2002 TDI won't start

[Ashbug1818]

SOrry this is long bu I want to put as much as possible to get an accurate answer

Okay from the beginning. Friday on my way home I noticed i was getting low on gas but just went home it was friday! Well I knew I was going out later and didn't pass a gas station anywhere close. So after relaxing for a bit I drive to the gas station with the gas light on. The gas station is exactly 1 mile from my house. I then went back home for about 30 min. I left picked up a friend who lives 3 houses down. I then drive about 15 min. away to another friends house. I get out for about 15 min. Then drive 15 min to the mall. I parked and was there for about 2 and half hours. I go to leave car cranks up. I go a few isles over and my friends stop to help someone whos battery died. I cut my car off and wait. I go to crank it up again to leave and IT WON'T START! It acts like the immobilizer or the key, crank up then die, it has had the light flash at me before bunot often and on the second try it works. but i tried two keys and the light isn;t flashing. I get it towed to my house. I heard if it was the immobilizer it just wouldn't go out like that it would progressivly go out(IDK I could be wrong) We check the fuel lines and it seems not to be getting fuel. When we drained the lines its not doing anything now. So we figured fuel pump? My lovely mother calls VW(ew) and of course they want it in there, but also told her that they have had no issues with fuel pumps( which could be a LIE) but IDK. VW did just have it a few weeks ago doing the timing belt, i know i know BIG mistake but my grandmother paid the bill and insisted it be done at VW. So any ideas at all?? I have no idea and I have had to have this thing towed 4 times in less than a year and really am thinking about selling it but i LOVE it also. Any ideas please state them. Everyone I know knows NOTHING about VW and i have only had this for about a year. PLEASE HELP!

[MichelleRoze]

Ok, if you were low on fuel and got TOO low, there is no fuel pick up in these cars. So you could be so low on fuel that it's not getting to the engine. What you need to do is put some fuel in it, try to start it. If it doesn't start, what you'll need is a 17mm open ended wrench. Losen all of the injectors on the engine and try to start the car again. Let some diesel spew out. Once all four injectors are spewing fuel, tighten them back up and try to start the car again. Hopefully that'll put the fuel back into the engine and it'll start fine. (I've done this before...can you tell?!) Word of advice...don't let the fuel get too low. Once the light comes on...you really should fill up asap.

If it's the immobilizer, try this trick. Put the key in the ignition. Turn it to the accesory position, but do not start the car. Then unplug both battery terminals. Hold the positive and negative terminals together for about 15 seconds. Place them back on the battery. Take the key out of the ignition and let the car sit for a few seconds. Then try to start the car again. That should reset the key and immobilizer together so that they can "communicate" properly. (can you tell I've done this too? lol)

If you need any help, let me know. I know some guys around Atlanta that could help. Plus, I'm in Auburn/Dacula area as well. I'm practically your neighbor probably. So, just let me know! Might be worth it to see one of the local TDI guru's as well. Check to make sure that the dealer did everything they were supposed to. Atlanta Dealerships aren't valued very high...and their work is very...spotty to say the least.

[chephron]

Originally Posted by Ashbug1818

SOrry this is long bu I want to put as much as possible to get an accurate answer

Okay from the beginning. Friday on my way home I noticed i was getting low on gas but just went home it was friday! Well I knew I was going out later and didn't pass a gas station anywhere close. So after relaxing for a bit I drive to the gas station with the gas light on. The gas station is exactly 1 mile from my house. I then went back home for about 30 min. I left picked up a friend who lives 3 houses down. I then drive about 15 min. away to another friends house. I get out for about 15 min. Then drive 15 min to the mall. I parked and was there for about 2 and half hours. I go to leave car cranks up. I go a few isles over and my friends stop to help someone whos battery died. I cut my car off and wait. I go to crank it up again to leave and IT WON'T START! It acts like the immobilizer or the key, crank up then die, it has had the light flash at me before bunot often and on the second try it works. but i tried two keys and the light isn;t flashing. I get it towed to my house. I heard if it was the immobilizer it just wouldn't go out like that it would progressivly go out(IDK I could be wrong) We check the fuel lines and it seems not to be getting fuel. When we drained the lines its not doing anything now. So we figured fuel pump? My lovely mother calls VW(ew) and of course they want it in there, but also told her that they have had no issues with fuel pumps( which could be a LIE) but IDK. VW did just have it a few weeks ago doing the timing belt, i know i know BIG mistake but my grandmother paid the bill and insisted it be done at VW. So any ideas at all?? I have no idea and I have had to have this thing towed 4 times in less than a year and really am thinking about selling it but i LOVE it also. Any ideas please state them. Everyone I know knows NOTHING about VW and i have only had this for about a year. PLEASE HELP!

Well first of all welcome to the Org. I am on here because my girlfriend, MichelleRoze has a 2002 Beetle TDI and we go to GTGs together a lot.

Hard to determine exactly whats wrong from your posts, but here are my thoughts based on what you said and our own experiences with our diesel.

1. Change Fuel Filter first. Diesels are much more sensitive and prone to clogged fuel filters than gassers. Fuel Filter should be changed every 30K or so.
2. Put Diesel approved fuel treatment in, you may have gotten bad fuel at that station you just filled up at.
3. Doesn't sound like an immobilizer issue, if so you would have all sorts of lights on the dash lighting up and going crazy. But if this happens to you as it did us, see Michelle's suggestion above.
4. Take a 17MM open end wrench and carefully loosen the left hand (when facing them) injector while a second person tries to start the car and tightened the instant diesel fuel starts to spray out. Turn the key all the way off and repeat for each of the other 3 injectors. Diesels can have excess air built up in them when they are run all the way out of fuel that causes problems with staying running. The solution as stated above is called bleeding the injectors. The injectors can be found by removing the engine cover on a TDI and looking right in front of the valve cover (which is on the top of the engine) at the aluminum fuel lines going into the block at the base of the valve cover. There are nuts around these fuel lines. These are the ones that need to be loosened one at a time to release air in the fuel lines and restore the diesel to regular operation. This may not be the issue, but its what to try after changing the fuel filter and doing a diesel fuel treatment. We learned this one the hard way!
4. Fuel Pump is possibly the cause but do this as a last resort.
5. If any of this is unclear or a mystery to you, take the car to a qualified mechanic from the TDI club.com's list of trusted mechanics.
We prefer Troy Sentz in Canton, GA. Stop taking your TDI to the dealers in Georgia, none of them understand the diesels even though they say they do.

[MichelleRoze]

Haha...you must have been writing that while I was writing mine! lol

[Ashbug1818]

Thanks to you both!I would LOVE to take it to him but i cannot afford the tow bill..... I will try everything you guys requested

[MichelleRoze]

Let us know how it goes. Might be able to get ahold of some people I know and they might be willing to come out to you instead. But try some of those things first.

[der Käfer]

My '02 TDI has not cranked a couple of times and found that if I fully charge the battery, it solves the problem. It seems if the battery gets a little weak, it will cause a no start problem.

[macdave]

You probably didn't run out of fuel, mine has gone 250 miles after the gauge was on E and still had over a gallon left in it. Find someone who knows how to fix these cars and stay away from VW. VW will take lots of money from you and destroy your car in the process.

[Ashbug1818]

well, we drained the fuel filter and lines, now it isn't getting any fuel at all. It doesnt start at all now just turns over. IDK what this means. Haven't had a chance to try the suggestions yet, it's been a crazy week but keep the suggestions coming! I hope this is an easy fix!

[Growler]

if you drained the filter and hardlines of fuel, you need access to a mytvac so you can pull fuel thru your new filter, and into the fuel pump on the engine.

you then need to crack open the 4 fuel lines to the injectors and crank until fuel spurts out of them. then tighten them down.

really, you need someone who has done this before. perhaps michell and her BF can come out and help you get it started. she knows what to do.

[Smileybug]

Yeah if you drained it all out, you have to get fuel back into the system. Mytvac is the way to go.

[MichelleRoze]

Or go to the closest gas station and get some diesel. Fill the fuel filter with some diesel. Might still take a bit to get it started, but should work.