Mk2 golf 8v gti crank no start

July 24, 2026, 11:46:29 AM

Hi all,

A couple of weeks ago I was getting ready to take my 1988 mk2 8v GTI to a car show. I’ve had the car 3 years and never had any issues with it. I’d left the radio on and the battery was dead so I jump started it and then charged the battery overnight.
The next morning I took off to the car show and got 10 minutes down the road when the car died. It initially fired up again but died again 2 minutes later. Since then it cranks but won’t start.
The fuel pump is still priming and it’s getting fuel. I took the king lead off the dizzy and put it beside an earth point. It’s only getting one spark when I stop cranking and turn the key off.
I’ve tried a new ignition coil which hasn’t changed anything.
Any other tips on other options to try?

Thanks

Re: Mk2 golf 8v gti crank no start

Reply #1 – July 25, 2026, 04:19:58 PM

Check how tight your earth cable to the engine is.
If it's loosened off, you could have spiked the ECU.