1998 Golf poor starter

[Stringster]

My wife has a 1998 golf 1.8 Gti non turbo. Runs fine once it is going but is tempermental to start.
Sometimes it starts fine, othertimes it cranks over but will not fire up.
The 'trick' seems to be to turn the ignition on and off four times - then it starts first time.
Seems strange.
It is also getting a bit slow to pick up when it does start - huffs and puffs almost like a flat battery.
new starter, cleaned MAF, battery seems fine, no loose earth etc.

Any ideas ? Especially regarding the 'trick' - can't understand why this works ?

 

[Rev-head]

Fuel Pump/Relay maybe

As you turn ignition on and off it primes the pump up as in building Fuel pressure

Huffa and Puff Fuel Starvation

 

[Stringster]

Thanks for the quick answer !
Makes sense to be fuel pump/relay. I'll check it out tommorow.

 

[Stringster]

It finally gave up and would'nt start at all.
Managed to short accross the starter and get it started - it then ran fine and drove to garage.
New ignition cylinder and now starts with the key.
However still a bit of a rough start which turned out to be the flywheel sensor.
Starts and runs fine now.

 

[neil.c]

Just put a flywheel sensor on our 97 gti after it packed up completely runs much better now.

 

[imported_VaulterTim]

Had a similar problem with an old Orion I used to own (years ago!)... clutch was slipping like crazy and I thought all my problems had come at once when the 'immobiliser' started playing up... especially when I had to climb in through the boot once to get in the car due to it being de-locked! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It turned out that the immobiliser was fine and the problem was down to dust from the knackered clutch covering the flywheel sensor which meant it wasn't seeing the timing mark which in turn meant it wasn't giving a signal to the ECU to fire the coil etc. etc.

I didn't even twig when my little trick of shifting through all the gears before trying to start the car would solve the problem... !

Ah... the age of innocence! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif