Re: 16V Hard Start

[tiAn@usiw.net]

Several folks have suggested that the accumulator may not be holding
sufficient pressure to allow the car to hot start. I agree that this sounds
like a good diagnosis, except I just installed a brand new accumulator when
I had the fuel tank recall done about three months back. I'll check it out,
but I hope it is not the cause. Anyone had a new accumulator just up and
crap out on them?

Allow me to also add some detail after wrangling with it before driving home
tonight. The car is hard starting cold too, but not nearly as stubborn as
when hot. It fires off one good time on the very first attempt (I assume
this to be the cold start injector) and then I have to shove a foot into the
throttle to get it to kick over. It chugs for a bit with under full
throttle, then spins up and behaves normally: good idle, solid bottom end,
strong pull up top.

When hot, I have had to start disconnecting the O2 sensor to get enough fuel
into the engine to fire, which it does after an extended cranking session.
Then it chugs as when cold until it spins up over 2k, after which all is
well again, but the bottom end is starting to fade versus when she's cold.

Either hot or cold, if I don't give it full throttle it will crank over
interminably without firing. Afterward the plugs are dry if I pull them to
check. The plugs are also a nice light tan color, which I believe suggests
that once it is running, it is running correctly.

I'm stumped and my wife is sick of the car or at least of having to come
rescue me from the parking lot. For that matter I am not amused either,
although once it starts she drives as nice as ever, makes me want to wrestle
it again in the morning.

I appreciate your generosity with your collective wisdom.

Regards,

Christian
87 Scirocco 16V






----- Original Message -----
From: <Captnbr@aol.com>
To: <tiAn@usiw.net>; <scirocco-L@scirocco.org>
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2000 4:27 PM
Subject: Re: 16V Hard Start


> In a message dated 8/25/00 3:39:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tiAn@usiw.net
> writes:
>
> << y car has become increasingly hard to start when it warms up. It starts
OK
>  from dead cold, but as the car and the ambient temperature increase it
>  becomes unnervingly hard to start reliably. This afternoon I had to
>  disconnect the O2 sensor before it finally caught. That points to a
mixture
>  issue, in my mind. Yes? >>
>
> It sounds like you might be experiencing vapor lock.  You fuel accumulator
> might be bad and not holding the fuel pressure when you turn off your
engine.
> Not having pressure allows the fuel to atomize causing very difficult
> starting when hot.
>
> Brian 86 16v
> http://hometown.aol.com/captnbr/myhomepage/auto.html


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