Cold start issues

[Tonyd28]

Hi guys, new to this so bare with me, recently had cold start issues with my 1.8t b6, 11800 miles on the clock, car was running fine until last week, car sat  for 8 hours and took maybe 10 attempts before it started, was the same all week, After doing a bit of googling I thought it might be fuel filter or temperature sensor, both changed but car still the same,  when it eventually starts it’s idleing at 800 rpm which I’ve been told isn’t right, really strong smell of fuel as well, starts then cuts out before running properly, no ecl, any help would be greatly appreciated

[WPAWS]

i could be wrong but have you considered a new battery? how old is the current one?

[Tonyd28]

It’s turning over ok mate, would it be worth a shot? was gonna maybe put jump leads on it if it was the same the morra morning, twice I’ve had it a mechanic and it’s started first time with him 😏

[Tonyd28]

Not sure how old the battery is, I’ve had the car since may, it’s fine once it been running but once engine cools right down it’s just the same 

[WPAWS]

found it article just replace the word gas with fuel

The Reasons a Car Smells Like Gas When Driving and While Parked

by  ROB CALLAHAN June 13, 2017

 

 

 

The smell of gas in or around your car may be an inconvenience, something completely harmless or a severe hazard. When you smell gas, attempt to locate its source in order to determine the cause. If you can’t find the source by sight or smell, take additional steps to discover symptoms that will help you diagnose and repair the cause of the smell.

Video of the Day

 

 

Exposure to Gas Vapors and Spills

If you park at a gas station, fumes from the pumps can enter your car when you open the doors or windows. Spilled gas in or near the car can also cause a notable odor in the air within your car. If you suspect that the gas smell in your car is due to such an external source, keep track of how long it takes to fade. If the smell does not fade, you may have a more serious problem.

Gas Smells in Older Cars

According to Popular Mechanics, cars made in the early 1980s or earlier will normally emit a slight gas odor after shut off. This is due to fuel afterboil in the carburetor float bowl. Newer cars should not produce this smell after shut off as they are equipped with evaporative-emissions systems designed to prevent this.

Gas Leaks

A gas leak can occur at many points along your fuel system. A leaking fuel line can be discovered by looking for gas puddles under your car when parked. A fuel-injection line may also leak, causing you to notice the smell of gas fumes during and immediately after driving. A fuel-tank vent hose may also leak, causing unburned gas to exit your fuel system as vapor. Leaks should be repaired as soon as possible, as a gas puddle under or near your car is a fire hazard.

Irregular Fuel Pressure

A bad fuel pressure regulator can cause your car to burn too rich or too thin a fuel mixture. When you burn excess gas, this can increase the presence of gas fumes in your exhaust. Anyone outside of the car will notice the smell of gas vapors while it runs. If exhaust enters your ventilation system through a leak, the interior may also begin to smell like gas fumes. Other signs of a failing fuel pressure regulator include decreased power and lower than normal fuel efficiency of your car.

 

[Tonyd28]

Was thinking about the fuel pressure regulator or the purge valve?

[Magnet]

Hello Tony,

Sorry to hear of your issue Tony,

My thoughts on it:- I think Paul has a good starting point call when he questions the battery. Always attack the simple things first, and it could be - just could be - that although the battery is turning the engine over, the operating voltage may drop when the starter motor is taking a large load. Simple test if you have a basic meter is to put the meter set to DC volts, across the battery terminals, get someone to turn the key while you measure the voltage at the battery. It should be near to 12V but I have known suspect batteries to drop to 10v under load but still turn the engine. 

So you've now done that test and proved the battery to be suspect or serviceable.

Next move:- retrieve the original coolant temperature sensor you threw in the bin and measure the resistance across the two terminals. If it measures over 2.5/3 K ohms cold then it was serviceable, and if it is, if it were mine I would be refitting it, since it is likely to be more serviceable than your replacement!  - unless it was a main dealer replacement part. OK a bit daft perhaps but we take it it was the ECU coolant temperature sensor you changed and not the temperature gauge sensor. Very often confused with one another. Fuel filter change was a good insurance, particularly as I understand it VAG do not specify a service life for these, so it's possible it never gets changed. 

So you've done all of this and it's stil the same. Again on the theme of simple things first, find the fuel pump relay and  pull it out with a waggle and refit it having given the holder a squirt of WD40 , and then source a quality non Chineeese replacement. This may solve the problem, but even if it doesn't a replacement relay will stand you in good stead anyway for a very modest outlay. 

Let us know how you get on Tony, and if all of the above fail then you could be looking at plugging it in ( but that would be the non thinking way around!) 

Kind regards,

Gareth.

p.s. Take it its 118k miles rather than 11,800? 

Sorry, don't know where the fuel pump relay is on yours, but Google wil, come to the rescue no doubt.

 

[Tonyd28]

Hi Gareth, firstly thanks very much for your input,  only thing I can remember my mechanic saying about sensor was it was on coolant line somewhere (I’m not very mechanically minded) he got sent the wrong sensor to start with they sent a 4 prong instead of 2, correct one fitted now, had car hooked up to my dads but still didn’t start so I’m guessing battery is ok,  I’ll have a look and see if I can find relay, spoke to a fella at work he suggested to check spark plugs? Thanks again 

tony

[Dennis K]

Sorry for my broken English....

Strong smell of fuel can be caused by too much air inside of system. When it starts and running is it running on 800rpm nice and smooth or it shaking and drop rpms? Also, can you hear noise caused by air (close to turbocharger sound but goes from engine)?

I'm asking because there is a pipe on top of your engine (Have no clue what it does, but one of mechanics said it is kind of vakuum pipes) that can cause this problem.