[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] [New Search]
On 31 Aug 2006 at 23:52, Arkady Mirvis wrote: > My 72' Squareback engine starts (with the pedal slightly depressed) > and 10-20 seconds stops. The second attempt to start (also with the > pedal slightly depressed) is always successful. What is wrong with > the engine? Any help is appeciated. If this only happens after the car has been parked for several hours, then the problem is probably just air in the fuel line. This seems to happen with a lot of the FI cars after they have cooled down after the heat soak that occurs after shutting down a hot engine. Here's how to tell if this is your problem: Drive the car normally one day and then park it when you're done for the day. After 3-4 hours, go back to the car and start it again. Get it running normally, but don't let it warm up. Then just shut it off. If it starts and runs on the first start the next morning, then air in the line was your problem. I have worked this problem over with several cars and have never found a perfect solution, but there are a couple of good work- arounds. The easiest one is to just turn the key on and off a few times to get the pump to run and fill the line. This might take 10-20 cycles to get all the air out. The most effective solution is to install a momentary contact switch under the dash which allows you to run the fuel pump for a few seconds BEFORE you even try the starter. This is effective because it doesn't require lots of start/stop cycles of the ignition switch, pump relay, and fuel pump, so it takes less time. Plus, it is rewarding, because you can hear the air bubbling up in the gas tank. Once the bubbles stop, you know the car is ready. You can rig up your own switch or I have complete switchs and brackets with all necessary wiring premade for $11. -- ******************************* Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, Wisconsin, USA ******************************* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~