We needed a cheap reliable care that was going to do alot to the gallon!! We setlled on a 1.9d felicia on an R plate, the car had covered only 50000 miles with history. It is ummarked and looks new. We thought we had a bargin. It was test driven started and stopped, driven about 40 miles on the motorway fine plenty of go. Got home went inside came out a couple of hours later and it refused to start.

AA man called, he reckoned the solenoid on the pump had gone, took off solenoid this morning checked on a battery it clicks on and off fine. He thought the solenoid had packed up because a fuse kept blowing when the igniton switch was turned on.

I made a separate circuit with the battery, with a fuse, the solenoid stays open, tried to start the car nothing, it turns fine. The glow plug light works ok.

The timing belt is fine, it has not snapped.

Please tell me it is something silly I am missing and not that the fuel pump has gone!!!!!!:(

Alex and Hayley

PS Please tell me te jokes about heated rear windscreens are not true!

Look first for the simple things.

Are there any fuel leaks anywhere around the engine bay or under the car?

Is there actually fuel in the tank? It sounds daft but you should take off the fuel cap and shake the car - listen for the sloshing of diesel in the tank.

Are the connections on the fuel filter tight? If one of those is letting in air, she won't start.

Is the drain valve on the bottom of the fuel filter screwed up tightly? I had a VW that wouldn't start for that reason.

Hope this helps.

Call me Ishmael

If you keep churning it over it will probably start with a good battery charge, and when the engine is warm it will probably start easy, as you bought it.

Change the glow plugs, you don't know how old they are.

Look for fuel line leaks, it would let air in the fuel system.

Do a search on this forum.

Hi troops, yes there is fuel and I have given it a good turn over, ages of cranking, glow plugs are next on the agender. Any more ideas???

Is the car parked on the level or on a slope? if fuel levels are low but fuel present sometimes parking on a slope can be enough to stop fuel getting through with sufficient pressure. Ive heard of a brand new maserati finding itself on the back of a tow truck for exactly that reason

half a tank of fuel in it.

Hard to say whats wrong with it then, need someone who knows this engine in this car specifically. Ive taken the petrol powered 1.3 felicia apart and put them back to gether I could do them blind fold. But the diesel Ive never touched.

I had a diesel mondeo for a while that one spent 6 weeks in the dealership not starting - that turned out to be down to a adjustment needing to be done to a pot on the the throttle peddle! They only found that out AFTER they had replaced almost every inch of woring under the bonnet, and almost every electrical engine ancilary.

The basic theory of a diesel engine is that they are far less finicky to run than a petrol Not having to worry so much about ignition etc, Mechanically a naturally aspirated diesel engine with fuel getting through is about as unlikely to give running trouble as you get, but that doesnt figure in electrics controlling the fuel to a modern engine. Sadly I know nothing about the VW mechanicals and electricals on the diesel car, I only know the old skoda 1300's.

If the car started on the key when you test drove it etc I cant really see it being a major problem, I normally ask a salesperson to pop a bonnet before starting the engine to check that the engines cold and so im seeing any cold starting issues before I buy. Was the car cold started in front of you? If so I would expect you are looking at something along hte lines of a loose wire or a relay or even a fuse. But not knowing this engine and its eletrics you will need to wait for someone who knows it better to give you some more hints sorry I cant be more help than that.

will be the glow plugs trust me.

the prob is you'll faff the barrery now and the diesel needs a good powerful battery to kick in ...................

it cant be serious they soldier on and on

Well boys and girls after cahnging the glow plugs, bleeding everything and more it still did not go!!!!!!!

Took the cambelt off and the fuel pump free wheels round better than a jacked up wheel.

HAS ANYBODY GOT A FUEL HANDY???

Alex and Hayley

If you can find some one near you with VAG.COM you can scan the fuel pump and immobiliser for fault codes.

Go to the VAG.COM forum on here, you can post and see if anyone living near you can help.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/diagnostics-vag-com/

Where do you live?

i say go and get a petrol. :D

no offence.