Starting woes ALH TDI

[bonfire]

Re: Starting woes ALH TDI

Ok, so I took the car to Calgary Auto Works, they were awesome. Painless and simple guys to work with.

The timing was out, so they re-timed, changed the fuel filter and changed a vacuum seal and they agreed with Meyers saying that my pump is weak. I don't drive the car enough to really justify the new pump at the moment and it starts a bit rough but it starts and does what I need it to do.

But there is this strange reverse gear issue.

If I go to put it into reverse, the engine cuts out. Like lights out, and it stalls. If pull it out of reverse quick enough it starts again before it completely stops spinning. Sometimes if I rev the motor up while I move the shift into the reverse it doesn't always stall.

Vacuum leak? Any ideas?

[dJ]

Re: Starting woes ALH TDI

If your pump goes I have an extra one I can sell you if you're interested. Not sure where to start with the reverse issue. I would be checking tdiclub forums. I'm sure they got some info there.

[bonfire]

Re: Starting woes ALH TDI

Now it is dead.

Super frustrating.

New battery at the end of July. Been driving it occaisonally, seems to start rough like it usually has.

But I went to start it on Sunday and it is dead. Like dead dead. No lights, no dash, no power locks, no nothing. Put the charger on it for a few hours. Have a motormaster analog charger, after a couple hours it just says 'overload' on the charger now. Getting a voltmeter today, to see if anything is happening. Inspected the fuses, and they all seem fine.

But it is like there isn't even a battery in the thing.

Thoughts?

[stefan]

Re: Starting woes ALH TDI

If it's dead-dead as you say, a motomaster charger probably won't do it. I know mine won't. It either goes overload, or just doesn't to anything.

Assuming the battery hasn't frozen (totally possible if it is that dead), you can jump it and let it run a while. I found if you can get a bit of a charge from the alternator, the motomaster charger will go from there.

I just had a very similar thing happen with a very dead-dead battery. Just be cautious. frozen/damaged battery can be a little unpredictable. It had been pretty mild though so hopefully not an issue. Also, if charging inside (especially since this thing will be on the charger for a while), hydrogen gas buildup is a real thing - keep things ventilated. I have never had an issue, and I think it is pretty uncommon, but some co workers got a pretty exciting boom when the sparks from disconnecting the battery lit it up years ago! I'm sure you aren't an idiot - but sometimes simple safety stuff gets overlooked

Now it is dead.

Super frustrating.

New battery at the end of July. Been driving it occaisonally, seems to start rough like it usually has.

But I went to start it on Sunday and it is dead. Like dead dead. No lights, no dash, no power locks, no nothing. Put the charger on it for a few hours. Have a motormaster analog charger, after a couple hours it just says 'overload' on the charger now. Getting a voltmeter today, to see if anything is happening. Inspected the fuses, and they all seem fine.

But it is like there isn't even a battery in the thing.

Thoughts?

[Benjamin]

Re: Starting woes ALH TDI

Looking at the reverse issue and now a dead battery, I would seriously be looking at the ground strap between the engine and battery. Sounds like either it has a break in it, or a loose connection.