What could be the factors of my car not starting first time?

[lloydsta101]

Hi all,

I've owned my S3 (2000 plate pre-facelift) for about 9-10 months now, and as some of you may have noticed by my previous threads I seem to be have nothing but trouble with it. I must have had in the region of around 15-20 different problems over time, but my newest (has been happening for about a month) is that it never seems to start first time.

It doesn't matter if it's a freezing cold or scorching hot day... I get in, turn the key and it just turns over and over. So I turn the key back and try again and presto, it starts. It is beginning to happen nearly every time I start the car now, and it always starts without fail on the second time which has got quite annoying and embarrassing at times.

What things need to be checked when this happens? I've been told that it can't be the starter motor, as if it works second time then its fine... I don't know if that's correct or not? Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Dani_B19]

Got same thing mate, although mine is not as often as yours is, could be maf, spark plugs or the engine speed senso, like in jesters thread.

Westle changed his plugs along with a service and that looks to hace cured his problem.

Believe mine is maf related.

 

[Matt82]

im placing an outside bet on fuel pump relay. mine acts odd sometimes. when its really hot (weather wise)

 

[Dani_B19]

Mins more when cold, dont think mines ever done it while hot.

 

[lloydsta101]

Thanks for the replies. Well to be honest mine probably does happen more when cold, it's probably just my biased judgement of the car that has made me say that it happens 'nearly every time'. The main offending times would be when leaving for work in the morning, occasionally on a lunch time (4 hours later) and then again when I leave work to go home. So it would be at nearly all the main times the car gets driven.

So... MAF, Spark Plugs, Engine Speed Sensor and Fuel Pump Relay are all things to check then. The car was serviced a few months ago, but I didn't have the problem then. As I mentioned before in a previous thread, I do get a smell of petrol sometimes so could this be related to it?

 

[Matt82]

Mins more when cold, dont think mines ever done it while hot.

mines happened about 2-3 times, on the really hot days weve had. gonna pull it apart and look for cold solder joints

 

[Alex C]

Got same thing mate, although mine is not as often as yours is, could be maf, spark plugs or the engine speed senso, like in jesters thread.

Westle changed his plugs along with a service and that looks to hace cured his problem.

Believe mine is maf related.

Wasn't Jesters thread the one where he had problems with the car starting and then dropping rpm until it stalled, and then upon the second attempt it would start fine. Whereas Llodsta's car wont even fire up first time

 

[Dani_B19]

yes it was, just surgesting it may be worth a look.

 

[thegoal007]

the fact this started just after your service may indicate some setting somewhere may have been adjusted....maybe ?

 

[jesters3]

Yeah my issue is that you coast to a stop and it dies/stalls. So after about 5 turns of the key a couple of kicks here and there and cursing like a priest it starts and is absolutely fine..

There are so many variables to look at as have been suggested. I was lucky as I have VAGCOM so it has pointed me in a few directions to follow - Fuel Pump Relay was the first replaced this but hasn't cured it, next is the Engine Speed Sensor, hopefully getting the part today to fit later on to see if it cures it. If not the next is the CamShaft Sensor - after that christ knows.

I see that you live in Bristol - see if you can find someone that can help on the Vagcom: http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?84603-***VCDS-Users-Map***


if you hook it up to VAGCOM you can see any DTCs that may help out. Alternatively you can then check some measuring blocks to see how the MAF is holding up as well as other bits and bobs

 

[lloydsta101]

Yeah, mine is fine after it has been started... it has never cut out or lost revs (not significantly anyway), although it does the occasional dip while idling. Would VAGCOM spot it, as once the car has been started it will run fine for a while? As in, I can start it first time as long as the car hasn't been left for more than a few hours.

It's not a mega problem, but it would be nice to be able to know that the car is going to start when I turn the key no matter what time of day it is or how long its been sat there.

@ thegoal007 - I've just looked and the service was carried out at the beginning of February, and the problem started around the start of June... so a good few months apart, driving the car pretty much every day.