[Vwdiesel] Occasional hard starting ...

[Libbybapa at wmconnect.com]

In a message dated 7/20/05 9:59:27 AM US Mountain Standard Time, 
slatersfb at aol.com writes:


> With such high mileage, your problem could be caused by other major faults 
> such as lack of compression, or lousey injectors, but I always go for the 
> simple things first and work up to engine rebuild as a last resort. Good luck.
> 

My '86 Jetta (recently sold) never had to crank for 10-15 seconds unless glow 
plugs or poor cranking speed.  It would start sooner than that as low as 18°F 
without a block heater.  The injectors were horrendous when I finally rebuilt 
them.  None of them opened anywhere near the spec breaking press, and spray 
patterns-what spray patterns (they were all peeing squirts in various 
directions).  A couple would just dribble and pee down to no pressure.  Compression was 
390, 320, 320, 230.

Amazingly I was still getting high 40's for fuel economy on the freeway.

Fuel arrival, cranking speed and glow plugs.  If those are in order it will 
start easier than 10-15 seconds.  Injectors' and compression's relation to 
starting is overrated IMO.  Have you checked each glow plug individually and seen 
them all glow?

Andrew