For the VW/Seat experts

[russell_ram]

The better half car has died (well half died) and I am looking for inspiration. In my experieince someone will always have had the same failure before and if you are 'brand' mechanic, you'll have seen the same thing many times.

2003 Seat Arosa (VW Lupo) - Starts 1st time on the key but dies immediately. Does the same every time - second apart or hours apart doesn't make any difference.

Fuel pump primes on key-on and then re-starts immediately I start to crank it - so I am ruling out my No1 diagnosis of fuel pump/relay failure. Have fuel pressure at the manifold. Spark seems to switch of after 1/2 second of running (as the enigne dies). Does the same with both keys.

Seems like some sort of immobilser intervention to me?

Any ideas before I have to have it towed in to the Seat dealers for an arm and leg extraction.

Russ

[robinj66]

Clarkson would be your man - Seat/VW/Audi - all part of VAG

[demus]

If you havent, try doing a good search on the web, theres loads of owners clubs and forums etc that have good knowledge. I did it a while back with my girlfriends Freelander. Taking it to a dealer is my last resort, last by a long way, arm and leg extraction is about right..

[Purple AK]

Russ. I could be totally wrong! But I seem to remember a conversation not too long ago about a central locking relay problem that caused a similar fault on a Polo

[kobra]

Russ, If its fuel injection it could be the air sensor, if its a carb it could be the rubber diaphram. I had the same thing on a golf gti. and my wife had the same problem on her polo. But i may be wrong. Ray

[stevee8]

Have you plugged in a fault code reader Russ?
They are available quite cheaply now and might give a clue.
Presumably you've checked for bad connections / dirty sensors etc?

[Clarkson]

Sounds like the ign barrel is faulty, it reads the key signal from your keys and sends to the immobilser control unit. This is a main dealer fix only as you have to buy a new barrel to match your keys and recode them. 1hr lab tops.

[nikbj68]

Originally Posted by Clarkson

Sounds like the ign barrel is faulty, it reads the key signal from your keys and sends to the immobilser control unit. This is a main dealer fix only as you have to buy a new barrel to match your keys and recode them. 1hr lab tops.

Have you tried the other key? Sounds like the same thing that happened to an old Mazda I had.....£35 for a new key!

[russell_ram]

No central locking - base model (she only ever uses one door anyway!).

Does exactly the same with both keys. Tried a battery disconnect to clear any soft errors stored - no difference. Car was running perfectly, no MIL, no dash warnings, parked up and a week later it's busted.

Web/google search only comes up with a similar response to Clarksons, which was kind of where I had got to anyway - dam it - and of course we don't have the key code/tag 'cause we never got them from the last owner.

Cr*p, looks like I'll have to take it in. Fortunately she can't drive it anyway for a couple of weeks 'cause she's busted her foot (must run in the family).

Still, I suppose she'll owe me some points when it's fixed . . . .

Russ

[nikbj68]

Originally Posted by russell_ram

...Fortunately ...she's busted her foot (must run in the family).
Russ

Stop running then.