My 1999 skoda felicia wont start when the engine is hot, starts first time evey time when the engine is cold. I need to wait every time I stop the car until the yellow coil light comes on before the car will start (about an hour!) very frustrating...any ideas?

Sounds like you've got fuel vapourisation problems (but that would be a first with an injection car IME), or else the cold start system is playing up and not allowing hot starts.

i'm assuming it's a diesel here right??

i would check the engine coolant temperature sensor... it uses this to work out when to(and how long) the glow plug relay is active for when starting

either that or the fuel cut-off control box is NFG

Teflon, yes it's a diesel, should have said that at the start - 1.9d

I get where Tom's coming from with the fuel cutoff; other than that, I've never known a diesel have a hot start issue unless it was so hot as to cause issues with spinning the starter motor.

Teflon, yes it's a diesel, should have said that at the start - 1.9d

At that rate, it's not fuel vapourisation! (well not unless the paint is blistering off the bonnet, and I think you'd have noticed that ). Looking more like the fuel cut-off if the engine spins but doesn't start, or the starter circuitry (rather than the starter motor) if the engine won't even spin properly.

can you give us an idea of what happens when it fails to start??

does it turn over but not fire??

wont turn over at all??

will fit fire up if you press the accelerator down fully when hot??

Ken, yes the starter is turning over no problems Except its killing the battery) just wont kick in. Never any problems when the engines cold, or cold enough for the yellow glow plug indicator lamp to come on then off....

try unplugging the coolant sensor next time you try to start it when it's hot...

if you post up a picture of your engine bay i'll show you were it is

Tom, it's been gradually getting worse now for some months, probably because in the colder weather the engine cooled down much quicker. I used to get it to start by pressing down on the accelerator but now that doesn't work. I had a new starter moter fitted 2 days ago on the advice of a mechanic but that's made no difference

yeah i still reckon it's caused by the coolant sensor... it's on the right hand end of the cylinder head in a black plastic housing(the one which it connected to the radiator top hose:D) the sensor has a square 4 pin connector...

try unplugging it to see if it will start with it disconnected when the engine is hot... if it does it's fairly conclusive that it is faulty

No

Not the starter , it is the coolant temp sensor

I had it on my diesel

I went through 3 of the diesel ones , so in the end i resorted to the petrol one

It made the glow plug light come on all the time , but heck it started every time after that

Sarah

Well, that's convinced me, given the source. I was thinking it was one of the 2, although I've never met a diesel not starting cos it was "too hot" before.

Tom, just phone the garage up where the car is at the moment and they were going to order a relay for which is attached to coolent sensor, I've suggest to tem to try your idea of unplugging the coolent sensor and seeing if that works and he hadn't thought of that! He's popped up to the local VW garage to get a new sensor, will let you know....

, although I've never met a diesel not starting cos it was "too hot" before.

it's quite common on engines with mechanical lifters when the valve clearances are a little too tight( loss of compression).... but wont affect the felicia becuase it has hydraulic lifters

Tom, just phone the garage up where the car is at the moment and they were going to order a relay for which is attached to coolent sensor, I've suggest to tem to try your idea of unplugging the coolent sensor and seeing if that works and he hadn't thought of that! He's popped up to the local VW garage to get a new sensor, will let you know....

there is no relay attached to the coolant sensor circuit.. i assume he means the glow plug relay... but even still, would start still with the glow plugs not even connected...

the cause of most coolant sensor failiures is crusted up antifreeze on the tip of the sensor, if ytou are very carefull you can grind off with a wire wheel mounted in a power drill... but they are only cheap anyway!!

You Guys!

There's a whole thread already about this problem on the 1.9D felicia engine. replacing the temp. sender switch with one from a 1.3 petrol usually solves the problem.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/felicia-fun-forman/hot-starts-felicia-1-9-diesel-cube-van/51415/2/?highlight=cube+van

So far the reports from the front are all positive.

This VERY simple mod appears to rectify a VERY annoying problem with the 1.9D engine.

It also means that the cutting and pasting is rendered null and void.

SO at this point I would recommend Pt No. 6UO 919 501 B as the solution to this particular Hot Start issue.

All for around

Hi

Also , they are NOT available from the VW dealer , these are a 6U0 number , this means that it is Skoda only

So it is a Skoda dealership that you would need to get in touch with

Or there is Butts Of Bawtry that do them too

Sarah