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A bad alternator pully may also explain why your lights were getting brighter/dimmer. Your buddys thought about a bad tensionor should also be considerd. If the alternator pulley has been misbehaving for several thousand miles, it could have overworked the tensionor too.
(The reason VW engineers built a one-way device into the alternator pully is to put less strain on the tensionor during decellation)
Before just putting a new serpentine belt in place, ALL of the pulleys it touches should be inspected for undue wear. A serpentine belt does not just snap... breakage is usually caused by mis-aligned pullies.
PS: You should consider replacing that bad MAF... my 2003 TDI gets well over 50MPG. (up to 56MPG)....that 44MPG you are getting is pretty lame for a 2003 TDI
Let me put it this way - If my 2003 TDI got only 44MPG, I would start looking for the problem immedeately. I expect AT LEAST 650 miles per tank of fuel. (usually more like 730 miles per tank)
The ignition coil has electrical power.
Fuel pump fuse has no power when key on Acc.
When the key is in the engine start mode there is power to fuel pump and the fuel pump goes on.
There is gas at vacuum sensor on the return fuel line.
There is spark to the distributor cap.
There is some notice of brown discoloration in the distributor cap. Arcing?
Sprayed starting fluid into the air intake with the following result:
A less than a second buck of some type.
No sign of spark plug wires shorting out.
Several have suggested the following:
Hall sender or sensor. Located at the bottom of and inside the distributor.
The crank shaft sensor.
The fuel pump relay.
Some device that has shut off the fuel at the injectors?
Some device that has shut off the fuel at the fuel rail?
The injectors are not spraying fuel into the engine?
I thought the fuel pump primed when the key was in Acc. position?
Thanks for any help.
I would also suggest that you pull the sparkplugs and "read" them.... if they are "dry" you DEFINATELY have a fuel problem... if they are "wet" then you are getting fuel.
Given the info you have provided....
I would say that you can assume that the ignition is OK. (Perhaps ruling out Hall sensor, and crank sensor.)
The key is that you say the engine trys to start when you spray some starting-fluid in.... this points to the FUEL system not delivering gasoline.
If this is the case, it is more difficult to troubleshoot than ignition problem. If you can put a pressure-guage on the fuel-rail, that could cut the problem down the middle (rule out pump and pressure system leaving the injector system as the isssue.)
Let us know how it works out...
I do not see where you arrived at this answer.
I said that the engine only gave like a bump for less than a second.
There does not appear to be any sign that the engine trys to start.
I thank you for the info on reading the plugs. I had thought that, and it was the next thing to do. Of course that is after putting on the new cap and rotor. I may just put in the new plugs if I can get to them. The intake manifold seems to be in the way of two of them.
If the plugs are dry and spraying starter fluid into the air intake hose does not get it started that is why I thought the car is being told not to start. Is there such a item that prevents the engine from running? Would any of the existing relays make it not work if the fuel pressure is too low?
Should I disconnect the battery and reset the CEL. I know she had a new radio put in that does not need a code. When she purchased the car the dealer wanted 40 to reset the code. The faceplate of that radio was broken so she just brought another for 130 installed at Best Buy.
The Hall unit would have been 53 and the Crank unit 78 for a total of 131. If I do not need those then I am good.
How can I fool the system to believe there is enough fuel pressure? Since, I do see fuel at the rail on the left of the intake manifold. At least on the return line under the sensor. This is the line with a blue arrow. I took off the fork clip and as I lifted the sensor there was fuel squirting out. I did not take out the sensor or pressure switch. I just lifted it.
Any more help would be appreciated.
Putting this car into any regular shop is pointless. VW is it's own kind of animal. I may have to get it to an import shop where they work on VWs regularly or just take it to a dealer shop. That will be a pretty hefty outlay.
It is better to pop off one of the smaller hoses near the throttlebody and spray into that opening. (I usuall save spray nozzles before tossing any cans... so I have some spare WD40 nozzles with the thin pipe on it that makes it EASY to get starter spray into the smallest opening.)
PS: I know what you mean about the center 2 sparkplugs being VERY difficult to access.
This is my first car, ever.
I am taking my car for a service check tomorrow but, I just had to run this by some people.
When I purchased my car in July 2006 it already at 23,330 miles on it. To date I drove it approx. 2,620 miles.
I started checking my dipstick a week ago because I was told around 3,000, you have to bring in for oil change, fluids, etc.
My dipstick was dry.
I called a different service place and the VW lady told me that the dipstick was tricky and that i needed to bring it in, since I may still have oil in there. She went on to tell me not to take it to a midas, pep boys because it is a european car and they won't know how to take care of it. When I ask to make an appt. the next one was a week and a half away! I asked what type of oil and she said 10w30
To make a long story short, I took to a pep boys after I purchased the oil and they stated to their knowledge and by computer I was to have 5w30, 10w30 was too heavy. After checking the engine they stated that there was no oil. I put 2 bottles of oil in the engine.
Now, from what I read in the manual, no warning light comes on for low oil and my engine was not making any type of noises, stallings or anything, but, How can oil disappear from an engine? People are saying that oil does not disappear only gets dirty? I do not see any leaks from where I parked recently or ever.
Any thoughts? :surprise:
Make sure to check the oil in your Jetta at EVERY fill-up or at least bi-weekly.
This may or may not have solved the problem/s.
There are a couple of things I think you should know and be able to do (item 3):
1. The actual oem recommended oil dipstick check procedure
2. The overnight level, (knowing the range between minimum and maximum during #1 item one).
3. Do a dipstick oil check at no more than 1000 mile intervals. Indeed the information you provided indicates you have a 2.0 engine that consumes 1 qt of oil each 1000 miles or so.
4. Carry 1/2 qts of the correct specification and viscosity oil in your trunk
Once you know items 1 and 2 you can CHECK, and if necessary, add oil with a reasonable assurance you are within the min and max ranges.
Know what the actual specification and viscosity the oem calls for. As you have experienced, even the dealer can be incorrect.
The OCI or oil change interval is 10,000 miles!! If you chose to go to that interval, given your consumption you can expect to consume an additional 10 qts. This means a 3,000 mile OCI is TOTAL overkill.
You have already learned that MOST people have NO CLUE what they are talking about.
*)Lady at dealership was WRONG about proper viscosity. (5w30 is correct for your car)
*)People that tell you that oil cannot disapear are WRONG. (it can leak or burn off)
You did NOT tell us WHICH ENGINE you have. Since VW offered 4 different engines in 2003, we really need to know what we are talking about before we can give you any details.
Since you added 2 bottles (I assume quarts) then there was still some oil in the engine...that is why the oil-pressure light did not come on.
VERY IMPORTANT!!! THE OIL-PRESSURE LIGHT IS NOT
MEASURING THE AMOUNT OF OIL IN THE ENGINE. It measures the pressure of the oil being pumped to the bearings. If this light comes on--- VERY SERIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE can occour within 2 minets of running the engine.
I think you caught the low oil in time before any damage ocoured.
BOTTOM LINE: With you "new" car, You need to check the oil EVERY TIME you fill up with fuel. After awhile, you will start to get a better understanding of what is going on.... (how fast is the oil going down and under what conditions does it go down faster...ie highway driving)
Once you get to know your car better, then you can cut back to checking the oil perhaps once a month.
PS: If you have been reading the owners-manual... why the heck did you just not read the part about which oil viscosity to use and how to use the dipstick instead of asking somone that has no clue?
Also if you took a battery off the shelf of a store, it may or may not be properly charged up.
Dont forget that a Lead-Acid battery starts to "age" as soon as the acid is put into it. Always check the date-code on a battery before purchasing it. If it has been sitting on the shelf filled with acid for months... it is likely to have very little power in it. (That is why the very best batteries are stored DRY and acid is added when you purchase it)
In all cases, a new battery needs to be FULLY CHARGED on a charger before it is expected to provide good performance.
To hopefully solve the problem, it needs to be recharged. (commercially if you need it done fast). Hopefully you have not worn down one or more cells, so it can be used again. So in the worst case, you might need a new battery.
Hopefully you replaced it with an oem battery. Replacement with aftermarket products can be a bit dicey. The reserve power requirements are greater with a TDI than with a gasser is the real reason. For example, every time you "start" the car you are heating 4 glow plugs. This of course uses even more power in winter.
The upshot: get and use a "Battery Tender" or similar type product. Use it on some scheduled basis. There are indicator lamps for: 1. needs continued charging 2. 80% 3. to 100%. It has a built in limiter chip, so the battery does not get overcharged. 30-150 dollars, depending on models and capacities.
The same happened to me at a tad less than the third year mark. The car was/is garaged and sees no "real" winters and the drives tend to be very long. I employ a Garmin GPS and radar detector, sometimes both at once. Barring that essentially even with an oem battery, the alternator does not even bring the charge of the battery back to 80% let alone 100%. LONG drives don't even get it back to 80%. Combine that with how YOU specifically drive, use the battery, environmental conditions, your accessory use, 24/7 daylight running lamps, and/or the fact that almost EVERYTHING uses battery power, it is really just a matter of time before the battery goes down to "weak"(and can not start) without a "Battery Tender" type product.
I had a similar problem with my car (2002 Jetta 1.8T). This was caused by a broken hose (whose name I forget). The dealer should be able to diagnose it for you.
It was a problem with the breather hose.
I hope all went well with your car, and the dealer was able to resolve your problem. Please let me know. Thx.
$70 per hour and part.
Wow what a blessing.
I guess it pays to make sure you take your VW to someone who knows VWs.
Thanks for all your help.
Any ideas are appreciated!
Someone said it was a door switch. Does anyone know or had it happen to him or her ?
How can I fix it ?
thanks...
Sincerly,
Paul
This info might be helpful to you:
http://www.galttech.com/research/cars/buy-car-battery.php
Could you please tell me what the resolution for your problem was so I can tell my dealer ?
Upshot:
1. Especially for the TDI (so I am not so sure it is as critical for the gasser side) match/exceed the oem specifications when/if you are considering other than oem.
2. The other important point is get a battery trickle charger (like Battery Tender @ app $40.)
Prior to the VW, I was used to batteries lasting 9/10 years. (Toyota Landcruisers oem Panasonic batteries)Using the Battery Tender, I have come to see graphically, the VW's charging system does not let the battery get back up to an 80% charge, let alone par (100%) So when you combine that with multiple known and unknown sub systems (to you and me) that draw power intermittently to literally 24/7 with add ons you may or may not be mentioning, this further stresses the system. When you add how you actually use battery power, I think you get the concept.
I do need a couple of years to tell you if this second oem battery using a scheduled battery trickle charge has let the battery go beyond 3 years. All the best.
Perhaps I should have said or added it more directly, consult your particular owmers' manual or technical or shop manual for the battery specifications.
I just did this yesterday, drove from the San Jose area to Davis CA. 97 miles one way actual R/T 204 miles. I am swagging you know the route, roads and conditions. Traffic moved at 85/90 but I used the slower lanes for most of the trip each way at app 80 mph average. Passed several time by CHP cars and motorcycles on the prowl. So the one way time was app 1 hour and 15 min. I ran the A/C on the way back app 1 hour and 15 mins (to function the system seals etc).
Upshot: It took the Battery Tender app 1 hour to get to 80 % charge and another 2 hours to get to a steady full 100%. The battery is app 15 mo old. It has been on an app once per week trickle charger schedule to "top it" at scheduled intervals.
Your "Temp" light is a different problem which is easy to fix. It is VERY common for this to happen on cold mornings when the antifreeze is a bit low. Once the antifreeze warmes up (expands) then its level goes up a little and the light goes out.
You can add less than one cup of DISTILLED water to a cold engine to bring the level up a bit. This should fix your problem.
If you need to add more than a cup of liquid, then you MUST use G12 antifreeze. (anything else will clog up the engine passagways)
Hooked up the Battery Tender (off schedule). This time it took 10/15 min to 80% charge and another 45/50 min to 100% charge.
I changed out my spark plugs and when I started up my car it was shaking pretty badly. Well I took out the plugs and compared them to my original ones and it was obvious that they were different. I showed them to the guy at the parts store and he agreed. They didn't have the ones that fit so I put the original plugs back in. My car is still running rough and the gas mileage is poor. Before I take it into the dealership and spend an arm and a leg to get it looked at, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on what the problem could be.
Thanks
My question is this, could my water pump have burned out when my fan quit working? could this residue have somthing to do with that? Also, does anyone have any idea why my fan still does not work. any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Then come back and let us know if they worked and what you did, so we can share that with other Jetta diesel owners!
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2964845
First of all make sure your trouble shooting has systematically eliminated any other problems or fuel line leak in another area of your system.
So given a "good system" you can reprime either by vacuum or just shoot some diesel fuel (or additive) into the fuel filter. (hopefully you are familar with the R/R procedure for the fuel filter change?) It takes a huge amount of cranking if the fuel filter gets depleted and sometimes it causes more wear than it is worth. So again in a good system fill the fuel filter either with a vaccum tool or just fill it with #2 diesel. So once filled with #2 diesel, because of the almost extreme fuel efficiency you now have to dry crank to fill the now empty fuel lines to the individual injectors.
The drivers side does look pretty complicated.
Now that I have totally forgotten it after a year, it probably will take 10 mins again, plus 15 min longer for I will search the empty memory banks to try to remember how to do it (AGAIN) !
Most of the time, I pop the hood in the Wallmart parkinglot and pull out the bad bulb... then go into the store with old bulb in hand to make certain I get the proper replacement. Wallmart carries several "grades" of replacement bulbs.
The only tool you would need is phillips screwdriver to remove 2 screws that hold a cover on. (the 2 screws are clearly marked with arrows)
Then, there is a "bail" that needs to be popped over to the side to gain access to rear of headlamp housing. (your phillips screwdrive may help with this task)
Then, pull the electric connector from rear of bulb.
Then, there is a retainer ring that twists 1/4 turn on rear of the bulb so it comes out.
DO NOT TOUCH QUARTZ PART OF NEW BULB WITH FINGERS..lest you will shorten its lifespan.