Need help quick!

[captainsmelly]

Try and start it, it'll catch and run briefly before stalling. Initially, there's a few seconds running, almost enough to move the car but then it cuts out. Further attempts to start and it runs shorter times before dying. After a couple of tries, say 5, it just dies as soon as I stop cranking. Responds to throttle inputs whilst it is firing. I did not, I must confess, remember to check for a flicker of the rev needle while cranking, but revs were showing in the brief period of running.
I also have a new (or first time I've heard it) noise. When ignition is on, a hissing sort of sound comes from the top of the engine, and I can feel movement in what I believe are fuel pipes. Can't see anything, it's night time outside. Fuel pressure regulator doing it's job? I've not heard it before, but I've not listened for it either.
I have changed the dme relay as a matter of course, and it's the default answer to seemingly every 944 query on google.
It worked yesterday absolutely fine, and it worked today for the short drive (200 metres) I did. Just won't let me drive back. It's parked/dumped in a hugely inconvenient spot, can't be pushed due to the local terrain and I'm going away in 3 days.
Can't find any obvious loose or detached wires or breathers and I've given everything a wiggle or a tap for posterity.
Thanks in advance!

 

[simdel1]

Sounds almost like a fuel delivery issue. I'd be checking the fuel pump and the fuel filter for damage/blockages.

 

[zcacogp]

Sounds very like fuel, indeed.

To do a full diagnosis of the FPR you'd need to check the pressure in the fuel rail, which is a bit tedious even if you do have the kit.

You've tried the simple things - there is fuel in the tank, isn't there?

You clearly need to get the car moved before you go on hols; would another car and a towrope suffice?


Oli.

 

[captainsmelly]

Sorted!

Possibly down to fuelling in the end, and I'm going to change the fuel pressure regulator and fuel damper when I've got time. Maybe the fuel pump too, I had a vw scirroco a few years ago which ended up with a similar problem but when I replaced the fuel pump with a unit from euro car parts, it was marked up as a porsche part. Cheap though.
But to fix it, my wife reminded me that I changed the engine management chip to a go faster one a little while ago, so I put the original one back in and it's perfect now! Noticeably slower sadly, but at least it works. How random of it to fail! Clever wife however.
After taking the day off work to fix it [] and it taking almost 10 minutes to sort I instead rewired the headlights and polished the lenses. Very bright now! Then cleaned the interior, polished the glass and went for a nice drive. So not all bad.

 

[zcacogp]

Good result, well done. The Q is why did the go-faster chip cause it to stop working? Bad contact on a chip leg, or a failed chip?


Oli.

 

[captainsmelly]

I do not know! The legs are visually fine, and it was in there for a month or so I think, although when I put it in the car would occasionally cut out at random intervals. Usually as it got a bit hot, for instance after 'spirited' driving. If you looks back through my post history I think I posted about a similar problem before, when the standard chip was fitted, and a new set of leads cured the issue totally. Which I thought was just down to knackared ht leads at the time. It's a shame as the car felt so much better with the chip. I'm going to send it back to 9tuning to see if they can test it.

 

[captainsmelly]

Are you going to ask the chip supplier to replace it? After all, when you bought it you were mostly paying for the programming on it, not the hardware, so they should be happy to send you another copy.

Good luck!