S3 struggling to start... help !!!

[Adrian mccoll]

morning guys

I changed my fuel pump to a dw65v 18months ago just before I parked the car up. I’ve gone back to it this week after it’s been sat and put a new battery on and primed the pump a couple of times and it started ok then cut out. Primed again and turned key and all was fine...
Drove for a few miles to clear the brakes etc and all was good.
Went to start it the following morning and again the car would start then splutter and cut out. Then the fuse blew for the fuel system so I put it down to new battery low voltage?? Hasn’t blown since though. I have no immobiliser light flashing and the car will get going eventually. I’m thinking maybe a leak in the fuel line and air is getting in the system ?? Advice please !!

 

[Zans]

Check the engine management fuse, had the same issue a couple of month ago, switched it to a 15A instead of the original 10A (Audi specifies the engine management fuse as 10A/15A). Also check the coils, because after extensive cranking they can go bad

 

[<tuffty/>]

I'd check the fuel pump fitment... fairly easy to get the o-rings incorrectly seated... if your car is a quattro (model and year/engine code would be useful when posting a request for help) also check you haven't kinked the balance pipe when refitting the pump assembly into the tank.. this can cause fuel starvation issues

<tuffty/>

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Is this fuse in the bank of fuses on the edge of dash when doors open ?
Sorry tuffty it’s an s3 8l 1.8 BAM 2003
I will take the cover off fuel pump at weekend and have a look to make sure pipe isn’t kinked, how would I know if the o-rings are incorrectly seated ??

 

[<tuffty/>]

Here you go...

<tuffty/>

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Cheers tuffty
I’ll take it apart this weekend and check. What can I use as lubricant as the grease they send you I would have used and thrown the packaging ? Also I have some damp around the injectors and fpr so going to change the injectors seals and fit a new fpr

 

[<tuffty/>]

Vaseline will do in a small qty

<tuffty/>

 

[ToughlilT]

my car has also started doing the same thing but i've put it down to a weak battery. had the battery drain flat a few times recently and the night before it started i charged the battery up and in the morning the car would start straight away then a few seconds in would die. I would turn the key to prime the pump and would get a weird noise from it but if a waited for a minute and tried again i would prime start fine and then die after a few seconds again. Don't think mine is down to bad installation as I've had Bill fit the DW65 a while back now. Got someone with jump lead attached to mine when i start it but i notice if i tried to rev it when it starts i would die like normal but if i just let it sit idling then it would be fine. Just hoping it is just a bad old battery and a new one will sort it

 

[Adrian mccoll]

I’ve just fitted a new battery so not too sure if that’s my issue, also my alternator can’t be more than 1000 miles old... I will check with a multi meter though

 

[ToughlilT]

I’ve just fitted a new battery so not too sure if that’s my issue, also my alternator can’t be more than 1000 miles old... I will check with a multi meter though

yea, could be a totally different problem but defiantly worth checking with the multi meter and maybe if you can try and get someone with jump leads like i did and see if it starts and runs fine, would rule that out

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Just fitted a new fpr, when I removed the old one I had quite a lot of fizzing with small bubbles then it stopped and the fuel level dropped away. Is this normal or would it indicate air is getting into the system ?

 

[Tomsy]

How long has the fuel been in the car?

 

[Adrian mccoll]

there was just under quarter of a tank of old fuel which was around a year old give or take and I topped it up with 20litres of fresh super unleaded

 

[Tomsy]

Just a thought...

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Yeah I just think if it’s bad fuel it would run **** throughout the revs not just on startup

 

[Delta4]

Stale fuel would'nt cause the pump fuse to blow ? that is most probably the pump failing.

 

[Adrian mccoll]

I’ve been managing to get the car started every morning and night and been using it. Went to the car after work today and she fired up first time no spluttering at all but I’m not holding my breath. I’m still going to take the pump out at the weekend and check what tuffty suggested

 

[Delta4]

I have just replaced a dw65v that lasted about 3 thousand miles, something inside the unit is rattling about which eventually stopped the motor from spinning, luckily it packed in at home and not hours away from home, the occasional spluttering on start up i put down to something else.

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Just used the car again again to get to work and it took ages to get going and it’s quite cool this morning, yesterday evening it went first time with no problems and it was very warm outside, made me think maybe intake temperature sensor or maf, Could just be coincidence but is there a way of checking this on vagcom/ Cheers

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Again car had been switch off for 10hpurs since used this morning and temperature outside was 25 and the car started first time no probs... can intake temperature be checked with vcds/vagcom ?
Thanks

 

[<tuffty/>]

Yes..

https://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/m_blocks/

Block 004

<tuffty/>

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Tuffty do you think Its possible that this could be the issue ? Or maf maybe ? Shall I check the intake temp tomorrow morning when it’s cooler and compare it to true outside temperature??

 

[<tuffty/>]

I doubt it.... IAT sensors normally work or don't... when they don't then they report a temp of -49 (from memory)... MAF sensors do fail but again unlikely to be the issue... they normally under read airflow which can be seen in fuel trims... (block 032) and/or lambda control (block 001)

<tuffty/>

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Okay will start with the pump then,
Been out and scanned car and have two codes;
P1602 and P0688

Both of which I had a couple of years ago when the eco relay went. I moved it to house a catch can and it got wet and gave up. Replaced it and the car worked again so not sure why I’m still getting it ? Do you have to clear the codes or something ?
Thanks

 

[<tuffty/>]

Yes... you will need to clear codes... they don't clear themselves...

Anything that then returns is still a potential issue

<tuffty/>

 

[Adrian mccoll]

After a quick YouTube tutorial I’ve just been out and cleared codes Andre scanned and I’m code free! Going to remove pump and check the orings this weekend and fit new injector seals and seats. Will let you know what I find

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Just taken pump out and when I removed the dw65v from housing I found the orings look massively too big !? Also I have a hole in the screen on bottom of housing. Photos attached of both. I’ve managed to get the unit back together and hopefully seated with the oring in the right place. Car cranked a few times before fired and then the same splutter and low revs before dying. Not sure if this is the same issue I’m having or just because I’ve had the pump apart.
What’s thoughts ?? I plan to go hybrid in the near future with a badger5 kit so don’t want to replace with an original pump. Do I give it a few more days and see how it starts in the mornings again? Can I buy new oring kit and new screen for bottom of pump housing ?

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Went and filled car up today so it had a full tank of pressure on the pump, left car for a few hours and just come out to it to pop to the shops and same again, loads of spluttering and cutting out before it stayed running. Any ideas ? Starting to lose the will ! Can I check anything on vcds to point me in a certain direction ?

 

[HOGG]

Try a different pump

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Delta4]

It makes sense to try a different pump before the current one fails completely.

 

[<tuffty/>]

My money is still on the o-rings... the screen is just a filter so won't impact the operation as such but wouldn't run it too long without it as it will suck up the cr*p from the bottom of the tank

Only way to replace the screen is to buy a complete pump assembly... easy enough to get secondhand tbh

<tuffty/>

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Well if the screen is nackered I May aswell get a new unit and then try the new pump see if it rectifys the problem, if it does I will then get another dw65v and pay bill to fit it when I go to him or see if you can buy a new o-ring kit for the one I have and have him use those?
Where is best to get a pump kit ? If I’m planning on changing the pump itself does it need to be a genuine one from Audi/TPS or should I just get an eBay copy ?
I have recorded a video of what is happening but won’t upload on here for some reason. Thanks everyone for your help so far

 

[mrsingh2u]

see if you can find the right size o rings first - if that fixes the issue, happy days... if not then you probably will need a new pump...

you can normally get the pump baskets on ebay relatively cheaply in comparison to TPS etc

 

[ToughlilT]

thought i would give you an update, cars been sat 2 weeks now and i finally bought a new battery for it hoping that it was just the power. plugged it all in and turned the key only to find out that it still wasn't working. before i would be able to prime it and start then would die after a few second then if i turned the key you would hear the pump do a little whine and sort of sound like a pulse twice then die as if it wasn't getting enough power to it, Now with the new battery in i can't even get it to prime and start, i just get the dying pump sound

 

[HOGG]

New pump time

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Adrian mccoll]

Update, fitted a new complete pump and basket unit and it’s rectified it !
Ordered a new uprated pump and will get bill @ badger5 to fit when I go see him regarding hybrid/big turbo setup
Thanks everyone for your help

 

[ToughlilT]

Update, fitted a new complete pump and basket unit and it’s rectified it !
Ordered a new uprated pump and will get bill @ badger5 to fit when I go see him regarding hybrid/big turbo setup
Thanks everyone for your help

Good to hear, currently sent mine back to be replaced under warranty so hopefully mine will be back to normal when i get the new pump in. my problems were identical to yours so fingers crossed.

 

[Delta4]

The dw65 that you took off is under warranty, send it back for a replacement.

 

[ByeByeGTi]

Just my two pence - But I had a similar issue but seemingly more intermittent than described here.

Check your fuel cap seal, if there are cracks in it, it can cause issues starting starting and idling. Plus it's the last thing anyones going to think to check!

Code associated in my case was p0441 - but it took months for the car to produce this.