My car won't start :(

[C4R 100N]

Originally Posted by moltuae

If you enjoy lying in the boot, contorted and getting high on petrol fumes, it's a wonderful job. Otherwise it's a bloody awful job to do.

I can see this being me in my not too distant future...

It's easy to determine if that's the problem though ... just put a few more gallons of fuel in. And if that does turn out to be the problem, the workaround is to keep half a tank or more of fuel in the car at all times.

I never let the fuel get below half a tank on any of the Audis that I have owned. I have only driven 60km since filling the beast so that means I have only used 7.8 litres out of a full tank. I have read that you can put a bit more fuel in the tank to fill up a 'cup' that the pump sits in so I might try that.

I have also read that I can squirt starting fluid somewhere and possibly get the car to start, so that would be a bonus right now.

Another thing that I have just read is that I can reverse the electrical connection at the terminals on the fuel pump to make it run backwards for a second or two, and that *may* unjam the pump, should the failure be due to a certain commutator problem.

I drove mine like that for a few years. It can be fixed but I think there's probably a knack to it. After a few failed attempts (by myself and 2 different mechanics) I just gave up and replaced the entire tank.

Ouch!