Hey guys Ive had this car for almost 4 years now, no problems until recently.

'98 16v, newish battery

i just went to start it and it wouldnt turn over, i get power inside though with lights etc.

however, it will POPstart no problem.

My first thought was starter solenoid.

i disconnected the clutch safety and nothing happened. i can hear the fuel pump turning on when i turn the key on.

i checked the wires and fuses behind the battery and the terminals were tight.

theres not even a click like the starter isnt getting enough power. im at a loss here.

is there anything else I can check besides getting a new starter and hoping thats it?

the plug on the starter solenoid doesnt look bad, is pretty firm in place.

thanks guys for any input here.

 

Possible starter relay issue is the only thing that comes to mind right now.

 

Get it started and take it to your local Autozone, NAPA or whoever and get the system checked. They can check the battery, starter and alternator.

 

even if it is the alternator i dont think that would be why its not turning over.

I never worked on these cars i always had vws and i know on them the ignition switch/relay in the steering column can go bad and weird stuff can happen.

i just dont know if theres anything "hidden" on these cars that can cause since i never got into them, just changing oil. its my daily while my other cars are off the road. it did sit last summer.

how can i bypass the ignition? just run a wire from the battery to the connection on the starter right? theres a red plug on the solenoid that wont come off i didnt try too hard i didnt want it to break.

thanks for any input guys.

 

I didn't say it was the alternator, just merely stating they can check the entire system at once.

The red plug has a nut holding it on.

 

im not one to just give in on sourcing out problems so quickly.

thanks for the advice though, im going to take a closer look at everything and start tracing down possible issues.

 

Did you try a new relay yet?

 

if your referring to the fuse in the box behind the battery then no. i did remove it and it looked ok there were no burn marks on the prongs....even though thats not always a telltale sign. is it a bad idea to jump/bypass that fuse and turn the motor over?

 

That's the one I'm talking about. I would put the horn relay in there to test it vs jumping it.

 

Have you looked at the Pos. cable at the connector betwen the cable case and clamp. Had a similar issue, and it came down to replacing the positive cable. The wires had corroded to the point that only a few strans were actualy connected. Repaced the cable and wola, she started rifht up.