# Mk2 Golf starts, runs, stalls, won't start back up for a random amount of time..



## steevz (Aug 25, 2009)

Hey guys,

My 1991 Golf is having a problem. The car runs, then it will stall out randomly. You'll be driving and won't even notice anything has happened until you look at the RPMs which are at zero. Radio is still playing, lights still work. Engine just quits. After a random period of time it will start up and run for another random period of time before quitting again. The car doesn't necessarily need to be hot to quit. Happens when it's both hot or cold.

During the period of time when the car won't start, there is no spark. What could be the cause of this?

I've tested the resistance in all my plug wires and they all had 5 ohms, one had 4 ohms. Wire going to the coil had 10 ohms. 

I would like to test my coil with a multimeter but don't know how, unless it would not produce these results. 

Is there a way to test the distributor? 

I've changed the plugs and the distributor cap. Could this be a relay?

I hope I've stated my problem clearly. All help would be greatly appreciated.


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## steevz (Aug 25, 2009)

No one on this forums knows if there is a way to test a distributor?


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## joshw1950 (Jun 21, 2010)

steevz said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> My 1991 Golf is having a problem. The car runs, then it will stall out randomly. You'll be driving and won't even notice anything has happened until you look at the RPMs which are at zero. Radio is still playing, lights still work. Engine just quits. After a random period of time it will start up and run for another random period of time before quitting again. The car doesn't necessarily need to be hot to quit. Happens when it's both hot or cold.
> 
> ...


 Check your ground(s)...there should be a ground strap (braided wire) from the coil to an area of the chassis or motor. Make sure the areas that are grounding are clean and secure. 

You can check your coil by checking the primary and secondary for resistance, primary should read .5 to .7 Ohms to be in tolerance and the Secondary winding should read 3000-4000 Ohms reistance. 

One way to check to ensure you have good spark is to remove one of the plugs and plug wire and hold it close to a ground while (CAREFULLY) having someone start the vehicle. If you see a spark while the vehicle is trying to be started, you are good to go, if not it COULD be a bad coil, grounds, etc. NOTE: MAKE SURE THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN GEAR, EBRAKE IS SET...BE CAREFUL! Also, it is a possibility that the car will start during this test. Make sure you dont have you hands in the fan or anything like that...AND..remember you are working with high voltages so use well insulated tools so you don't knock your socks off! :laugh: Always remember, Safety first...


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## steevz (Aug 25, 2009)

I checked the grounds going to the body and engine from the negative battery terminal, removed and cleaned with a wire brush. They seem to be in good condition. I check for grounds coming from the coil. Where do I probe to test my coil for resistance? 

Also, after the car dies there is no spark. When I finally do get spark again, I stick it back together and it starts right up. 

EDIT: After inspection I could not find a braided wire off the coil. Just off the negative battery post. There are two black wires off two tabs on the side closer to the front of the engine, I'd imagine those are grounds but they are all bound up and I'm not sure where they go.


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## TheMajic86GTI (Aug 9, 2009)

There should be a ground wire going from the inside stud of the valve cover closest to the drivers side attached to a metal tab to one of the bolts holding ur coil to the firewall. You might also want to jiggle the dizzy plug a little while the car is running and see if u get any kind of reaction from that. If u get a hesitation or it turns off then u hav a bad dizzy plug or hall sender causing a bad connection...


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## steevz (Aug 25, 2009)

You mean the wire from the coil to the dizzy or the little plug on the side of the dizzy?


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## TheMajic86GTI (Aug 9, 2009)

little plug onside of dizzy...thats ur hall sender plug..


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## Fat Rabbit (Nov 18, 2001)

You might try replacing the Digifant Relay since the voltage supplied to the Hall Sender comes from the Digifant ECU. PN 357 906 381. It is not an expensive part -- around $10 on line. Since I have a spare relay I'd just switch them out. You can test for power after the car quits. Replacing that relay fixed a similar problem I had on a trip out east with my '91 GTI. 

To test for power to the Hall Sender -- use a multimeter to look for a minimum of 9 volts DC between the two outside terminals at the distributor Hall Sender connector. Remove the connector from the distributor and with the key on look for the voltage at the wire end of the connector. FR


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## steevz (Aug 25, 2009)

I went to test it right now. The car wouldn't start and I was getting no voltage on the plug. 

Ideas?


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## Fat Rabbit (Nov 18, 2001)

And you had the ignition switch turned on? See my post above. You can jumper the relay to bypass it -- terminals 30 and 87 at the fuse and relay panel under the relay to see if power is being supplied to the ECU and the Hall Sender. (Terminal 30 should always have 12V DC.) Pull the relay and use a wire to connect the two terminals on the fuse and relay panel. (To make it easier on the connections in the fuse and relay panel my jumper has spade terminals on both ends. In fact it even has a fuse and a switch. ) If it is not the relay it may well be the ECU itself but I'd suspect the relay first. FR


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## steevz (Aug 25, 2009)

Yes I had the car in the on position. 

Well, I have lots of experience soldering boards and finding damaged components and when I took the Digifant II apart and inspected it all looked in excellent shape. 

I'll try and figure out where the relay is. I'll let you know. 

So you guys don't think this is a distributor problem? 

EDIT: How do I know which relay it is?


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## steevz (Aug 25, 2009)

It was the ECU relay. Thanks so much for your help!


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## Fat Rabbit (Nov 18, 2001)

Good job!! You found the relay -- It should have been the third relay from the left in the second relay row above the fuses. I could tell by your responses that you were very capable of diagnosing and resolving your problem! 

To answer your question about the distributor. Since you were not getting power to the Hall Sender in the distributor the problem was very likely not the distributor but somewhere before it. 

Some day you might want to invest in a Bentley Manual that will provide you with wiring diagrams etc. A manual would be a big help as you work on your car. FR


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## steevz (Aug 25, 2009)

Thanks a lot. Yes, I have a Haynes manual and it sucks. Bentley seems to be the way to go, but expensive. 

Thanks again for all your help.


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## Sentinelist (Mar 4, 2009)

The 'dizzy'? Oh Lord...


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## upand_at_them (Feb 5, 2007)

I recently had a problem just like this and it turned out to be some coolant in the Hall sensor connector. Once it warmed up it shorted out the sensor.


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