random hard start problem

[rhock99@epix.net (Ryan H)]

You might check your residual fuel pressure (pressure when the car is shut down) as per Bentley.  There is a one-way check valve at the fuel pump.  It's duty is to keep fuel pressurized up to the injectors when you shut the car off to cool the fuel lines and prevent vapor lock.  If your fuel pressure doesn't hold a good pressure (my Bentley says 10 minutes @ 38 psi, but I have a 16v) this could be faulty.  I suppose it could be your fuel accumulator, too - the 5 minute wait is needed to allow the lines to cool.
My $0.02.

> > I have a late 84 Wolfsburg (with the small spare tire),
> > and am having an intermittent stall and/or hard start
> > problem that's drivin' me to distortion...
> >
> > Symptoms:
> >
> > Occasionally, after driving a short distance and turning
> > the engine off, the car will not restart immediately -- it
> > turns over and "tries" to fire up but won't.  However if I sit
> > there for 5 minutes and then crank it, it starts right up
> > as if nothing was wrong & runs fine.
> >
> > There is a smell when this happens, it reminds me of
> > carburetor "vapor lock smell".
> >
> > And, *very* infrequently, the engine cuts out while driving,
> > also after a short distance (less than a mile) with the same
> > result, i.e. I coast to a stop, try to start it, no go, vapor-lock
> > smell, then after ~5 minutes of waiting it starts right up with
> > no problem.
> >
> > If anybody can help me diagnose this, I'd be grateful. Other
> > than this random problem, the engine runs fine for days at
> > a time.  I suspected a bad fuel accumulator at first, but that
> > doesn't explain why a 5 minute wait would make it go away?
> >
> > Leo Miller
> > Atlanta GA
> > 84 wolfsburg, stock
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> 
> 
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