Refusal to start

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Nov 22, 1998 | 11:21 AM

Eric H.

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Refusal to start

Anyone have this problem? I barely drove my 98.5 1.8TQMS yesterday, it's low 40s outside, I get into it early this afternoon, and it won't start. Actually, it starts fleetingly, then quits. So I try it a few times, then let it sit. The starter cranks and all, but no ignition. Finally I pour a tiny bit of gas into the thing from my lawnmower gas container, wait a minute, crank it again, and this time it starts. I have just over 26k on my car, and I have had no problems whatsoever.

Nov 22, 1998 | 01:08 PM

tHe uNabiMeR

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Re: Refusal to start

How low were you on gas that you had to add gas from lawnmower supply?

Nov 22, 1998 | 02:21 PM

Eric H.

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Good question, but I had a third of a tank. A4 Archives suggest CAR mag test subject Avant had similar one-time problem, chalked up to very brief start prior day and computer.

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Nov 22, 1998 | 05:02 PM

Steve R

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Same problem last week...no answer

I have never had any problem starting the car til last week. Like you, it was 40ish and the motor would turn but no ignition. It happened shortly AFTER I had disengaged the parking brake and physically rolled the car out of the garage. (Don't ask, I didn't feel like starting it only to drive 15'.) I assumed the two events were somehow related. Five minutes later it started fine. I hadn't had the problem before or since.

Nov 22, 1998 | 05:10 PM

Eric H.

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Re: Same problem last week...no answer

Got to love this forum. Is it possible you washed your car the day before and ran it very briefly before shutting it down for several hours? That was my scenario, and it was similar to that suffered by the CAR magazine Avant test subject. The writer's theory was that the quick run and shut down generated a "code error" in the car's computer.

Nov 22, 1998 | 05:23 PM

Steve R

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I DID wash my car the day before but it had been driven significantly in the meantime

Nov 23, 1998 | 04:29 AM

Eric H.

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Re: I DID wash my car the day before but it had been driven significantly in the meantime

Let me know if you learn exactly what happened. You can email me at hards@home.com. If you give me your email, I'll let you know if I find out anything else.