, I've joined here on behalf of my sister in law, whos s reg 1.4 polo wont start. I've checked the spark plugs and found the 2 nearest the oil filler cap dripping with oil, and there was oil on the ignition leads as well. i took the plugs out, cleaned then and wire brushed them, checked they were sparking and installed them back. however the car still wont start. it turns over no problem but wont start up, if that makes sense. I've googled this problem and it comes up with it could be the rocker cover gasket, is this correct? around the rocker cover i can see like a yellowish sealant of some sorts. any other ideas at all, and also would i be able to do this myself easily or a garage job?

Also, the engine code is afh

Did u find oil below spark plugs after u took them out or just in the hole and around leads??

If theres oil in the spark plug hole or where the leads connect to the spark plugs its almost def the part of the rocker cover gaskit that seals around the spark plug holes is leaking...

I would have thought tho that after cleaning plugs and leads the car would start if this was the problem gor the car not starting...

How did u clean plugs and leads??

When i had this problem on an audi i used carb cleaner and lots of it, let it soak then blew it out with an air compresser. seemed to work as far as cleaning the oil off is concerned...

i doubt a leaking rocker cover gasket would stop a car from starting.

is the fuel pump working? is there spark at every plug?

Regarding the oil, so long its only on the cable side its a common problem. Just wipe it out and push a little copper gasket sealant in the tubes where the cover and head meet, takes a few seconds.

I don't see how this would be related to the non starting though.

Maybe the coilpack thing has died if you aren't getting all sparks as it does happen. Got breakdown cover?

Hiya all, no she doesnt have breakdown cover

Theres oil above the plug and on the metal thread below.

I checked for sparks yes" all working there.

I cleaned them with a lint free cloth and a wire brush ti get he gunk off.

anyone know if its a simple to replace to the gasket,as then i would get new spark plugs for her?

There is no gasket to replace. And to seal it properly its a complete cock ache. Method I explained should suffice.

This is most likely not the issue, but are you able to remove the top cam belt cover on these engines easily? Is it just 2 clips? Check the little belt still seems fine.

There is no gasket to replace. And to seal it properly its a complete cock ache. Method I explained should suffice.

Yes there is

There is no gasket to replace. And to seal it properly its a complete cock ache. Method I explained should suffice.

Yes there is

There is? Sorry, thought these were metal on metal like the slightly newer engines in the 6n2/lupo

Its an afh, theres a gasket in the middle where the plugs go and around the outside (obvs)

tbh i dont really know alot about engines etc, but i know more about them than anyone else in her family lol.

i looked at the cam belt, looked pretty new to be fair, no signs of wear that i can see.

if there is indeed a gasket kit available for this model engine, is it easy to replace, as I've read elsewhere that sometimes you have to take the cambelt off, retime etc, in which case i would have to take it to a garage to sort out.

its very strange, as before it wouldnt start it was a great little runner, started first time every time, then after about 3 weeks, it would struggle to start in the morning, but then once the engine had gotten warm it would start fine the rest of the day.

the first time it wouldnt start i just took the leads out, gave them a clean, plugged them back in, still wouldnt start, so i then tried changing the battery, still no difference, then i used jump leads to and it did start then, and ran fine for a week, and now its back to not running again.

If its turning over and sparking on the plugs, check fueling. Fuse, relay Orr the pumps

cheers grunge, how do i go about checking the relay or the pumps? I'm guessing the fuse will be the ones attached over the battery?

Also worth checking the dizy cap and rotor arm as sometime moisture gets in and shorts it.

If the plugs are contaminated then its beat to change them as they also have a compression washer which is really only use once, they should only run you around a tenner. As for the cam coer you can get either a gasket set ir just the rocker cover gasket, this is around £5 fromgsf

Is the engine light on?

Also where abuts are you?

hiya, I'm from newport, south wales.

I've tried taking the leads out from the dizzy cap, but they seem to be stuck?? would it be ok to really tug them or would that cause more damage than good? where would i find the rotor arm? I've taken the plastic cover off from on top of the dizzy cap revealing the metal body, couldnt see any obvious signs of anything tho, although yet again, not really sure what I'm looking for.

and no, no fault lights showing at all

Edited 2 August, 201214 yr by shockwaves

update:- car wouldnt start due to a faulty ht lead to cylinder 1, just need to buy one now lol!

does anybody know cheapest place to buy just the 1 or a set in the newport area?

Eurocarparts 25% discount?

eBay?

Recommend replacing all 4. Even though one has failed, the others will be old too.

Eurocarparts look like they are £20 and then apply a 25% discount. Not bad. Fit yourself - just pull off and replace. Do one at a time and match the different lengths to the equivalent lead.

PoloD.

been on europarts, can only see the 25% off when u spend over £100?

how come some leads are silicone covered and some are metal plugs?

Go to checkout and type in clbpol25 in the discount box.

Not a bad deal. Delivered. The silicone/copper ones are cheaper but they work ok. At the end of the day, it's not a performance car and if you buy some reasonable leads it will be fine.

If you want best quality, I would recommend BOSCH or BERU as they are superb. However, the ones on ECP will do the job just fine. Replacing all 4 old ones with new ones will give you a noticeable difference. The car will feel more responsive as the cores are all new.

In term of replacing, just pull the old ones off. They may need a slight twist. If you have a full new set, then if you damage the old ones taking them off - it doesn't matter. However, recommend you take one off, then replace, then move onto the next if this is your first time.

PoloD.

Edited 5 August, 201214 yr by PoloD

ah ok i gotcha mate. are these the ones?

www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Volkswagen_Polo+Hatch_1.4_1999/p/car-parts/engine-parts/ignition1/ignition-lead/?409445091&1&7235273a7a7808ff2d598a94a9f2cdb650bc0a78&000198

Best way is to put the Reg in and get the right ones first time. You need for 1.4 16v AFH engine.

PoloD.

I've done that, only ones that come up are the £76 ones, which my sister in law wasnt to happy about, she just wants it running as cheap as possible, which imo isnt the best route, but then its her car and money

I've done that, only ones that come up are the £76 ones, which my sister in law wasnt to happy about, she just wants it running as cheap as possible, which imo isnt the best route, but then its her car and money

Try a local motor factor and buy a single lead. The AFH ones are expensive.

ok i'll try that cheers. so how come the afh ones are more expensive than the rest?

These look quite good...

ebay item: 271022196906

£39.99 delivered for set.

Do contact seller to confirm right item for your car.

PoloD.