Desperate for any assistance with Rialta not starting!!!!!!!

[Wayne]

Hi everyone, sure could use some help here! I have a 2002 Rialta and am located in Canada. We just imported it this year! So Rialtas over here are very scarce so finding help is just plain impossible. My Daughter was picking it up tomorrow to take her family camping for a few days, so she came over yesterday and I was showing her how to use it... She got in to start it and it started right away and then quit! Now we can't get it to start at all. I had a mechanic make a house call here this morning (Sunday too) but he spent an hour and left scratching his head.... Is it a security issue?????? I tried locking and unlocking it, but nothing! Really desperate for help as we are supposed to go to fire convention this coming weekend also, but don't want to let my Daughter down either! Please, if anyone has suggestions, I could use them!



Cheers,


Wayne

[Bob and Dedra]

What happens when you turn the key? Did the visiting mechanic do a load test on the VW cab battery ?


I assume you're not getting a "check engine" light ?

[Wayne]

Hi Bob and Dedra, when I turn the key, it does light up and I did get a check engine light, but nothing else. I had it towed to a garage that has a VW mechanic. I still think it is a security issue as there were no warnings of a bad battery or starter, they always kicked in everytime! Anyway, mechanic said the battery was bad and the starter needed replacing. I am just desperate to get it going as my Daughter was going to use it for the week so I didn't want to let her down. So they are replacing the parts but I would like to know more about the security issues that prevent it from starting....



Thanks Bob for any help you can provide!



Cheers!!

[Bob and Dedra]

I would have guessed the battery first. It can actually spin that starter pretty well registering 9-11 volts.


However, the chip that manages the engine will resist starting the motor unless you are showing a full 12 volts. I'm skeptical of the starter being the problem if you are saying it started up no problem before.


You'll have to let us know if he got it fixed. I'm not aware of a security protocol that prevents starting.....at least not in ours (2003). Hope you get it back in time for your daughter to use it.

[Pip]

Sounds like a security issue or the coil. The coil in my 1999 is a box about the size of a brick that controls most of the electronics in this engine. Mine was replaced at 80,000 miles with new plugs and wires. The coil had multple cracks in the plastic wall owing to heat buildup in the area. Probably worth the cost of a major tuneup if you haven't had one recently. Let us know what you learn!