HARD starting when a little cold!

[Topherdiesel]

So last winter, my car seemed to start fine pretty well regardless of how cold it got, which was cool, and now this year, even now, when its only a little cold, it seems to start really hard.

I know I need a head gasket, but last I checked compression was still good, its just a small oil drip.  And the car runs great, remarkably quick for her age and mods (93 td golf, only mod is that wire in front of the the pump, i forget what it is).

I had played witht he fueling a bit, but my clutch started to slip, so I turned her back down, so I do not think that is it..could that even be it??
I don't think so.

So I am thinking and wondering about the glow plugs, and how I check them, haynes manual says very little about this, and I know you guys all love me, and would LOVE to help!!!


Thanks guys...
and scully!!!!

"Jeez, with a girl here, I can't pee in the urinal anymore...not that I ever did"- Homer Simpson

[VW Scully]

I don't know that much about Mk3 Diesels, but get yourself a Bentley manual; the Haynes is pretty useless However, I would say that it is likely your glow plugs. To check them, you need to hook up an ammeter to see how much power they are getting and you should be able to tell which one(s) are failing. It's not a bad idea to replace them all though even if only 1 is bad. That is what was happening on my TDI and it was getting hard to start. We haven't even had really cold weather yet this Fall so it would be a good idea to replace them all soon.
hth
(I know my language is not very "technical" but I think you get the point ).

[Cheesetoast]

wow, deja vu.  Exact same thingon my 93 golf.  Brought it to my mechanic, 2 of the 4 injectors were bad, leaking fuel when the car's been sitting.  One of the heat shields was put in backwards, that didn't help either.  Got new injectors, but he said my glow plugs are weak, so i cycle them twice and it starts pretty good now.  You can also plug in the block heater for an hour before you go out, made a big difference for me.

[Topherdiesel]

No time for the block heater, and I am pretty sure my injectors are ok, though i will definately keep it in mind, thanks skully, i will check em like u told me to!

[farkman]

This is getting very strange. My 94 Golf is doing the exact same thing. Last year the car started fine, even in really cold weather with 3 glow plug cycles. Now when I start the car it sounds like one or two cylinders aren't firing for the first two seconds after starting. I resistance tested the glow plugs and they were all around .5-.8 ohms. I also checked the wiring and some of the connections are corroded.  I guess I'll clean all the connections and get some new glowplugs to see if starting will be improved. Does anyone have advice on how to get to the two glow plugs behind the injection pump without having to remove the fuel lines. Thanks.

Peter

[addautomotive]

hmm... if there's a way to do it WITHOUT removing the fuel lines then I'd like to know. I just did this a couple days ago on my 96. Not fun, but not too bad either. It's a tight squeeze, that's for sure. Having a ratcheting 8mm wrench would make a HUGE difference.

One tip I have: When putting in the two plugs behind the injection pump, put them on the "bus bar" first, with the 8mm nuts in place but not tightened. (I had to remove the cold start cable from its bracket to get enough room). Put anti-seize on the glow plugs, and start them in their holes carefully in order to prefent cross-threading them (ask me how I know).
I always put brand new glow plugs behind the IP, and good used ones (if I have them) on the two that are easier to get at.