A buddy of mine just put a new engine in my 98 1.8t and the d*mn thing wont start. Their is fuel getting to the engine but I wont find out til later today if there is spark. The radiator, hose, headlights and rest of the front of the car have not been put back on yet, do these cars have something that prevents them from starting if all this is not hooked up? The car sat for atleast a year maybe year and a half, maybe the gas went skunky? Someone told me their is an additive for the gas that will help with condensation, anyone ever used anything like that? I just searched the forums for 3 hours and all I could find was maybe a cam or crank sensor or a engine timing fuse. Any other ideas?

Thanks

 

Dry gas will help with water.

 

Thanks for the reply. I will try the dry gas. One more thing I want to add buy I dont know exactly how to explain but i'll try. My buddy pulled off a large hose and shot some starter fluid in a housing of some kind of housing and then when we tried to start it it almost went (really really close to starting) but still no go.

 

It sounds like bad gas if you put starter fluid in and it almost started once the starter fluid is gone it only has bad gas to run on. I would drain the gas pull the line from the inlet of the fuel rail and turn the key to on with out cranking the engine, the fuel pump should force all the bad gas out then refill with fresh gas. Turn the key back to the on position to prime the system then use some starter fluid to get is runnig and it sould continue to run if all is working corectly.

 

Yea, bad gas is probably what the cause is for this. Gas starts to break down after a month, so think about what 18 months did.

 

My buddy just called and said fuel is getting to the rail but the injectors are not firing. Is there a fuse, sensor, relay that would cause this or maybe he forgot to hook up a power wire? I'm sooo close and I really want to hear the engine. Please help

 

Do you or does he have a vag-com, or a code reader? Check the ECU for codes, it might clue you in to the problem. If the ECU isn't firing the injectors, it could be an engine speed sensor or something. It could be the MAF too, if the ECU isn't sensing any air going into the engine it won't inject fuel either. Are all the intake hoses hooked up?

 

How about the temperature sensor. Is the replacement engine the same model as the one he took out?

 

VAG is best because it could be the immobiliser and it can only be reset with VAG or similar ( dealer ) and we all know what that costs

 

on a simalar note........
put your radiator back in, hook it ect and then try it. maybe she see's the radiator is off and wont start to prevent damage.
i know audi does several things like this, when i blew a fuse for my rear lights i could start my car but i couldnt get her out of park, she disabled the park switch (automatic tranny) becuase i had no rear lights. pretty good idea rearly.