fixed my 1997 Golf with a very similar problem.
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It may be worth trying replacement of the relay which controls the ECU. About £10.00+ VAT and a push fit in the fuse box. I do not have the part number but I sure someone out there will have it. Fixed my 1997 Golf with a very similar problem.
Thanks ----- in view of relative cheapness may try this first.
I
I've looked in the fuse box - under the dash - drivers side. There are 4 removable 'relays' - the handbook doesn't seem to say whats what. Can you advise which one is the ECU relay?
Cheers
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islandman
Depending on your engine code [ABD?] you may well not have an engine control relay on that system. There are something like fifty different management systems on Golfs over the years and not all of them use a relay 3/30/109.
That flashing oil light suggests a loss of rev signal from a still-rotating engine, so that hall-effect sensor is still the most likely. If funds are limited, try and get an identically-numbered complete distributor from a breakers.
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islandman Depending on your engine code [ABD?] you may well not have an engine control relay on that system. There are something like fifty different management systems on Golfs over the years and not all of them use a relay 3/30/109. That flashing oil light suggests a loss of rev signal from a still-rotating engine, so that hall-effect sensor is still the most likely. If funds are limited, try and get an identically-numbered complete distributor from a breakers.
Thanks Screwloose --- note what you say (not that I didn't the first time)! The problem I've found is that although I've got a damn good independent I use, my guy says that ideally he needs the fault to be occuring when he has the car. So far the fault has only been evident for a matter of minutes and with no pattern at all that I can see. Fortunately money isn't really a problem but I am not made of it and don't want to start replacing things unnecessarily.(Daughter is an Uni so has no cash of her own) As usual with this type of thing, if I leave the car with him sods law says the fault won't show.
Am I right in assuming that whilst working ok the Hall Sender wouldn't show a fault if tested - if it can be tested that is.
Sorry, but these type of things are so annoying --- you hope its gone away then it strikes again. -- Oh and of course when it breaks down and daughters driving then of course it all my fault!! - know what I mean.
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My Mk IV Golf SDI did this repeatedly. Garage had it several times under warranty and could find no fault.Only when they kept it for a whole week did the fault manifest itselves to them. Think it was the immobiliser system in which the ignition lock has some device which interacts with the transponder in the key IIRC. New locks were fitted all round and that cured it. Hope it is a cheaper problem than that.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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islandman
You'll need a bit of luck for it to show itself on demand.
Testing is easy; the hall-effect material is a conductor in the presence of a magnet and an insulator when it isn't. As the magnet rotates with the engine the signal circuit simply switches rapidly on-and-off. Any 'scope can show/record it.
When they go faulty, everything works normally - then suddenly - nothing.
You'll be chasing this fault for ages; I'll stick my head on the block and say it's a 75% chance that's what's the problem.
On a '94 you may be just too early for a factory immobilizer.
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You could try spraying the hall sensor with freezer spray to try and provoke a reaction.
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islandman You'll need a bit of luck for it to show itself on demand. Testing is easy; the hall-effect material is a conductor in the presence of a magnet and an insulator when it isn't. As the magnet rotates with the engine the signal circuit simply switches rapidly on-and-off. Any 'scope can show/record it. When they go faulty, everything works normally - then suddenly - nothing. You'll be chasing this fault for ages; I'll stick my head on the block and say it's a 75% chance that's what's the problem. On a '94 you may be just too early for a factory immobilizer.
Thanks Screwloose
Yes -- no immobilizer but there does seem to be some sort of after marker alarm --- which doesn't appear to work! As you say I could end up chasing this for a long time so perhaps best to bite the bullet and try what you say. -- Fortunately my daughter is now back at Uni and leaves her car at home - for me to drive from time to time so at least it wont pack up on her at present. Cheers
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