WARNING LIGHTS CAR WON'T START?

[Ryan AudiA3 1.9TDI]

Hi I'm having problem with my Audi 1.9 TDI 2005, Hoping someone on here knows what is wrong.

Car cranks but won't start if the heater plug light and other is on but when they dissapear and the engine management light comes on the car will start at that point until turn engine off and its the same scenario over again.

Once the car starts it will run no problems until turned off.

Only code that is appearing is P0404 EGR but have replaced EGR to no avail still not starting and its not doing the lights thing anymore after trying for 2 hours turning ignition on off on off the battery drains flat.

Have tried easy start and it cranks kicks for a second then off.

Mechanic tried a manual fuel direct to engine still no joy so isn't fuel pump.

[Ryan AudiA3 1.9TDI]

[Stevey Y]

Hi did you do the adaptation of the new EGR valve?, my idea would be glow plugs  as you mentioned it stats with easy start, apart from that I would be looking at the fuel metering solenoid on the fuel rail as if thats playing up you don't get a code.

Steve.

[Ryan AudiA3 1.9TDI]

Hi Steve thank you for the reply, When EGR was removed it wasn't to badly clogged at all so was cleaned thoroughly and put back on. it doesn't start with easy start, it fires up for a second then dies with the warning low oil pressure on the dash. what kind of mechanic would I be needing to check the fuel metering then an auto electrician??

Do you think it could be the turbo at all Ive been looking at a few other threads were the turbo is stopping it from starting.

Its just crazy how it won't start until the heater plug light light and other one, but the second they go off and engine management comes on it will start first attempt?? don't even have to do it quickly as soon as the light comes on I can go leave the car for 15-20 mins then fire it up it will start guaranteed, I'm at my wits end honestly 😞 

 

[Stevey Y]

Hi Ryan this is a tough one I honestly believe it will not be the turbo but there is an easy way to check, get an assistant to turn the key to position two where the dash lights up if you can see the turbo control box you should see it move the arm that opens and closes the vanes inside the turbo to the start position try turning on and off without running the engine to see if it comes up to position every time.

The sequence for starting should be ignition on, glow plug light on doing its duty cycle as soon as that goes off the engine light will be on until the engine is cranked and it goes out when started, I am leaning more towards glow plugs being weak as the only time they throw up a code is when they are completely knackered and not when weak or under heating

Steve.

[Ryan AudiA3 1.9TDI]

Thank you very much Steve I will give this a go tomorrow, I've been advised before it shouldn't be Glow Plugs as they are only used in cold weather but will get it looked into incase it could be thank you for quick replies, I'll update you hopefully with good news, Thanks again

[Stevey Y]

7 minutes ago, Ryan AudiA3 1.9TDI said:

Thank you very much Steve I will give this a go tomorrow, I've been advised before it shouldn't be Glow Plugs as they are only used in cold weather but will get it looked into incase it could be thank you for quick replies, I'll update you hopefully with good news, Thanks again

Hi the cold weather thing is a myth as these engines are post injection regeneration engines and rely heavily on glow plugs during regeneration and when starting, even my car has the glow plug light come on for a couple of seconds if I start it after running it and in the mornings from cold when the ambient temperature is ten degrees its at least ten seconds before it cranks when the lights gone out.

Steve.

[cliffcoggin]

1 hour ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi the cold weather thing is a myth as these engines are post injection regeneration engines and rely heavily on glow plugs during regeneration and when starting, even my car has the glow plug light come on for a couple of seconds if I start it after running it and in the mornings from cold when the ambient temperature is ten degrees its at least ten seconds before it cranks when the lights gone out.

Steve.

I am not convinced it is a myth. My A3 glow plug light goes out at the same time as all the other lights except in temperatures of zero or below, and the engine starts instantly.

As for Easy Start, that only reduces the auto ignition temperature thereby enabling low compression engines to fire, so one could argue that Ryan's problem could equally be caused by low compression.

[Stevey Y]

21 hours ago, cliffcoggin said:

I am not convinced it is a myth. My A3 glow plug light goes out at the same time as all the other lights except in temperatures of zero or below, and the engine starts instantly.

As for Easy Start, that only reduces the auto ignition temperature thereby enabling low compression engines to fire, so one could argue that Ryan's problem could equally be caused by low compression.

If you read the post Clifford the Easy Start did not work so with regard to low compression if it was that low the engine wouldn't start at all let alone start and run ok on some occasions, its a duty cycle fault not compression.

[cliffcoggin]

14 hours ago, Stevey Y said:

If you read the post Clifford the Easy Start did not work so with regard to low compression if it was that low the engine wouldn't start at all let alone start and run ok on some occasions, its a duty cycle fault not compression.

Well I suppose what was written is ambiguous "it doesn't start with easy start, it fires up for a second". To my way of thinking if it fires, it starts. Whether it continues running is different matter.

I am not denying the possibility of the glow plugs being at fault, but the chances of all of them failing are far lower than other possible explanations for the starting problem. I would want to see more conclusive evidence instead of guesses about glow plugs or fuel metering solenoid.

[Stevey Y]

7 hours ago, cliffcoggin said:

Well I suppose what was written is ambiguous "it doesn't start with easy start, it fires up for a second". To my way of thinking if it fires, it starts. Whether it continues running is different matter.

I am not denying the possibility of the glow plugs being at fault, but the chances of all of them failing are far lower than other possible explanations for the starting problem. I would want to see more conclusive evidence instead of guesses about glow plugs or fuel metering solenoid.

Hi Clifford, lets try again, I was not suggesting the glow plugs had all failed at once just that they may be weak due to age/wear if you go on the net there are plenty of testaments to the problems old glow plugs cause without actually throwing up a code, the codes are only triggered when the plug fails, open circuit or to ground.

With regard to the guesses yes they are just that but based on prior experience of problems like this I thought it was worth suggesting the two most likely candidates that won't cost the earth to change, maybe I should tell him to go to Audi and chuck a few hundred quid at it, thats the idea of the forum to remotely advise people from your own experiences, example being Don G he had a MAF code up so he changed it and still had the code back so I guessed from experience that the MAP sensor would need changing, he changed it, the code and light disappeared for a hundred miles but the EML re emerged but this time with a DPF code so I again from experience advised him that the DPF would need a regeneration and the codes clearing, he did just that and the car is now running well with no lights according to his last post, I am sure if you have any more concise suggestions this guy would be all over you like a rash, hate to state the obvious but the guy knows a bit about cars but not enough to satisfy the need for conclusive evidence required apparently. 

[cliffcoggin]

The benefit of forums like this is that many opinions are available to questionners. The pity is that there are not more of us willing to contribute ideas to get the widest possible range of experience. I can think of no more than four of us who do so regularly.