My old ('87) Polo 1.3 is reluctant to start on cold mornings. I changed the spark plugs to no avail. It still seems to fire up one cylinder at a time. Once it's warmed a little it runs fine. I haven't been able to replicate the problem for a garage.
The coil, cap, rotor and leads are all Bosch and 2 years old. The cooling system has been flushed and anti-freeze mix filled.
I have noticed that my neighbour's car (a J reg Peugeot 106) does exactly the same thing, as does my grandparent's C reg Honda.
What could it be, and how do I test for it?
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Check the compression of the cylinders. If you can't be bothered to have it done, squirt a little light oil into the combustion chambers and if it starts straight away you need a re-bore or new piston rings at least. If you can't be bothered to take the manifold off, try squirting some easystart into the air intake having removed the filter first. If it starts straightaway, suspect low compression. Then have a compression check done.
On the other hand, since it happens to your relations also, suspect a virus. ANSWER: kill your relations. Ask the army to come and burn them. Probably take a week or two, but what the hell. (buy French steak)
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I agree with the low compressions idea. Unless the engine is mega mileage (200k plus) or has been neglected it's unlikely to be worn bores. Gummed rings and valves more so.Flush the engine and change the oil and give the fuel a good dose of REDEX every fill-up. Also suspect the Cap and Rotor. Dampness inside the cap will give the same symptoms.
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Many thanks for the suggestions.
I compression tested the engine when I changed the plugs with the engine warm. All readings were 9.5-10.5 bar if I remember correctly (and definitely well within spec).
The car regularly gets a 180 mile run, 5k semi-synth oil changes and only Shell fuel; could it still be gummed up?
Could the HT leads be sensitive to temperature, or perhaps a carb problem?
Regards,
Rob Fleming
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OK that seems to let out the compression theory so I'd plump for a distributor cap and/or rotor fault. The other thing that I have found on Polo's that usually do short journeys is that running a "hotter" sparkplug pays dividends. For example NGK recommend a '6' on the heatrange (BP6ES) I have found that a '5' rated plug (BP5ES) gives better cold starting as it does not foul up so readily due to it's hotter running temperature.
Good luck!
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But try a compression test when it is properly cold. Presumably it starts OK when it is warm???
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I ran in circles round my daughters X Reg 1050, with poor starting, intermittent rough running etc etc. I found some genuine faults including a contact set with a loose pivot pin (Lucas, and the bottom of the brass pin had never been peened!). new rotor cap leads capacitor substitut coil. Fuel filter, Petrol pump, carb float adjustment all jets cleaned, new petol tank! all to no avail. remove the original fitment plastic bag HT lead water protection and it was marginally better. All carried out in order of likelyness and cheapness, but Tank rotted out on fuel filler neck just in front of rear wheel. I suggest that you keep the area just in the front of the rear wheel arch clear of road gunge build up.
One day I was working on it and I happened to drop my 300w halogen work lamp causing the bulb to blow. In the gloom the fault was then revealed. HT spark was jumping a clear 1" from the nose of the coil to the sharp corner on the LT Tag thro the air! Not tracking across the surface. It was not even a damp day. I believe that original had a large plastic shroud on the coil LT Tag so I suspect VW must have seen the problem at some time. Best of luck!
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I hope, touch wood, that I have cracked the problem. I changed the electronic ignition module (I must confess I pocketed a shiny obviously replaced one on a trip to the scrapyard for a speedo a while back).
Since then it fires up on the button, and cold and damp mornings are no problem at all.
I would have thought these electronic devices either worked or didn't, but it seems they can be susceptible to the elements (and 150k), and function perfectly once warmed up a bit.
Many thanks for all the suggestions.
Rob Fleming
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