*sigh* car not starting...

Started by 5-pot, November 26, 2007, 10:09:05 PM

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5-pot

Bah.  I ripped out the old interior and put in some B4 stuff.  Looked all so clean and new(er).  Then i got in and turned the key and the car wouldn't start! 

It turns over very happily, strong battery charge but no luck.  I blew a fuse for the interior lights, sunvisor lights, clock so, replaced that and all the other fuses look o.k.  I don't seem to be getting fuel to the engine and I'm not getting spark.  The distributor rotor looks ok and gave the contacts a good scrape to clean them up a bit. 

Basically, the only parts of the electical system I touched were the window switches, the sunvisor lights, and the door switches (interior lights).  There were a coupla dangling wires in the drivers foot well but they were disconnected even before we took stuff outta the car, really.  Played with them to get the interior lights working (the prev owner had broken one of the door switches so, he disconnected the whole circuit somehow and I was wondering if those wires had anything to do with it) 

Could I have inadvertently fried the ECU while poking around in the car?  I had the key in the ignition but in the "off" position pretty much the whole time...

Dumbfounded.
?The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.? - Thucydides (Ancient Greek historian and author, 460-404bc)

- 1990 Coupe quattro - R.I.P.
- 1988 90 quattro project... Sold
- 2005 Golf 2.0 TDI

slayer00

Its probably the fuel pump relay. Have you checked to see if the is getting any thing?

5-pot

Yeah, the pump works.  Pretty sure the relay works cos we swapped it out with another one and we could smell the fuel when we were cranking, with either of the relays in there. 

We're not getting spark either though  ???
?The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.? - Thucydides (Ancient Greek historian and author, 460-404bc)

- 1990 Coupe quattro - R.I.P.
- 1988 90 quattro project... Sold
- 2005 Golf 2.0 TDI

slayer00

Check the controll unit. You May have dislodged it when you swapped dashes

5-pot

Nah didn't swap dashes.  Just door cards and carpet.  Could I have fried the ECU?   :-[
?The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.? - Thucydides (Ancient Greek historian and author, 460-404bc)

- 1990 Coupe quattro - R.I.P.
- 1988 90 quattro project... Sold
- 2005 Golf 2.0 TDI

slayer00

Very un likely. Just go through and check or the simple/basic things

5-pot

Yeah, spent about 4 hours doing just that.  Not really sure where to look now :(  I hear the hall effect sensors are somewhat fragile on these cars.  Maybe that crapped out?

Yeah, I'm starting to stab in the dark now.
?The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.? - Thucydides (Ancient Greek historian and author, 460-404bc)

- 1990 Coupe quattro - R.I.P.
- 1988 90 quattro project... Sold
- 2005 Golf 2.0 TDI

slayer00

Are yyou getting spark from the coil?

5-pot

Hrm.  Don't know about coil but I'm not getting spark at the plugs...

Quote from: LOW-90 on November 27, 2007, 04:25:51 PM
Check the controll unit. You May have dislodged it when you swapped dashes

What is this control unit controlling?  There is a box under the rear seats with a few hoses and wires coming in and out of it...

Thanks!
?The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.? - Thucydides (Ancient Greek historian and author, 460-404bc)

- 1990 Coupe quattro - R.I.P.
- 1988 90 quattro project... Sold
- 2005 Golf 2.0 TDI

slayer00

Its under the dash on the right hand side. That box under the rear seat is for your rear diff lock. You should consider buying a Haynes manual for the b3's as it will show you where all this is, only thing is; is that it doesn't cover the quattro drive train

Pushbutton_auto

Beating up parking wardens ain't a crime.

BB

the box under seat is electric door lock vacume pump normally in an audi.
How did you blow the fuse to the other stuff? shorting wires can blow ecus i guess  but normally they don't.
It tears your undies dosen't it, doing things and then it wont start >:(
Check you havent bumped any earths off.
The end is nigh, but the end of what is the question?

slayer00

The box will be for the diff lock as stated earlier, the vacum pump for central locking is in the boot. You need to check that you are getting spark from the coil

5-pot

Quote from: Pushbutton_auto on November 28, 2007, 06:53:33 PM
Go back to basics

Too right.  Recharged the battery because it finally gave up, probably due to numerous unsuccessful cranks.  Turns out the ECU doesn't like voltages below 10.5V.  Since ECU controls spark and fuel, the car didn't start.  Only, I don't get how the engine cranked over so easily on 10.5V...  ??? 

Anyway, good to have car running now :)  Thanks heaps to Wilco for all the help and effort he put into the car!  He got it running because I'm basically in Auckland and the car is in Taupo, with him!  Awesome guy and one heck of a wealth of knowledge right there!

Thanks again!
?The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.? - Thucydides (Ancient Greek historian and author, 460-404bc)

- 1990 Coupe quattro - R.I.P.
- 1988 90 quattro project... Sold
- 2005 Golf 2.0 TDI

BB

Good one ;) Thanks low 90 I will remember that about the box being for diff lock, its true that most audis have the pump under the seat tho my audis difflocks work on engine vacume, why would other audis need a vacume pump?
The end is nigh, but the end of what is the question?

GlenT

I think he referred to the vacuum pump for the door locks (as you did in your earlier post), which is in the side of the boot.
But as you say, the diffs work from engine vacuum.

BB

Huh so whats going on? My Audi 200 and 100s I have owned have the door lock pump under the rear seat, yes I have also seen the door pump in the boot. I have never heard of a diff lock pump? They work off engine vacume as far as i know.
You also get ABS ECU under rear seats.
The end is nigh, but the end of what is the question?

GlenT

And accelerometer for ABS as well on some models;)

wilco

One of the boxes under the seat (there are 3 there) may well be for the diff lock but it doesnt sound quite right.  Diff locks are fairly simple units run, like people have said, off engine vacuum and an electrical switch by the handbrake lever. ABS acc.  is probably another (in the middle of the car right on the tunnel)  and the 3rd has vacuum to and from, possibly a door controller?
The main ECU for this model is under the rear seat on LHS unless there is another unit that has about a 20pin clamped connector on it.
Yes the ultimate problem was that we'd been playing with window motors et al throughout the day and with other drawings upon ignition it seemed there wasnt quite enough to provide enough constant voltage for the brain.  I'd experienced that problem some years ago on a car with L-Jetronic.  Of course as soon as 5-pots car burst into song I remembered what the solution was.  Long time ago!
Dunno if the K-Jet brain needs the same voltage but a full battery worked a treat.

Nice ride too by the way.
W.   8)

5-pot

Haha cheers!  I was in the video store with my brother when I got the voicemail.  Standing in the corner making strange moaning and sighing noises (brought on by the faint noise of an idling 5-cylinder in my ear).  People were looking at me funny...

just have to figure out why the damn diff lock doesn't work.  Must be a leak somewhere along the line...
?The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.? - Thucydides (Ancient Greek historian and author, 460-404bc)

- 1990 Coupe quattro - R.I.P.
- 1988 90 quattro project... Sold
- 2005 Golf 2.0 TDI