Passat starting - ignition switch again?

[Huw Powell]

I dunno, sounds more like a dying starter solenoid to me.

No harm in testing the six year old battery, of course.

Mark Rosenkrantz wrote:
> Unless you have some serious wiring corrosion, I'd suspect the battery.
> That cranking voltage is too low.  Go to a shop with a load tester (or
> better yet, a Midtronics tester which is what I have) and have it checked.
> Some of the chain stores check batteries for free.  I think you'll find a
> new battery is in order.
> 
> Mark Rosenkrantz
> 
> On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 6:27 PM, Peter Orban <orbanp1 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
>> Hello Everyone,
>>
>> The starting gremlins are back. The car is a '03 Passat, V6, 5-SPM.
>> Last year the car gradually became hard to start, I turned the ignition and
>> nothing (dash lit up, but no cranking). Then after a couple of tries the car
>> started up all right. At the end I had to try about 4 - 5 times, though the
>> required number of tries was random. This spring I replaced the ignition
>> switch with one from the dealer, as suggested here. Starting improved,
>> though a number of occasions it did not start at the first try. Now it is
>> getting worse again.
>> The car has the original battery, but I do not think that is the cause.
>> When cranking the battery voltage drops to about 10.5V - 10.7V. When the
>> engine cranks, it always turns over quite lively, and the engine catches
>> right away, nothing like a dying battery.
>> I do not think that it is the clutch lockout. I keep the clutch depressed,
>> the engine does not crank, and then the engine starts up fine after a number
>> of tries.
>> Just like a failing ignition switch!
>> Are those switches that bad?
>> The switch that I took out looks pristine, no discoloration, burns, or
>> anything...
>> Any other reasons for not starting? Could a flaky immobilizer cause things
>> like this? I do not think that I have water in the driver's side footwell
>> (the other side is a different story).
>>
>> Obligatory Audi content: I just sent my '83 4k to car heaven recently :-(
>>
>> Thanks, Peter
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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> 

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi

http://www.humanthoughts.org/