I am going crazy trying to figure out why I have a hard start only after I put in gas at the Gas station. It'll take numeorus attempts before the car starts. The following day, I thought maybe a bad gas cap could be the culpit but when I took off the cap the car started right up. If it is sendiment floating around in the gas tank, how do I get it out besides keep changing the fuel filter?

Thanks!

 

check the purge valve. I had this same issue where I would literally take 5 or 10 seconds of starting before it would start. Come to find out my dad, when he borrowed the car ...filled the gas tank and rather than stopping at the first time the pump stopped, he is one of those who tries to round out the gas to the nearest dollar. That one time overfilling evidently killed my purge valve. It sits on top, and very easy to get to. A local mechanic told me to listen for a "click click click click" noise while the engine was running or to put your hand on it and you should feel the "click click click click". Needless to say, it wasn't working and I had a hard time finding one to replace it with. Finally found one for a passat same year...it works but is slightly different and I think it altered my fuel gauge reading (never fills up, now always about an 1/8th shy of full tank....but no more hard starts....

 

Is there any documentation on this purge valve issue? I never had this problem and I continue to fill until the second click and then round off the $$. Never had this issue in either my '02 A4 or my present S6 and would like to read up on the issue. Thnx.