Will not start after refueling

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Will not start after refueling

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Volkswagen Forums >> VW MODELS >> Volkswagen Cabrio >> Will not start after refueling

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Will not start after refueling - 3/11/2007 12:20:59 PM

lou7200

Posts: 7
Joined: 3/11/2007
Status: offline

Hello everyone,this is my first post.Hope I can find some help.My case is related to a 2001 model year Cabrio that is driving me up the wall with a weird problem.The car is fine until I stop for gas,only.After this it will not start for maybe 10-20 mins.Starter -batt.work fine.It then starts and continue to work fine until the next fill up,usually 2 weeks time.Have tried at different gas stations thinking it was the quality of the fuel,but it just keeps ocurring.Have new plugs,filters,dist.cap ,rotor ,ign. cables installed after it started,but to no avail.Anyone who has had a similar problem or any insight ?.Thanks in advance for any info

Post #: 1

RE: Will not start after refueling - 3/12/2007 5:41:41 PM

bagel

Posts: 1027
Joined: 8/16/2005
Status: offline

are you running it empty, and then filling it up? Could just be that there's deposits in the bottom of the tank, and when the fuel is in there the flakes are getting moved around, or are even floating. That's my best guess...make sense??

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(in reply to lou7200)

Post #: 2

RE: Will not start after refueling - 3/13/2007 7:30:03 PM

lou7200

Posts: 7
Joined: 3/11/2007
Status: offline

Thanks Bagel. No the tank is never that low ,in fact I have tried at all levels.If the tank were metal and rusty then I think your idea might be in the right direction,I have seen rust flakes on the fuel pump inlet screen,enough to inhibit the pumps suction therefore affecting its output pressure on other vehicles but don't forget we have plastic tanks.

(in reply to bagel)

Post #: 3

RE: Will not start after refueling - 4/13/2007 8:11:41 AM

2000cabby

Posts: 8
Joined: 4/13/2007
Status: offline

That is definitely a weird problem. I wonder if it has something to do with vapor lock...read this I just pulled from the net:

It occurs when the liquid fuel changes state from liquid to vapor while still in the fuel delivery system. This disrupts the operation of the fuel pump, causing loss of feed pressure to the carburetor or fuel injection system, resulting in transient loss of power or complete stalling. Restarting the engine from this state may be difficult. The fuel can vaporize due to being heated by the engine, by the local climate or due to a lower boiling point at high altitude. In regions where higher volatility fuels are used during the winter to improve the starting of the engine, the use of "winter" fuels during the summer can cause vapor lock to occur more readily.
Hope this helps.

(in reply to lou7200)

Post #: 4

RE: Will not start after refueling - 4/17/2007 8:29:24 PM

bnaivar

Posts: 1
Joined: 4/17/2007
Status: offline

My son had a VW Rabbit that did the same thing. It turned out to be the heat shield on the starter. The engine would overheat the starter and it would short out. Stopping for gas didn't give the starter time enough to cool off. We had to replace the entire starter with a post production model with a better heat shield.

(in reply to 2000cabby)

Post #: 5

RE: Will not start after refueling - 4/18/2007 9:28:24 AM

2000cabby

Posts: 8
Joined: 4/13/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: bnaivar

My son had a VW Rabbit that did the same thing. It turned out to be the heat shield on the starter. The engine would overheat the starter and it would short out. Stopping for gas didn't give the starter time enough to cool off. We had to replace the entire starter with a post production model with a better heat shield.

The way I understood it is that the motor turns, but it doesn't start...that means the starter is turning the engine.

(in reply to bnaivar)

Post #: 6

RE: Will not start after refueling - 5/7/2007 10:44:04 PM

shoughun

Posts: 75
Joined: 1/25/2007
Status: offline

That is one weird situation that has been causing your VW Cabrio parts go crazy... Though, the vapor thing has more of the sense with your problem... I also heard about it when I had some conversation with my mechanic, but to think that the climate could really affect the the physical state of the fuel in the tank is quite dazzling and surprising at the same time... I'm sure that it this theory is true, most auto manufacturers had already prepared to prevent this kind of situation... Goodluck!!!

(in reply to 2000cabby)

Post #: 7