Intermittent car starting probs - VW Polo - anyone able to help?

[**elle** 10]

Hi, hoping someone might be able to help!

 

We have an N reg Volkswagen Polo which seems to be suffering an intermittent problem with the electrics/starting. The car often works fine, however more and more recently it has taken to dying completely when you turn the engine off and won't restart -by dying completely I mean that when you put the key in and turn, nothing happens, the clocks aren't visible, the radio is off, hazard lights won't work. Then, after a period of time ranging from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours, the clock and mileage clock come back on again and you can restart the car (you have to reset the clock and the radio but the mileage clock still shows the correct mileage). Up until today, the problem has only occurred when you stop the car and turn the engine off, but today the car cut out while at a standstill in traffic, leaving me stranded and unable to even put the hazard lights on. Luckily, some kind gents from the car place (Dynamic Autos on Attercliffe Rd- big thank you once again!)across the road where able to push me over to the side of the road, and as they did so, the electrics came back up again, but then died again just a moment later. They had a quick look but could not see anything obvious wrong under the bonnet - one suggested it could be something to do with a relay?

 

Any ideas on what could be wrong? We are supposed to be making a 250 mile trip at the weeked but am a bit worried about doing so now, and we can't really afford to spend a fortune at a garage who may not be able to fix it as its so ittermittent.

Thanks in advance!

[tyon60 10]

more than likely loose connection and or corroded battery terminals or a faulty ignition switch

[martss 10]

Could be an earth strap problem?

[bran 10]

you need a new battery

[carpetviper 10]

Is the key worn because it sounds like play in the ignition barrel MK3 golfs have the same problem next time it does it try wiggling the key while turning. Eventually youll need a new barrel and or ignition switch.

[**elle** 10]

Thanks all.

 

I'll double check, but I think the battery is quite new. Also, if it was the battery, would it just automatically come back to life again after a while?

 

Would the other suggestions be hard to check (earth strap, connections and corroded terminals) and, more importantly, expensive to fix?

 

 

Thanks again!

[carpetviper 10]

Thanks all.

 

I'll double check, but I think the battery is quite new. Also, if it was the battery, would it just automatically come back to life again after a while?

 

Would the other suggestions be hard to check (earth strap, connections and corroded terminals) and, more importantly, expensive to fix?

 

 

Thanks again!

 

The others are easy to check but are less likely to give you intermitten fault that you have described.

[**elle** 10]

Is the key worn because it sounds like play in the ignition barrel MK3 golfs have the same problem next time it does it try wiggling the key while turning. Eventually youll need a new barrel and or ignition switch.

 

Thanks carpetviper.

I've tried jiggling the key before but it didn't seem to work unfortunately. It seems that once it cuts out, nothing restarts it until you see the numbers come back on the clock and odometer (which can take anything from minutes to hours). Once the digital displays come back to life then you can start it straight away again.

[River-Pete 10]

Hi

 

A bad connection in a grounding point ( any connection really ) creates resistance. The resistance creates heat in and around the connection surfaces.

The heat makes the metal in the connecting surfaces to expand.

The expansion can either make the connection better or totally break it, depending on the fault.

If the connection is lost, the temperature in the contact surfaces starts going down and after a while the connection is back.. just to be lost again as the surfaces heats up.

And of course.. eventually.. there will be no connection regardless of the temperature..

 

Uuups.. sorry, went Star trekking.. Back to Your car..

 

Since Your clock and hazard lights wont work, id suspect the chassis groundings.

The mileage meters get their info from the ECU static memory, independent of the car battery.

Check the battery terminals for looseness and/or corrosion. Sand off any signs of corrosion and tighten the terminals.

Then look around under the hood for cables/straps bolted to the chassis, there are usually several. Some of them close to the battery.

If possible follow the cables from the battery minus terminal ( not always possible ).

Unscrew the bolts/nuts and clean the contact surfaces. Sand off any rust.

Re-tightening the bolts/nuts helps - seldom or never..

 

Good Luck

[**elle** 10]

Apparently we replaced the battery in Jan 2011, and H has previously tried jump starting the car when the fault occurred but with no luck.

[**elle** 10]

Hi

 

A bad connection in a grounding point ( any connection really ) creates resistance. The resistance creates heat in and around the connection surfaces.

The heat makes the metal in the connecting surfaces to expand.

The expansion can either make the connection better or totally break it, depending on the fault.

If the connection is lost, the temperature in the contact surfaces starts going down and after a while the connection is back.. just to be lost again as the surfaces heats up.

And of course.. eventually.. there will be no connection regardless of the temperature..

 

Uuups.. sorry, went Star trekking.. Back to Your car..

 

Since Your clock and hazard lights wont work, id suspect the chassis groundings.

The mileage meters get their info from the ECU static memory, independent of the car battery.

Check the battery terminals for looseness and/or corrosion. Sand off any signs of corrosion and tighten the terminals.

Then look around under the hood for cables/straps bolted to the chassis, there are usually several. Some of them close to the battery.

If possible follow the cables from the battery minus terminal ( not always possible ).

Unscrew the bolts/nuts and clean the contact surfaces. Sand off any rust.

Re-tightening the bolts/nuts helps - seldom or never..

 

Good Luck

 

Thanks River-Pete. I'm not sure I dare start sanding things down, I'd probably knacker it beyond all repair! I guess we'd best take it in and hope it doesn't cost the earth to fix.