QuestionQUESTION: I have a 1998 Jetta wolfsburg and something has been disconneted or disabled where the car will crank but it wont start. I think it might be the coil wires or fuel pump. Do you know?
ANSWER: Hi Greg;
Without looking at the car, I can't say with 100% certainty, but I've got an idea or two. With someone there to help you, use an insulated pair of pliers...heavily insulated...like plug wire pliers, and hold the spark plug wire near an accesible ground. (Like the top of a bolt.) Have your helper turn the car over. If the spark plug wire arcs to ground then you have spark, and the distributor is doing its job, so you will have narrowed it down some. Is the timing OK? If so, then it will be a fuel problem, and could be just a clogged filter. When you turn the ignition on do you hear a buzzing noise from the back of the car? Because if you do this is the fuel pump running, and maybe the whole thing was just a clogged fuel filter. Hope this helps you get the car back on the road, Greg. Good luck.
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QUESTION: Hi, you have a good idea but I believe that a computer chip or something like that was unplugged and taken out of the car.. Is that possible?
AnswerAnything is possible The ECM is located under the windshield, in the middle of the car. If you remove the windshield wipers, you can remove the "cowl" cover over the ECM, and drain area for rain water. Do you have spark? The ECM controls everything related to fuel, and spark. There is a "load reduction relay" that eliminates use of electrical power anywhere else in the car when the starter circuit...("50 power")...Do you have fuel pressure?
Hey Greg;;
I've been doing some thinking about your car, in particular, and another question from another person made me stop and ask; "What about the ignition switch?" Have you looked at it? Does it have burned, or corroded looking wires on the backside of the electrical half? It could be the switch!
Hello again, Greg;
I've continued to consider your question from Thursday, and honestly can think of only one other thing to suggest, but it was so obvious to me, that I didn't even consider it. I apologize if I've overlooked something important that needs to be disseminated.
Where I work, if we have a Jetta, Golf, or GTI with the "ABA" engine, we first inspect the entire cap, and wire assembly, we then remove the cap, and inspect the central contact for damage, because if it can't conduct electricity, none of the spark plug wires can get any "juice." If all that looks OK, we move on to the coil itself. If the coil has any "carbon tracking" it means that the spark voltage is "bleeding" off before it even gets to the cap, and rotor. The easiest, and most fun way to double check this is to wait until dark, and if you have a "remote start switch" stand in front of the car, and crank it over. Watch the tower of the coil for any evidence of a spark trail. It will be blue in color, because the voltage is so high, it will ionize the air around it, and will take on a bluish color, exactly like a neon light that has a small amount of impurity to make it blue. I hope this helps you get to the root of the problem with your car.
