i feel like i should know by now what to check but ill just run through my story with this (my 3rd) gti6
see if you guys can help narrow it down.

went to see car, drove round, engine ran fine. so i buy it cheapish (has been sat for 10 years)

car turns up at my house on a trailer (from oxford to brum), little difficulty starting and i assume its as exhaust had fallen off during transport (clamp between back box and pipe had snapped) drove it onto my drive fine though.

few days later start the car up and its fine again (bit noisey as exhaust is still hanging)

i wait 2 weeks for v5c to arrive, and go to start and battery is dead. (i assume alarm box battery is draining main battery)

i charge it up and it starts fine.

wash the car next day and after it refuses to start, turns over but doesn't fire. maybe one splutter while cranking if im lucky

i find out fuel pumps not priming (no priming noise)......remove it and get it working again and refit.

car stll doesnt start/idle.... will half/sporadicly splutter but wont stay on or idle.

thing i have noticed is......every time i turn the key, the pump primes for the same amount of time each time.....
where as in my xsi it primes once then if you turn it off n on again it doesnt prime again (as rail/line still has pressure)

seeing as i have fuel upto the injector rail... im thinking either naff injectors or fuel pressure regulator.
either the regulators just blocked/stuck and its cycling it all back through the return.....or some/all the injectors are stuck open and im flooding the engine.

thoughts? question? help please?

jim

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the world is changed by people in sheds