4ksq won't start

[George Selby]

At 10:50 PM 1/16/03, you wrote:
>Now, as for the car not starting.  I was pulling into a parking spot when
>the car just died, as if I'd turned off the key.  No sputtering, no
>warning ... just stiff steering as the power steering went out and the
>various lights on the dash that come on with the ignition on but the car
>not running.  The car would not start immediately, or after about 45
>minutes (after I went in and ate lunch).  It'll crank and crank ... but
>not fire.  Not even one of that, "it's trying to start" sputtering or
>anything.


I had a 86 4kcs that exhibited the same symptoms.  Turned out to be the
sensor in the distributor, I just got a junkyard unit from a Golf, worked
fine until I sold it.

This particular 4kcs was obtained from the National Kidney Foundation, I'm
pretty sure the stalling was the cause of the donation.  I wish I could
have told the previous owners I fixed it for $25 bucks, other than that
problem it was in mint condition, obviously well cared for.  When I bought
it in Richmond, I let it idle at the dealer for an hour, then test drove
it.  Ran great.  We trailered it home to NC, I backed it off the trailer,
drove about 1/4 miles down the street and it died.  I went back a hour
later, and it started right up.  For the next week it would go about 1/4-10
miles before stalling, then after cooling off, it would start right back
up.  I was so mad I was kicking myself and everything else, until I finally
pulled a spark plug wire immediately after it stalled and noticed the no
spark condition.  Then, with a test light, I figured out the distributor
was sending out the pulse to fire the coil.


George Selby
83 Audi Coupe GT
gselby4x4 at earthlink.net