Hello
I am hoping to purchase a secondhand 1999 VW Polo 1.4, petrol, manual for my son to drive.
When we went to look at the car it would not start. The engine fires perfectly, runs for 2 to 4 seconds and then stops.
Sounds to me like a problem with the engine management system and could be a crankshaft position sensor or crankshaft speed sensor problem.
I do not know the VW engine system.
Has any one had similar problems?
Can any one advise me when any sensors are located?
I welcome any advice before I purchase this car. The current owner seems happy to let it sit outside his house.

Sorry to say this but all the VW main dealer would say was to have the car recovered to them and they would fix it. Not the response I was looking for.

Hope some one can help.

Has the fuel filter been changed lately,its above the rear axle.
its cured my starting problems on my 1.4.

sounds fuel related, when was it last serviced? How long had it stood petrol only really has a life of about 3 months.

p.s get yourself in the introduction section too

is the vehicle fitted with an immobiliser? does the immobiliser light flash?

how did the vehicle stop running? whilst driving or just wouldnt start one morning?

has the battery been flat?

when the vehicle runs for the 2 - 4 seconds are there any engine lights on the dash? does it restart straight after it dies or do you have to cycle the ignition and wait?

do you know the engine number?

When you start it does it idle then die or just start then die ?

If it just starts and dies it indicates that the immobiliser isn't picking up the transponder in the key (open key up and see if there is one in it (little black thing a bit bigger than 2 grains of rice) )

Try stripping down the column cowling, around the key there is a pick up. put the transponder on the pick up and it should start , if it does then you need a new pick up ring ( about £30 from VW)


If on the other hand, if it runs and idles then dies, it could be many things.

Thanks to every one who has supplied comments.
I am sure it is not old fuel, petrol has a long shelf life.
I thought about an immobiliser but the owner said the car did not have one, but the problem fits the mode of failure.
The car starts, runs for the few seconds and then stops dead. You have to key off and then key on and it works again.
I will go back tomorrow and check the key. The car has central locking, the owner used the key to unlock the door not a blip.
Will report back.
Regards

Amen52 wrote:

Hello I am hoping to purchase a secondhand 1999 VW Polo 1.4, petrol, manual for my son to drive. When we went to look at the car it would not start. The engine fires perfectly, runs for 2 to 4 seconds and then stops. Sounds to me like a problem with the engine management system and could be a crankshaft position sensor or crankshaft speed sensor problem. I do not know the VW engine system. Has any one had similar problems? Can any one advise me when any sensors are located? I welcome any advice before I purchase this car. The current owner seems happy to let it sit outside his house. Sorry to say this but all the VW main dealer would say was to have the car recovered to them and they would fix it. Not the response I was looking for. Hope some one can help.

Sounds to me most likely immobilizer fault. Most VW from about 98 onwards have one fitted but people think just cos they have a normal looking key and nothing like remote locking it doesn't have one!

Easiest way is to check the dash when you switch on for a symbol that looks like a car with a key as the bottom half

Thank you all for the help you have given me. I have spoken to the seller of the car and he has found the fault is the immobiliser, after he told me it did not have one!!!

One thing that was interesting that came out of it - to reset the immobiliser switch the ignition on and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Don't try starting the car. After the 20 minutes the car started and drove fine. Once the ignition was switched off and the car left for a while it would not start again, unless you switched the ignition on and left it for another 20 minutes. The car was able to be restarted immediately without problems.

I thought this was very useful information for anyone having problems with faulty immobilisers and needed to get the car to a dealer/auto electrician.

Hi , I joined this forum just to say thanks for the information in the thread.

The battery in my daughters 1999 1.4 Polo failed and after I replaced it the car would only run for two or three seconds.

I did a google search, this thread came up, I checked all the connections on the immobiliser circuit, a liberal dose of WD40 on the pins and the connectors and the car started working again as perfectly as before.

Thanks again,

Cheers,

Tony