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Author Topic: VW TDI Cold Start  (Read 3077 times)

Offline Triple Bob

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VW TDI Cold Start
« on: November 19, 2014, 08:55:54 am »
Hey, had a weird issue with my car this morning.  It wouldn't start as if it had no battery power, I tried turning it over a few times and it just stopped after a second or two.  I left it for a minute, then tried again, holding the key so that the starter motor turned over a lot, and then it finally caught, although it was lumpy.

I have already driven it through one Winter and it was fine.  I didn't leave the lights on overnight or anything.  One thing I did do was a few short journey's after work yesterday evening, maybe a few km each.  But I wouldn't think this would run the battery down to that extent...

The other thing that was weird was that that it did start eventually, my experience with flat batteries is that once they are out of power you wouldn't have been able to do what I did to get it going.  So I'm not sure if it's a battery issue...  I drove about 30km home from work, so that should have given it a good charge, even before my few short journeys.  Could it be a fuel issue?

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Offline Triple Bob

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2014, 09:34:22 am »
Actually one other thing.  On the first start it sort of sounded like it started, ran for a second and then cut out.

 ???
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Offline wing

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2014, 09:38:02 am »
Did you let the plugs warm up?  I guess that is automatic now anyways.

Sounds like it was cold, could be a fuel issue.  But it isn't that cold yet there is it?  I had to crank for a good 10 seconds this morning on the Taco.
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Offline Noto

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2014, 09:55:08 am »
I had a similar issue one time in the Corolla. I haven't had any problems since.

Hopefully yours also resolves.

My theory is that I listened to the radio without the car running for a bit and didn't drive it for a few days and that ran the battery down a bit, but not dead.
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Offline EV-Light

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2014, 10:02:35 am »
the issue you had sounds like the glow plug issue VW had a few years ago...
I'd look at:

1) battery
2) glow plugs
3) flapper valve and lines
4) mass air flow sensor
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Offline Fobroader

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2014, 10:03:54 am »
Is it really cold?? Did you buy winter diesel and do you add the additive to get rid of water??
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Offline Triple Bob

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2014, 10:15:02 am »
I filled up about a week ago, so I am not sure it it's Winter fuel.  The glow plugs were warm.  It was only about 0C in the garage, so not that cold.

How do I check the battery?
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Offline Fobroader

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2014, 10:22:36 am »
Quote from: Turbo Bob on November 19, 2014, 10:15:02 am
I filled up about a week ago, so I am not sure it it's Winter fuel.  The glow plugs were warm.  It was only about 0C in the garage, so not that cold.

How do I check the battery?

Put a meter across it and see what the voltage is.
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Offline bridgecity

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2014, 10:27:02 am »
If it was turning over fine (which it sounds like it was) it shouldn't be a battery issue.  Also at 0C I wouldn't think that the cold should be an issue.  Its under warranty yet right?  If it occurs again I would just take it in.
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Offline johngenx

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2014, 10:37:03 am »
We've only owned one diesel car, but it would frequently fail to start with the EXACT symptoms you describe: sort of starts and then dies after lumpy running.  In our car, it was glow plugs every time.  They were replaced and the problem went away.  For a while, anyway.
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Offline Fobroader

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2014, 10:38:40 am »
Quote from: johngenx on November 19, 2014, 10:37:03 am
We've only owned one diesel car, but it would frequently fail to start with the EXACT symptoms you describe: sort of starts and then dies after lumpy running.  In our car, it was glow plugs every time.  They were replaced and the problem went away.  For a while, anyway.

This is a fairly new car, buddy of mine had to do the glowplugs in his 6.5 Chevy but after 300,000km, one was well past 250,000km on a Ford PSD...I know its a FGC, but......
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Offline johngenx

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2014, 10:40:22 am »
Quote from: Fobroader on November 19, 2014, 10:38:40 am
This is a fairly new car, buddy of mine had to do the glowplugs in his 6.5 Chevy but after 300,000km, one was well past 250,000km on a Ford PSD...I know its a FGC, but......

Our E300 had 19K on it when it had it's first set of glow plugs replaced.
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Offline Railton

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Re: VW TDI Cold Start
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2014, 12:23:31 pm »
Is there a seperate battery just for the glow plugs? Check that battery, not just the starter battery.
Maybe VW's just get by with one battery? On my Dad's old GM diesels there were two, one for the starter and one for the glow plugs.
Railton
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