View Full Version : Refusal to start


Eric H.
11-22-1998, 11:21 AM
Anyone have this problem? I barely drove my 98.5 1.8TQMS yesterday, it's low 40s outside, I get into it early this afternoon, and it won't start. Actually, it starts fleetingly, then quits. So I try it a few times, then let it sit. The starter cranks and all, but no ignition. Finally I pour a tiny bit of gas into the thing from my lawnmower gas container, wait a minute, crank it again, and this time it starts. I have just over 26k on my car, and I have had no problems whatsoever.

tHe uNabiMeR
11-22-1998, 01:08 PM
How low were you on gas that you had to add gas from lawnmower supply?

Eric H.
11-22-1998, 02:21 PM
<br>See header

Steve R
11-22-1998, 05:02 PM
I have never had any problem starting the car til last week. Like you, it was 40ish and the motor would turn but no ignition. It happened shortly AFTER I had disengaged the parking brake and physically rolled the car out of the garage. (Don't ask, I didn't feel like starting it only to drive 15'.) I assumed the two events were somehow related. Five minutes later it started fine. I hadn't had the problem before or since. <br>

Eric H.
11-22-1998, 05:10 PM
Got to love this forum. Is it possible you washed your car the day before and ran it very briefly before shutting it down for several hours? That was my scenario, and it was similar to that suffered by the CAR magazine Avant test subject. The writer's theory was that the quick run and shut down generated a "code error" in the car's computer.

Steve R
11-22-1998, 05:23 PM
<p><br>

Eric H.
11-23-1998, 04:29 AM
Let me know if you learn exactly what happened. You can email me at hards@home.com. If you give me your email, I'll let you know if I find out anything else. <br>

dmitry
11-23-1998, 11:44 AM
I had a similar problem when my A-4 turnes 3 weeks old. A fill up at a different Mobil station cured that. Hope it helps.