Non Starting mk.2 Golf GTi 16v - Help!

[Negative Creep]

Can anyone help with this? My Golf was always a bit slow to turn over but fired up every time. However the other night I got in and nothing. The engine won't turn at all and the starter doesn't even click. What's more, every time you turn they key into the 'start' position, the dash lights go out, the clock resets and the warning lights no longer come on! Everything else electrical works fine however.

I've had it to my local garage but they cannot work out the fault. The battery is new, there is power coming from the ignition switch and to the starter. Did try a bump start and the engine turned over very slowly, but I ran out of road so couldn't try it again.

Has anyone got any ideas? The MOT has run out now as well but can't get that done until we can start it! Help!

[J-Skid]

sounds like a dodgy earth to me - is fine for normal loads, but the stress of cold cranking makes it lose connection. There are a couple, one on the side of the battery, one on the back of the engine.

Iain

[Who me ?]

J-Skid said:

sounds like a dodgy earth to me - is fine for normal loads, but the stress of cold cranking makes it lose connection. There are a couple, one on the side of the battery, one on the back of the engine.

Iain

Some sort of high than normal resistance in the starter feed - if earths are OK - if you're lucky you might find it by looking for a connection getting warm - else its a case of test lamp /meter and looking for a volts drop .Fact that it is that bad should make it easy to find .Look ( as mentioned ) for bad earth connections / bad /loose battery connections or even a dodgy solenoid .

[Aur]

I had something similiar. Turned out the strap at the rear of the engine, from block to bulkhead, had corroded. Looked fine visually but I had knocked it when working in the engine bay.