Club 80-90 Forums

Hi guys,

Audi 1.6t Diesel.
van won't start today at all. It's not battery cause i have lights,indicators,wipers etc.
When I turn the key to warm up, after about 5 seconds I get a buzzing noise from the engine. I'm certain it's coming from this relay in the fusebox in the engine bay:

[img:500:375]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3130/238 ... 99f181.jpg[/img]

The buzzing sometimes stops after a few seconds or just keeps on buzzing til I turn the key off. Again, when i try to start I get no action whatsoever. My question is: how do i get the relay off? It appears like it should lift off but i can't get it to come off and don't want to break anything. Is there a trick i'm missing? Hopefully it just needs replacing.[/img][/url]

that is the glow plug control relay, and it does just pull out, upwards.
check for bad earths, and clean the connections where the relay fits, if the box hasnt been closed properly, damp will get in there.

so you don't think it's a matter of replacing the relay? i have no idea how to check for bad earths (beginner) but will be speaking to someone who does soon.

ok, had a look there. Got the relay off, contacts look good but what it plugs into may be rusty. Turned the key with the relay off and it does try to start, but nowhere near getting going. Will spray a little wd40 onto where it plugs into later and see if that'll work, otherwise i'm assuming it's a faulty relay? Thanks for the help.

there is a good chance it is the relay, i just wanted to point you at the other causes...... brown wires are NEG or Earth on a VW.

if you were to pop the lid off the relay, you may find corrosion is the cause of the "buzzing" which is actually the coil failing to hold the actuator closed contact. Its opening and closing very very fast that makes the buz.

it was just a flat battery

now i just need to figure out what drained it.