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10 year old A3 diesel.
A few years ago it seemed a bit sluggish to turn over in the mornings, everything else was ok, so i put a new battery in it and it improved very slightly but was still a bit reluctant to turn the engine over.
Anyway it still always starts but is getting worse now especially when cold. Once the engine turns over it does start quickly. Lights and everything are ok.
If i start it then immediatley stop it, then try starting it again it turns over easily and restarts ok. It seems like theres loads of 'resistance' to the engine / starter on the first start of the day (as if the oil were treacle or something!), but once its turned over a few times this goes away.
So bearing in mind the new battery a couple of years ago didnt help, could it be anything else? Is my starter motor on its way out? Why does it hardly turn over at first but if i stop the engine straight after its started then try again its fine?
I think I'd start by checking the various earthing straps from the engine to the chassis (and to the battery).
Could be the glow plugs. Ever had them changed? How quickly does the glow plug light go out?
glow plugs never been changed but the light goes out pretty quickly even on cold mornings.
I'll check the battery connections.
You're talking about the speed of cranking..?
my 12 year old tdi golf does that too .... Suspect the alternator/starter
motor but then mines done 226k !!
Crank speed so unlikely to be the glow plugs ....
It's in the garage later this week for "tests" 🙂
Glow plugs. +1
I believe that many engines use ambient temperature to measure how long to show the light, so you could have knackered glow plugs but a quick light cycle.
My first thought was glow plugs, or possibly a leak in the fuel line letting air in.
molgrips - yeah the speed it turns the engine over when you try and start it. So i think speed of cranking might be the proper term.
If its glow plugs wouldnt that just make it turn over and over and over before starting? This is starting after only a few cranks its just the starter motor sounds like its really struggling, but this is only on the first start in the morning, and if i immediately stop it then restart it works fine, ie cranks the engine at a normal speed.
Thinking back, theres also been a couple of occasions where the starter turns then stops (without starting engine) and you think battery is completely dead, but then turn ignition off and on, and it cranks over perfectly fine then starts.
Starter motors contain a clutch, the dust from which slowly fills them up until they don't work any more. Then you call the AA, get dropped at a garage, and buy a new one.
Glow plugs and fuel lines don't affect the speed the starter motor turns over! (Neither do tyre pressures, BTW.) 😉
If its glow plugs wouldnt that just make it turn over and over and over before starting?
Yep.
An earth problem would result in poor current flow through the starter and slow cranking, but not sure how that would suddenly start working again.
Klumpy's idea is most plausible.
my 12 year old tdi golf does that too .... Suspect the alternator/starter
motor but then mines done 226k !!Crank speed so unlikely to be the glow plugs ....
It's in the garage later this week for "tests"
post back on here when yours has been to the docs!
My T5 does this. It's about 10 years old, and could have the same engine as your Audi, I think VAG used the same 1.9TD in everything. Slow to turn over on cold morning but does start, and the battery is also fairly new. Not sure what causes it but would be interested in any other ideas, it'll be going to the garage to get checked out soon.
I'd be looking at starter motor too. If cranking speed changes after starting and then restarting a couple of seconds later then its the only thing that'll have an effect. I suspect the brushes in the end of the starter will be worn which will limit the amount of current it can pass hence the slow motor speed, once it has turned they'll reseat to the commutator and allow more current. Think like your scaletrix as a kid, once the brushes got worn your car would be rubbish. They are a serviceable item.
HTH
Sunday
Tight crankshaft cap end top seal thrust bearing !
Really really thick oil..
Had exactly the same symptoms with Mrs D's old TDI Golf (2000 model)
Now this may sound slightly odd but how is your coolant level? Have you had any blown radiators?
The reason I ask is that for 2 years she endured having this ballache to get the car going first thing in the mornings, even worse when cold up to the point it occasionally required bump starting (Thank god we live on a hill)
Anyway, after the 3rd radiator went in under 3 years (suspected stone damage on first 2 occasions) and a couple battery changes the garage reckoned it could be something else and starting looking into what could cause this.
It didn't take too long for them to diagnose a knackered head gasket once they'd whipped the head off. They had suspected the head going slightly porous but this was much better news.
We got the vehicle back and it was night and day, no more slow turning over, no more flattening of the battery, car was like it was new again. Breath on the key and away it goes.
I am not saying this is your issue but just my tale of a similar issue we had with a very similar car.
The oil in mine is pretty new, it was also doing this after it was serviced so not sure that's what it is.
http://easyautodiagnostics.com/bad_starter_test/starter_oncar_tests_1.php
http://www.howacarworks.com/ignition-system/checking-the-starter-circuit
There's also a YouTube video
If you are saying this is an issue that only effects the first start up of the day and that subsequent startups are OK then i'm not sure its something you should be concerned with. There is higher friction in the engine as you first crank the engine after its been left for a while as all the oil has sunk into the sump and all the oil ways and bearing chambers filled with oil. Once you've fired the car up then the oil chambers and pipes fill up with oil pretty quickly thus reducing the friction for subsequent start ups.
If it was earthing related then you'd have a lazy turn over every time you started the car.
We had a similar problem with the wife's Jeep, which I suspected to be glow plugs. One way to check is spend about five minutes just turning the ignition on and off getting the plugs nice and hot. Dunno about Audi, but on the Jeep you could hear the relay opening and closing for the current through the glow plugs. A few cycles of this and they eventually got warm enough to start the engine, but if you just got in, waited for the light to go off and tried to start, nothing.
http://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/51/how-to-test-for-defective-glow-plugs
YouTube vids available
Are battery terminals/posts clean?
Earth straps tight and contacts clean?
Remove & check......
Almost the same symptons on my VW turned out to be starter motor solenoid
I may be being dull here, but how on Earth can a glow plug fault affect the crank speed?
Sounds like a defective starter motor to me.
I Am Not A Mechanic.
Is it not possible to rule out any sort of earthing issue ( deterioration of the engine earth strap ) by connecting a jump lead from the battery -ve to the engine ?
Service the bloody thing?
The vans at work do this (Sprinters).
Fleet mechanic said it's usually down to the bores and rings wearing. The pistons can then move in the bores (we're talking a few thou') and create extra friction when the oil has drained down to the sump overnight. As soon as the oil hits the rings all is ok until they stand overnight again. The wear usually shows up after 100k, the engines go on to well over 250k - one's on 480k and struggles to start most mornings, then runs faultlessly!!