Q: Crank no start - 1997 Volkswagen Golf

asked by on October 27, 2016

So my 1997 VW golf will crank but not start. I'll assume I have fuel pressure because after a while of it cranking you can smell gas inside the car. I have tried starting fluid and that failed, so I am down to believe it has to do no spark... Bad crankshaft positioning sensor? I was told that this sensor is what tells the coil to give out spark, is that true? I have another running 97' golf k2 but my bolt for my cps is stripped. So I cannot swap them out and confirm that.. If any body can give me any information on wether the CPS sensor that would help a lot!

My car has 202000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

Hello there. Many faults will cause your 1997 Volkswagen Golf to crank but not start. The most common fault is the battery. Once the battery has been load tested and ruled out, there are a few other likely faults, such as the starter, battery cable, fuel pump, crank position sensor, cam sensor, ignition switch or fuel filter. Though you smell fuel, if the fuel pressure is not high enough or correct, the vehicle will not start either. A qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, will be able to diagnose your crank no start and perform any repairs required.

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