Hi, my 1.4tdi 80bhp has recently started struggling to start, sometimes it will crank over and over and only gets going when pressing on the accelerator. I have to hold the revs high for a few seconds otherwise it will cut out again. Sometimes I can switch the ignition on and off a few times and then it'll start. Other times it'll start fine.

 

I've just had the MOT & Service and I asked for the fuel filter to be changed as well in hopes this would rectify the problem - but it's made no difference.

Intermittent issues are nearly always electrical, having said that you have a Fabia Mk 3 and this is the Fabia Mk 2 forum.

1 minute ago, sepulchrave said:

...you have a Fabia Mk 3 and this is the Fabia Mk 2 forum.

 

I think he's got a Mk2 in the '3' trim of the pre-facelift models (you know, when they decided to be weird with trim levels), based on his little profile information thing at least. 

16 minutes ago, JCDenton said:

I asked for the fuel filter to be changed as well in hopes this would rectify the problem - but it's made no difference

Did it occur to you to have the fault codes read rather than firing the part cannon and hoping?

7 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

I think he's got a Mk2 in the '3' trim of the pre-facelift models (you know, when they decided to be weird with trim levels), based on his little profile information thing at least. 

 

OMG, why even mention trim levels in relation to a mechanical fault! Who cares if it's wearing lacy knickers or plain Janes!

I think my advice may still be relevant then.

9 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Did it occur to you to have the fault codes read rather than firing the part cannon and hoping?

It did, and there are none. Fuel filter was due and I was hoping it'd be 2 birds with 1 stone.

 

8 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

OMG, why even mention trim levels in relation to a mechanical fault! Who cares if it's wearing lacy knickers or plain Janes!

I think my advice may still be relevant then.

Sorry, just got into the habit of calling it that.

2 hours ago, JCDenton said:

Sorry, just got into the habit of calling it that.

 

Don't worry, I was teasing, it is a bit like telling us the colour though...

Edited 13 February, 20224 yr by sepulchrave

2 hours ago, JCDenton said:

Hi, my 1.4tdi 80bhp has recently started struggling to start, sometimes it will crank over and over and only gets going when pressing on the accelerator. I have to hold the revs high for a few seconds otherwise it will cut out again. Sometimes I can switch the ignition on and off a few times and then it'll start. Other times it'll start fine.

 To me this sound like like either air in system. or heater plugs - revving could either purge air or take the "chill" out of the cylinders - but again more info is required:-

1/ How long have you had the car and how long have you had this issue.

2/ Is this issue just from stone cold, i.e. overnight, or also later in day if you have run it in the morning. If just the morning does the night temp change the way it starts,

3/ Any smoke on a bad start.

4/ Depending on how long you have had it, how is the cranking speed. having to increase revs when started would generally suggest this is not an issue and may be down to air in the system.

 The key on/off cycling could purge air with the repeated running of the fuel pump - there could be diesel leak back when not running, but could also add extra heat into the cylinder through multi use of the heater plugs, but on my 1.4TDI I never wait for the heater plug light to extinguish and it always starts/ticks over so do not expect heater plugs to be an actual requirement - based on my NW UK location.

 

ETA: sorry I forgot the signal emojis for others, sepulchrave knows I'm joking.

 

18 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

OMG, why even mention trim levels in relation to a mechanical fault! Who cares if it's wearing lacy knickers or plain Janes!

I think my advice may still be relevant then.

Doesn't the trim level tell those that know these sort of things (not me) what might or might not be on the model so is useful, same as some need to know if it's a hatch or estate "Combi" and some of the trim levels refer to extra electrical items.

 

And now it's a mechanical fault previously you said -

18 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

Intermittent issues are nearly always electrical

you're getting very indecisive and/or confusing, next it'll be an electro-mechanical issue 😄

 

 

 . . . or starting issue.  🤣

 

 

 

I've made the Fabia 3 mistake previously but no one need know that, doh!

 

Edited 14 February, 20224 yr by nta16
smilies

Keep it friendly in here please!

15 hours ago, KeithCheetham said:

 To me this sound like like either air in system. or heater plugs - revving could either purge air or take the "chill" out of the cylinders - but again more info is required:-

1/ How long have you had the car and how long have you had this issue.

2/ Is this issue just from stone cold, i.e. overnight, or also later in day if you have run it in the morning. If just the morning does the night temp change the way it starts,

3/ Any smoke on a bad start.

4/ Depending on how long you have had it, how is the cranking speed. having to increase revs when started would generally suggest this is not an issue and may be down to air in the system.

 The key on/off cycling could purge air with the repeated running of the fuel pump - there could be diesel leak back when not running, but could also add extra heat into the cylinder through multi use of the heater plugs, but on my 1.4TDI I never wait for the heater plug light to extinguish and it always starts/ticks over so do not expect heater plugs to be an actual requirement - based on my NW UK location.

 

Thanks for your response.

 

1) 8 months, the issue has only popped up in the last month or so.

2) Only later in the day. It cold starts fine.

3) No smoke at all.

4) The cranking speed seems fine as far as I can tell. The heater plugs were replaced 10000 miles/2 years ago.

 

Would the air in the system require some kind of bleeding to be carried out?

 

Thanks

2 minutes ago, JCDenton said:

 

Thanks for your response.

 

1) 8 months, the issue has only popped up in the last month or so.

2) Only later in the day. It cold starts fine.

3) No smoke at all.

4) The cranking speed seems fine as far as I can tell. The heater plugs were replaced 10000 miles/2 years ago.

 

Would the air in the system require some kind of bleeding to be carried out?

 

Thanks

 

I would start by replacing the ECT sensor since it seems there's a loose correlation with engine temperature.

 

Straight faces please chaps, no banter, the fun police are lurking!

9 hours ago, JCDenton said:

 

Thanks for your response.

 

1) 8 months, the issue has only popped up in the last month or so.

2) Only later in the day. It cold starts fine.

3) No smoke at all.

4) The cranking speed seems fine as far as I can tell. The heater plugs were replaced 10000 miles/2 years ago.

 

Would the air in the system require some kind of bleeding to be carried out?

 

Thanks

 Your replies have put a whole new slant on the issue give the fine cold starts, so agree with Sep on the Coolant Temperature Sensor as a starting point. Do you actually have a temperature indicator - my same year Greenline 1.4TDI only has a blue light that goes out at 45 deg.C so I never knew what temp was until I installed Torque on Android head unit which highlighted a faulty thermostat (irrelevant to this post but shows how additional info can assist, hence my lengthy questions). There has been a recent post of a car not starting as CTS was giving a reading that car was overheating but this was when cold. You may be able to disconnect the CTS as a trial to eliminate that item, although it may effect running.

 No venting required as the in tank pump does this, hence my comment on the multi ignition use pushing any possible air out.

Edited 14 February, 20224 yr by KeithCheetham
Self venting

This ended up being a damaged wire for the camshaft position sensor - strange that it didn't give any codes.

Thanks for reporting back.

 

Scan tools are very useful but are only one tool and as you have found shouldn't solely be relied on for diagnostics and repairs, they normally however with many faults give you a start point to the diagnostics.  It also depends on the type you are using, the cheap basic ones are only generic code readers but the high level tools can be used to integrate and hopefully might have pointed to the issue but physical tests are also need if only as conformation.  A person can look, touch (smell and listen) and use other tools and brain power so also comes in handy.

 

Glad it's sorted.