Dead?!

[Spinal]

Hello! My mother calls me today, and she says "My car doesn't start, can you pick me up?" So diligently, I grab the jump-start cables and drive over to her work-place. The battery is fine, what does puzzle me is the car... these are the symptoms:

- Start car, car starts perfectly, but instead of going to idle, it dies
- Start car with accelerator pressed (to check if it just wont idle, but will run); no change, car still dies instead of idlying.

My guess is that the fuel filter is clogged so the fuel reaches the engine VERY slowly, or that the alternator doesn't work (but wouldn't the car still be able to run off the battery for a short while at least?)

Ideas? Comments? Suggestions?

 

[Will]

Ermmm - what car is it? Could be a faulty fuel pump relay?

Will

 

[GordonTarling]

You don't say what car your mother has, but my wife's SAAB does an almost identical thing when the immobiliser kicks in.

 

[GrahamC230K]

Fuel pump cut style immobiliser?

 

[grasmere]

Could be o/c ballast resistor ? (depending on the car of course)

IIRC ie starts ok because ballast resistor is bypassed so full 12 v goes across starter coil but when key is released the engine dies . . .

 

[Spinal]

The car is an Audi 80 (the "newer" style, looks exactly like an A4). The first thing that came to mind was an immobilizer, as I've had some interesting experiences on my 202 with it; but then I don't think the Audi has an immobiliser.

I spent a couple of hours doodling over the engine, trying different niggles, before giving up. Our friendly mecchanic will go look at it tomorrow. I am quite curious as to what it is; mainly because its sounds "healthy" up until the point it dies...

I'll keep you updated!

Michele

 

[Spinal]

Update; I drove our friendly mecchanic down to the car today, with the intention of towing it with him back to his house.. Lo and behold; the car started!

Tony, (our mech) said that it might have been that because it was a hot day there might have been air bubbles that expanded thus causing an air lock. He said to keep driving it, and if it happened again within a week, he'd have a look

Yey! Total cost: £0.00; love bills like that
Michele