Fencourt

If the timing belt has slipped, it's your timing. Timing has to be spot on then it will start first time otherwise it will turn over and smoke till the cows come home or battery goes flat. As for bent valves, if you can get it to turnover there's a good chance everythings ok, just need to adjust the timing, when this is done, if the first time of starting it sounds like someones in the engine hitting it with a hammer 1. TURN the engine off, 2. Check your timing, adjustments if required untill it sounds sweet. Good luck. Fencourt.

Fencourt. Hi there, I had a problem with a missfire on a TDI, it was a bad connection on the main lead off the fuel pump, seperate the connector plugs clean and dry connections, put them back together, add a twist tie round the plug halves for secure connection see how it goes? It's cheap to do and only takes five minutes. Good luck.

Mercwarrantyman. I think you're trying to hard to find a fault. This may or may not work, but both my suggestions are cheap to do and you can do them yourself. Firstly I have glx tdi for about ten years with the mileage around the 350,000 and have come across most things mention on this website, so here goes. If the engine runs and then just stops, say during a journey try replacing relay 109 in the fuse box, you may be able to repair it by opening up the relay and re soldering the connection that has freed itself, hence the situation you leave the car for a while and it works fine (relay cooled down and re-soldered its own connection!) Second area to look at, this one drove me nuts but got there in the end. Symptoms, engine would start then stop after 2 or 3 seconds, drivers door alarm light would flash quickly for about aminute, then go out. Disconnect the battery, remove the plastic covers around the steering console, pull out the plug which lead from the key column ( left handside of steering column as you sit in car) check plug for dirt or damp replace making sure of good connection, I put a plastic tie around it to stop it moving again and insure good connection, replace battery, start engine, replace plastic console, go down pub and rejoyce, it's that easy. Hope it helps.

To all My apologies the relay that needs replacing is 109 and NOT 90 as I referred to in early notes, please forgive, I throw myself at the mercy of the forum. Fencourt

Relay 30 is for petrol engines, diesels use R3 supply relay or relay 90 same thing different numbers, which is plum in the middle of the fuse box under the steering wheel. Symptoms are the same as petrol; engine will turn over but won't start, and then will start run for a while then turn itself off for no reason. Should cost you about