Ignition? Slow to turn over

Hoffa235

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Location
Mount Shasta
TDI
2003 TDI Golf
2003 tdi golf 81,000 miles. Periodically this happens: I go to start car and turn the key in anticipation to hear the engine turn over however there will be a pause sometime up to a few seconds then it starts to turn. Any ideas on why it does this? It does it maybe 3 out of 10 starts.
 

maxmoo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Location
Lakefield, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2000 golf, 2001 golf, 2000 beetle, 2003 wagon, 2004 golf, 2004 jetta, all diesels
your starter solenoid is probably sticking...taking starter and solenoid apart, cleaning and relubing should help.
Could also be a bad, loose or corroded, battery cable terminal.
 

NB_TDi

Vendor
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Location
NB, Canada █♣█
TDI
2014 Jetta SE
Could be the starter itself. Before I sold my mkiv I installed a new starter. It was very slow to turn over anything below 0C. After the replacement, it was very fast to start.
 

eb2143

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 26, 2005
Location
Rhode Island
TDI
None
your starter solenoid is probably sticking...taking starter and solenoid apart, cleaning and relubing should help.
Could also be a bad, loose or corroded, battery cable terminal.
The solenoid trigger wire near the starter or the braided ground on the starter can also corrode or fray and cause the symptom of a no-crank pause.

From what I can tell, one of the two wires I have mentioned are the most likely cause of your problem, followed by the solenoid itself. I went through this with my car. Did what I thought was a thorough inspection only to miss a frayed solenoid trigger wire further up than I had been expecting. Replaced ignition switch because it was cheap. Then eventually found it when I went to swap starters:
 

Hoffa235

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Location
Mount Shasta
TDI
2003 TDI Golf
okay........ now I attempted ignition multiple times and after maybe 10 consecutive key turns with no action (started not even turning) it finally started right up. Any ideas? Ignition switch? starter ?
Battery conections are not corroded, battery is new.
I have not pulled the started to inspect or clean it yet. that will be my project tomorrow or maybe late tonight.
 

redline380

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2015
Location
St. Paul, MN
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI
loose connection on the starter would be my guess.

Maybe try arcing the starter. If it starts up using that method, you have a loose connection somewhere.
 

redline380

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2015
Location
St. Paul, MN
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI
redline380 how do i do this^^?
use a screwdriver to and run across the solenoid terminals. there will be some sparks (unless you have a bad connection somewhere) and the starter should engage instantly. Make sure the ignition is "on" if you want the car to start
 

Hoffa235

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Location
Mount Shasta
TDI
2003 TDI Golf
I tried arcing the starter and got come sparks. Starter looks to be original. Im going to have it tested tomorrow. battery tested good, grounds looked good. connections look good. starter looks a little rough and weathered i found no frayed wires. braided wire on solenoid look blue and slightly corroded
 

Hoffa235

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Location
Mount Shasta
TDI
2003 TDI Golf
New starter installed. Connections and wires seem good. Battery good. Alternator good. Now what? any idea? its still doing the same thing. intermittent no start or delayed crank
 
Last edited:

RacerTodd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2007
Location
Kirkland, WA
TDI
2001 Golf TDI
OK, just to make sure I understand you correctly: you turn the key to the start position, hold it in the start position and there is a delay before the starter begins to turn. Is that correct?

If so, I'd suspect either the ignition switch or the wiring from the ignition switch to the starter. The fact that you made several attempts with no action then it suddenly started would indicate to me that the ignition switch is more likely than the wire.

Here's how to test this.

The starter has two wires - the big fat wire from the battery and the smaller wire (think it's red/black).

The smaller wire should have around battery voltage (12v or so) on it anytime the ignition key in the Start position.

Pull the smaller wire off the starter. Take one lead of your multimeter and attach it to that wire. Connect the other lead to a good ground or battery negative terminal. Set your multimeter to Volts.

Push the clutch pedal down (or auto trans in park) and turn the ignition key to Start. Note the car will not start with that wire disconnected, but put it in neutral just to be safe! The clutch pedal must be down as the car is not supposed to start unless the pedal is depressed.

You should see around 12v on your multimeter. Rotate the key back to Off, then again to Start. You have to go all the way back to Off before it'll let you access the Start position.
You should see 12v every time the key is at Start and the clutch pedal is depressed.

If you do not ever get 12v or if it takes multiple tries to get the 12v reading, then you need to determine if it's the switch or the wiring between the switch and starter.

Pull off whatever steering wheel trim is needed to access the backside of the ignition switch. According to my 2003 wiring diagram, there should be a red/gray wire (manual trans or red/black for auto trans) attached to terminal 50 of the switch. Leaving the connector attached to the ignition switch, back probe that wire with one multimeter lead, connect the other to a good ground.

Repeat the clutch down/key to Start procedure.

If you now get 12v every time the key is in Start, then the ignition switch is doing what it's supposed to do. The fault then lies in the wiring between the switch and starter. This is a bit complex as there is a clutch switch and a relay involved for manuals, autos have a park/neutral relay. You'd need to check continuity on the various wires, verify the clutch or park/neutral switch was working, etc.

If you still don't get 12v or it takes multiple tries to get 12v, then you've got a failed ignition switch.
 

HopefulFred

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
Golf, 2006, Indigo Blue
The clutch pedal must be down as the car is not supposed to start unless the pedal is depressed.
This is another possible source of a/the problem. Are you sure your foot is all the way down on the clutch?

I recently replaced my sister's starter only to learn later that she had been moving the driver's seat to get the dog in the back, and sometimes the seat was too far away from the steering and her foot didn't reach the floor. Of course, the clutch switch could also be acting up.

It's hard to say, but my experience is that if you turn the key and nothing happens, you start to wiggle or try other things. That's when your foot pushes all the way down and the clutch switch engages - magically, it starts.

Fred
 

Hoffa235

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Location
Mount Shasta
TDI
2003 TDI Golf
wow thank you so much. I can test it in about a week! ill do my best to follow your post closely. thanks again.
 
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