Looking for some advice on my morning starting issues. Recently over the past week or so my fabia vrs has struggled starting, it turns over however it does sound like it is doing this slowly at times. 

 

I am waiting for the glow plug coils to go out, this is taking a longer than usual but I assume that is due to longer heating required.

 

If i hold the key in the ignition position it eventually starts, I have been holding the throttle pedal down whilst turning over although do not know if this is helping it start.

 

Last year I replaced the battery for a Varta battery so I am very reluctant to think it is this.

 

I'm guessing it may be my glow plugs? It does seem to be getting worse but this may be due to the weather getting colder?

 

Any tips or checks I could possibly do myself would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

Many thank in advance! 

 

Dan

really need to lookat the voltage drop on key on/start

For anyone struggling with these issues I found that it was my fuel temp sensor, unplugged and it started first time. Have been told it allows the flow plugs to stay on for a longer amount of time!

Presuming you scanned it on VCDS for faults?

You can have glow plugs knackered with no indication on the dash they have failed.

Yep, my mk5 golf with the same 1.9PD engine has no faults on the dash but when scanned says number 3 glow plug open circuit.

For anyone struggling with these issues I found that it was my fuel temp sensor, unplugged and it started first time. Have been told it allows the flow plugs to stay on for a longer amount of time!

If that was the case (and it's normally the coolant temp sensor that inputs to the glow plugs not the fuel temp sensor) that would mean it's not a fault with the sensor but a fault with the glow plugs as they need to be on longer to start. However a PD even in really cold weather doesn't really need glow plugs for start (they are more emission based). So if it starts better with the fuel temp sensor disconnected maybe check what the sensor is reading when cold with VCDS. Might be a fueling issue.

Presuming you scanned it on VCDS for faults?

You can have glow plugs knackered with no indication on the dash they have failed.

 

Yep, my mk5 golf with the same 1.9PD engine has no faults on the dash but when scanned says number 3 glow plug open circuit.

 

Yes I have scanned it and there are no faults coming up. I first changed the glow plugs as I thought it was them but no change at all with the new ones.

If that was the case (and it's normally the coolant temp sensor that inputs to the glow plugs not the fuel temp sensor) that would mean it's not a fault with the sensor but a fault with the glow plugs as they need to be on longer to start. However a PD even in really cold weather doesn't really need glow plugs for start (they are more emission based). So if it starts better with the fuel temp sensor disconnected maybe check what the sensor is reading when cold with VCDS. Might be a fueling issue.

 

Thought I had cracked the problem however there have been a few times when the struggle to start has happened with the temp sensor disconnected. When I check what the sensor is reading when cold am I expecting the reading to be the outside temp? Could you guide me as to how I may narrow down this possible fueling issue I'm having?