1998 vr6 won't start

[imob34]

My golf won't start, no fuel was getting to the engine and the fuel pump wasn't kicking on when i turned the key so i put a new fuel pump on it it didn't help no power is getting to the the pump or to the fuse for it i checked the relay and there was power at it but it seemed to be working also there seems to be no spark does anyone have any ideas before i take it to a dealer

[veedubmechanic]

when you try to start it, wiggle the key in the ignition alot and keep trying to start it. if it starts than you need a new ign switch.

[imob34]

it doesn't start when i wiggle it but it did start a few times the next few days after the first time it wouldn't start if the ign switch. it does turn over, wouldn't it effect more electrical parts in the car like the warning lights in the dash? also is there anyway i can test the switch it if i take it out thanks

[veedubmechanic]

well you can take off the steering column cover and look on the back of the ign switch. if its white plastic its the old style and it needs to be replaced. if its black its the new style. A bad ign switch can cause lots of things not to work or 1 thing not to work, totally depends on what contacts are bad.

[skeeter111]

hello, i am a vw tech at the dealer and i am now working on this car and i can't figure it out. excuse me if im not 100 percent correct with my wiring because i am at home and i dont have a wiring diagram in front of me. when i first received the car the first thing i checked was fuel pressure and there was none. i checked voltage at the pump and got 0 volts with key on and cranking. fuses s18 is ok. i checked power to the relay. there is ignition power and constant power at the relay but i wasn't getting a ground signal from the ecm. so i checked the wiring from the ecm to the relay and it was good which led me to replacing the ecm. i then replaced the ecm but i still have the same problems. i am now finding that the ecm is only putting out 7 volts to the ground terminal of the relay. there is also no spark and the ecm is not powering the coil. i then supplied a ground to the fuel pump relay and got fuel pressure but it still wouldn't start. the ecm has 12volts of power and ground. i measured the resistance between the ecm ground wire and battery ground and i am getting between 5 and 9 ohms which i am not 100% sure if this is my problem. so i then supplied a seperate ground to the ecm and maf because they share the same ground and it still won't start. I have called the vw techline and they are dumbfounded. the only advice they had was to replace the fuse panel because it may be fried. i replaced it but it didn't help. i have also tried a new ignition switch and a fuel pump relay just for kicks with no results. so right now i still don't have fuel or spark and i am basically back at square one. i have been doing numerous wiring checks to see if the ecm ground is bad but i think i may be chasing a ghost ,so any ideas would really help. p.s. i was told by the owners father that he had a chip in the old ecm and it also has aftermarket headlights with aftermarket wiring. PLEASE HELP, i am sick of looking at this car and i just want to move on. I should be able to answer any technical questions that you guys may have.

[veedubmechanic]

Originally Posted by skeeter111

. i measured the resistance between the ecm ground wire and battery ground and i am getting between 5 and 9 ohms which i am not 100% sure if this is my problem. .

max allowable ohm resistance is .1- .4 ohms. looks like the wire is shorted to another wire maybe another ground wire or signal wire.
if there are aftermarket headlights maybe the person used the ecm ground wire to ground the headlights????

check the resistance from the fp relay to the fuel pump. and the ground wires and fuel pump to cluster wires. I have seen wires on the relay pannel messed up cracked/frayed, also check the radio harness (if theres an aftermarket unplug it all the way to the stock harness)

[skeeter111]

i know the wiring from the relay to the pump is good because i can activate the pump if i ground the relay, also the wires to the cluster are good. i have also inspected the wires at the relay panel and they look fine. it does have an aftermarket radio so tomorrow i will unplug it and see what happens. there is one weird thing, when i was measuring the resistance of the ecm ground wire i would sometimes get a resistance of 0 ohms and the car still wouldn't start. this is what makes me think i may be going in the wrong direction. anyways, i will let you know tomorrow what i find at work. thanks!!!

[veedubmechanic]

if you ground the relay and the fp works than the fp relay ground is bad. I dont know where that is but vesis will show you (think its on the lf kickpannel???)

also check the ecm ground wire point and also check the ground at the back of the cyl head