Since owning the 2007 Fabia, there seems to be an issue with cold starting regardless of the weather. I changed the glow plugs, fuel filter and battery soon after buying it a year ago. If the car is sat overnight it turns over really slow until starting. Hot starts are not an issue? Has anyone else seen this problem?

 

Thanks,

Matt

 

 

Slow? Starter motor? I'd suspect either motor or battery, or charge into battery. You don't mention engine . I've got a 1.4TDI and I always use largest that fits. I'm on third battery in ,20 year old car.

Get battery checked at somewhere like Kwick fit as well as charge rate. Engine cold will place heavier load on battery and excess resistance in solenoid will reduce volts to motor. From memory drop!across solenoid should be less than 0.5 volt.

The starter is a motor, dependant on voltage ( under load) to turn fast. 

A poor battery/ bad solenoid / or poor connections / poor battery via ltage will cause starter to run slow when cold.

Should have changed it sooner, tells the story..... 

 

 

Matt, many ,many years ago , I owned an Austin maxi, where it was possible to access the solenoid. Yearly, Id pull the starter off and clean the solenoid contacts. It never failed, till one day it had problems. It was the mechanical linkage , according to my mate at an auto elec place. Once they'd sorted ot the problem, they tested it. My mate was amazed to finf out that starter was factory origonal .

Ive never tried on my TDI .I just changed starter for one of same KW as in Haynes. And with 96AH battery, Id expect it to start within 5 secs . Old seafering grandad always said " never destroy ship for a hapenny of tar". I'd say same for batteries. Spend a bit extra for extra capacity and place less strain on battery in cold.