Hello, my mk2 polo wont start, I know its pretty cold and theres alot of snow but i juat cannot get it to start!! Does any one know any solutions to getting to start??

You are asking a lot there, Mark, as it could be one or more of many things (like has it had a service lately) BUT as you say, the weather is very cold, so I wondered (if it still has the original carburettor) is the choke closing fully?

To check, remove the air cleaner cover and see if the choke butterfly is closed (it looks like a metal disc with a bar across it) If it is open ie you can see down into the carburettor, flip the throttle and see if it closes, if not, it will need adjusting.

Regards.

Cheers for the reply, It still has the original carb, I replaced the choke a few months ago as the old one was knakered!! The new one is works fine, and the butterfly is closed, maybe just maybe its just too cold for the old girl to start bt it was fine last year when it was really cold

Did you get anywhere with solving this?

More details on what's happening'd be useful... Is it turning over, or completely dead? Does it "try" to run, or never fire?

Is fuel getting to the carb? (if the engine's turning over on the starter, fuel should be visible in the carb,or certainly should be evident in the pipe to the carb!) Check this either whilst turning over on a mechanical pump, or when ignition's on if it's electric.

Is there a spark at the plugs? Is it a good spark?

Damp round electrics can be a killer in the cold. WD40 is your friend!

As you say, it should be fine in the cold - the only problem you're likely to experience with a carb is icing, but you won't suffer that on startiing.

I still haven't got it going!! I have checked everything, I removed the air intake cover and moved the throttle with my had and petrol was going into the carb with no troubles. When i attempt to start the car the starter motor turns but the engine just wont fire up!! I removed the dizzy cap and gave it a clean out and afterward gave the electrics a good spray with WD40 (did this the otherday before the snow!!). I Even invested in a brand new battery (as the old one was pretty old, worked out to be a waste of money, as it still wont start), maybe i need new sparks?? Or ht leads?

Oh btw sorry fonzooorooo i did not see you bit about the sparks, sparks seem a wee bit week, this is probably the cause, i do appologise for my ignorance on this matter

if the spark plugs are old, they're worth changing (the old boys used to do it every year, regardless of milage!) I must just check that you're getting a spark at every plug? If you're getting a spark at every plug, there's fuel and air, then something weird's going on!

If it's the same story - weak spark at every plug - then coil? HT leads?

After that, compression test'd be the way I'd go...

Is there a rubber carb mounting on these? (sorry - no idea!) they can crack, let air in, and hence weaken the mixture (common on roccos)

Nothing silly like putting the dizzy cap on the wrong way around/wrong plug leads in the wrong place after cleaning/WD40ing? Knocked the dizzy itself? (should be tight, but if you don't ask...)

That's my thoughts if you've got sparks, but not igniting...

Oooh, do these have the little ignition amplifier module? Looks like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ignition-amp-module-...=item35ae50307f

They can fail.

You must bear in mind I've never had a mk2 - I had a mk3 (which is all electronic), then the 'rocco (on a weber)... hence the rather guess-y nature of my thoughts!

Have a look at that little lot.

I have brought a new dizzy cap and a new rotor arm and a new set of sparks, i might fit these tomorow (depending on the weather, dont wanna fit them in damp contitions) i will let you know how i get on!!

ps, i diddnt but new HT leads as i think the previous owner must have changed these within the past few years due to the general condition of them, if still not working i shall try replacing these also

there's info on here about testing your coil (in the hanes too). just flagging it up before you start spending more money!

Alright there , i have fitted a new dizzy cap ,rotor arm and new sparks, i tested it and still diddnt work so i check for a spark and there wasnt any, I have just tested the coil and there was no spark from it, i tested it with a spare car battery (fully charged) and no responce from it at all!! Used a test meter also and no response, I checked the fuse in the fuse box on the car and it was fine. I will also add that before all this happend the car was running very rough at idle for a week or so, i imagine this could have been the coil on its way out?? anyone know if i can buy a brand new unused coil that would work on a 1043cc mk2 polo??

coils start at about 12 quid from any motor factors. Think they're pretty generic (only a few types) so they'l be in stock.

My mk2 was rough idling then cut out and wouldn't spark from the coil this week.

Turned out to be my distributor point not opening the correct spacing (should be 0.4mm)

A simple test to rule out the coil (thanks to nige8021 ) is to plug a ht lead directly onto the coil with a known good spark plug on it and rest the plug in the engine mount near the distributor so that its earthed. Leave the +12v attached to the coil but hook up a wire from the negative straight to the battery. Touch the negative wire off/on quickly and the plug should spark. If not then it's coil related.

*** forgot to mention I can email the 3 scanned pages from haynes manual to adjust distributor points if you need then... just pm me.

Edited 6 December, 201015 yr by d.watson08

Cheers mate i could do with them pages, i put a new coil in and it still wont work, so i will have to try what you have done to your polo, it strange how it suddenly just stopped working all of a sudden

Cheers mate i could do with them pages, i put a new coil in and it still wont work, so i will have to try what you have done to your polo, it strange how it suddenly just stopped working all of a sudden

pm me your email address so can send them through. did you do the test I mentioned?