2.0Gti 8v cutting out randomly

[Nick Nick]

Hi again,

After changing the coil on my car I thought the problems were fixed, but it would appear there is something else still wrong.

The car seems to misbehave after about 1/2 an hour, and will randomly die, at 70, 30, or stationary, with a audiable clicking noise from the fusebox. I still have electric power, and the car will try to turn over, but won't start for a minute or two, or sometimes after 20 seconds. I thought it was relay 30 clicking, but it appears to be relay 167 which from other posts I've read is the fuel pump relay. There doesnt seem to be any pattern to it - it just cuts out in annoying places like dual carriageway junctions, in the fast lane on the motorway, in front of ambulances...
Give it a minute or sometimes just start it again and its off again, then cuts out. Then I take a relay or two out which feel a bit warm (30 and 167), put them back in, start her up and off I go.

I thought it was due to shorting my speed sensor cable when installing a nav unit, but this cable is properly isolated now so its not that.

It's darn annoying, not to mention dangerous, so if anyone has any suggestions please shout! I'm fed up with being late on important occasions because the magic Evil Ibiza Mk2 Cutout Fairy comes to visit...

Thanks in advance!!

Nick

 

[andyj]

'30' is the ECU Control Relay, which I had problems with on my old Cordoba. It's only about £11 from VW, so worth a try!

The other thing to check on an 8v is the throttle body, check it's not all gunked up. This mainly causes problems when you take your foot off the accelerator and dip the clutch.... the engine will then stall.

 

[Nick Nick]

Thanks for the reply - I was going to try the fuel pump relay first, since i've just noticed that one of its legs is slightly wobbly, but thought I'd ask here first cos I've seen a few other posts saying that changing it didnt make any difference...

I dont think its a gunk issue as such, although I did think about crap fuel being the culpit, but its been the same on optimax as with cheap stuff - she runs like a dream when the Fairy is bugging someone else...

I've heard horror stories of immobilizers and dodgy wiring to the fusebox, but nothing has happened in the car that I am aware of that could cause it.

Miffed to say the least, but I'll give the relays a shot for the meantime...

Thanks again

Nick

 

[Kai_1600]

I think the clicking from the fusebox gives it away as a relay non?

I'd say give the fuel pump relay a shot, mine was a dog when it was dying

 

[Nick Nick]

I'm hoping its the relay, and not something else causing the relay to click....

Gonna get one today, £22 from a dealer but looking for a local spares place first instead - unfortunately am at work so can't get to my normal one.

Thanks for the message,

Nick

 

[Nick Nick]

Replaced the fuel pump relay today, and I still have the same problem - this is sooo frustrating! It died again today after about half an hour again.

imade it home which took 30 mins, was in the house for 10 minutes with the car off, went out and got a mile and half down the road and it died.
I left it for a minute or two, tried again it worked for a minute and then died.
Called the AA.
Started the car, ran for a minute and died.
Left it for a minute or two.
Started the car, ran for over 5 minutes, so I turned it off so as not to annoy the house I was outside.
AA Arrived. Car started and ran like a dream .
Got the AA to follow me home, with no problems.
AA ran diagnostics, with some funky chunky wireless bad-boy OBD adapter, which wouldn't even connect to the ECU in my car. Vixen software I noticed they use, but its cack for a '98 Ibiza.
Ran VAG-Com from my laptop and my own OBD-II cable which connects fine, but reports no errors at all on the ECU, IMMOB, Airbags or ABS. I don't really get how to use VAG-COM fully, and have yet to read further on the forum, but from what I do know I cannot see error codes at all.

ARRRRGGGGHHH!! I'm soo miffed with this, because I can get to and from work, but just can't rely on the car to get me anywhere important ontime!

Logically, it has to be something stopping the juice getting to the spark plugs, and not just one of them - all of them. If it were just 1, I'd expect spluttering and all sorts of lumpiness, which I just don't get.
The starter motor turns over whether I have the problem or not, the car just does not spark into life. There is also plenty of juice from the battery.
The coil was replaced recently with the help of this forum as it had died completely in the middle of this intermittent problem (car is at the 100K, things start to break stage), and works fine when the car is going.
What's next in the order of things - the distributer cap? That's what I'm thinking to try next, although is it likely to fail every now and then??.
There are HT leads, although its unlikely all four fail at once, and intermittently work again.
Spark plugs, again, unlikely all four die at once and not give me any backfiring or spluttering.

If anyone can think of anything, I would be extremely grateful for any help,

Thanks

Nick

 

[Cupra Kid]

Fuel filter getting blocked?
ECU relay?
Distributor failure? ( i had this on my old polo needed a whole new dizzy and gives your symptoms)

 

[GTV]

I have a problem which is almost the same abpart from it only cuts out for a sec, I have swaped the ecu relay from one car to the other and now the Ibiza is running fine and the Vario has started to play up, so I have to get a new relay for it, worth a try mate.

 

[Nick Nick]

Hey, thanks for the responses - I was originally going to change the ECU relay, but thought that the fuel pump relay was at fault. Annoyed now i've wasted the $$$, but at least it's eliminated.

Would the fuel filter suddenly start blocking intermittently? Its been perfectly fine until recently and never done anything like this before

I've wobbled the fuse box while its on, and it doesnt feel like a loose connection since the car dies at any speed, or even stationary. If it died on a jolt I could understand a loose connnection.

I think I'll try the ECU relay first, then maybe the dizzy but I'm not sure if that has any parts that would wear?

Thanks again, and still open to suggestions!!

Nick

 

[andyj]

ECU relay would be my next thing to try.

I vaguely remember a few people on here having a similair problem, which turned out to be the crank position sensor, which may be something to bear in mind...... not cheap though IIRC, something like £60....

 

[Nick Nick]

Hey, thanks.

My old man just rang, and he suggested the HT lead from the coil to the dizzy. Could be breaking down under heat and flexing - worth a shot for a few quid as is the ECU relay. Could be something to do with the HT lead as the coil died just after this problem started...


Im quite upset. I feel like my best buddy has been grounded.

 

[Brummy]

the cutting out issue sounds like the one I had, but I didnt get the clicking, and it happened mainly in damp(er) weather. Turns out it was the main HT lead from the Coil to the Dizzy, had a crack in at the dizzy end and hence when damp exacerbated the problem (although it happened lots in drier weather too ). Hope you get it resolved easily and soon fella as I know its not nice driving and not knowing when the bloody thing will cut out

 

[Brummy]

Hey, SNAP!!

 

[Nick Nick]

Class, love the piccie

So HT lead it is first, followed by an ECU relay if that doesn't do the trick.
My best buddy may be grounded, but I also have some good friends here too it seems

Thanks guys, will keep you posted!

Nick

 

[Brummy]

if you find it IS the main HT.. change the rest too .. just for the heck of it! lol

 

[Nick Nick]

Yeah, my old man said that too, and to spray WD40 on to contacts to keep the water out...

Gotta love the old folk!

 

[Brummy]

yes,.... yes you do....

 

[Nick Nick]

I've just re-read my post - I'm not saying you're old or anything!!

 

[Brummy]

well lets put it this way, dependant on how old 'you' are, Im possibly old enough to be y'dad

 

[Nick Nick]

I don't know how to answer that without offense! Errr, thanks for the 'experienced' reply!