Car will not start. Left for a week & started perfectly on return but since then zilch. Battery OK. Almost started once but only ran for a few seconds.

Fairly sure it's firing.

Any ideas?

Can you hear the fuel pump before starting it?

Any warning lights coming on / flashing?

I'd think that you might want to get the plugs out and check that they are dry and leave the cylinders open to dry out just in case you have flooded the engine. Did you "go" for a run after the initial successful start up - so tha the engine had warmed up? If not I'd reckon that you have just flooded it. I did something like that with my Passat B5 after changing the fuel filter, got it running for a minute or two then it ran out of fuel before it had reprimed the filter - and the engine was still cold - that took a lot to get started again.

1.4 16v.. When you say zilch do you mean it doesn't do anything.. or does it turn with out firing? If it does then It's either a fuel pump relay.. or if it's been running poorly as well, the coolant temp sensor.. two VERY common failures on this engine that can stop it starting..

When you get it on diagnostics You'll either have logged injector faults (fuel pump relay) or if not, looking at the read out from the coolant temperature sensor, will probably be quite unstable but you may have to wait a little while if it's an intermittent problem.

Don't take the above as gospel though, These are just the two most common causes.

I bet your Fabia falls on, or in-between, W <-> 02 reg!

Edited 5 October, 200916 yr by reflex88

Thanks for the replies.

Well, Sunday morning it started but only after several minutes continuous churning. I suspect flooding but lasting all night?

Anyhow, took it to local VAG dealer (manager is a neighbour and very helpful) and they cannot connect to diagnostics - completely dead, no readout at all (they have had no trouble before). Car still running OK so we'll see what happens next!

I guess the garage would check this, but it isn't an after market radio is it? Some can prevent VAGCOM from working, but what the system does I dunno.

Also my 1.4 16v does this, did it today acutally, I just keep cranking it and it fires eventually. Lucky it didn't flood it actaully. Why it does it I don't know, it runs fine so I am assuming it's not the colour/temp sensor as reflex says, and the fuel pump is priming it, so I can't offer any more help I am afraid.

Edited 5 October, 200916 yr by TriggerFish

Thanks for the replies.

I suspect flooding but lasting all night?

Oh yes, quite possible, modern engines are quite well sealed internaly so even in Autumn some fuel will remain in the cylinders overnight - that was why I suggested removing the plugs so that they would dry in free air and also to let the cylinders "breathe" and lose any fuel left in them. I've never seen written down anywhere how to "unflood" a VAG modern petrol engine - most Fords with fuel injection will treat a fully opened throttle (pedal to the floor) with a non running engine as a "shut of fuel demand" so you can crank it to flush out the excess fuel and then as it starts to fire and run you just release the throttle to let the fuel through.

I guess the garage would check this, but it isn't an after market radio is it? Some can prevent VAGCOM from working, but what the system does I dunno.

Also my 1.4 16v does this, did it today acutally, I just keep cranking it and it fires eventually. Lucky it didn't flood it actaully. Why it does it I don't know, it runs fine so I am assuming it's not the colour/temp sensor as reflex says, and the fuel pump is priming it, so I can't offer any more help I am afraid.

For the diagnostic comms problem that aftermarket radio comment is very relevant.

I would not dismiss the engine temperature sensor though, as if it reads too hot then starting a cold engine will be problematic and flooding could happen before the engine managed to get running. Reading too cold would lead to the engine starting to get "fluffy" as it heated up and maybe stopping if left to idle.

BTW, the engine temperature sensor "not being good" would not necessarly cause a fault code to be set as it would need to give an "out of range" reading to be caught by the car's built-in diagnostic system, my Passat did that - well at least an intermittant "out of range" reading which brought on the engine fault light - it had felt a bit "fluffy" at cold starts in extremely cold weather for a year or so - by "fluffy" I mean it felt like it only JUST managed to start (instead of flooding), but the fuel economy has not changed since replacing that sensor.

Edited 5 October, 200916 yr by rum4mo