Intermittent failure to start

[Graham]

Hi hive mind.
I have a weird intermittent snag on my 2007 SE, as follows:
Unlock door <blip>
Turn key
Sometimes starts, (I have a nice full nearly new battery). Sometimes turns over but will not fire. Sometimes churns briefly then just stops.
If it doesn’t start, I take the key out, blip locked and unlocked, and try again.
Then it starts. Every now & again I have to repeat the lock/unlock cycle.

Has anyone else had a similar issue and solved it?

I can’t work out whether it is key, lock, immobiliser, starter solenoid, some random loom issue. I get the same with both keys, so probably not that. When it starts, it starts just fine. It’s intermittent & happens more when I use the van less. I can live with it as I know a workaround, but it’d be nice to fix it properly as I do like to turn off in long queues to avoid emissions & getting started again is red light roulette!

Many thanks.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi hive mind.
I have a weird intermittent snag on my 2007 SE, as follows:
Unlock door <blip>
Turn key
Sometimes starts, (I have a nice full nearly new battery). Sometimes turns over but will not fire. Sometimes churns briefly then just stops.
If it doesn’t start, I take the key out, blip locked and unlocked, and try again.
Then it starts. Every now & again I have to repeat the lock/unlock cycle.

Has anyone else had a similar issue and solved it?

I can’t work out whether it is key, lock, immobiliser, starter solenoid, some random loom issue. I get the same with both keys, so probably not that. When it starts, it starts just fine. It’s intermittent & happens more when I use the van less. I can live with it as I know a workaround, but it’d be nice to fix it properly as I do like to turn off in long queues to avoid emissions & getting started again is red light roulette!

Many thanks.

How old are the key fob batteries?

 

[sidepod]

Scan for codes?

 

[pjm-84]

How old are the key fob batteries?

This...had this on my 2015....WG quite correctly highlighted fob battery which I had an inkling as its seemed to immobilizer the vehicle. Started / moved it across the road to load the vehicle/ wouldn't start / then started and I didn't want to take the risk, so swapped vehicles. Normally my other vehicles note when they are low....VW doesn't

 

[WelshGas]

This...had this on my 2015....WG quite correctly highlighted fob battery which I had an inkling as its seemed to immobilizer the vehicle. Started / moved it across the road to load the vehicle/ wouldn't start / then started and I didn't want to take the risk, so swapped vehicles. Normally my other vehicles note when they are low....VW doesn't

I've only had that message on my Multivan " Key battery low ", never in 10yrs on the California.

 

[sidepod]

Op stated he has the same issue with both keys.

 

[WelshGas]

Op stated he has the same issue with both keys.

And?

They could both have original batteries which could be 19 yrs old, unlikely I agree. Depends if both keys are used in rotation as primary key or batteries changed by previous owner or not.

 

[Graham]

How old are the key fob batteries?

Mmm. Can’t remember. Which probably tells me something. Thanks.