2000 Jetta stopped running, won't start

dewainc1

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Location
North NJ
TDI
2000 New Jetta TDI
Newbie here. I drove the car on the prior day after a 3 day cold snap. I was driving for about 20 minutes and felt the engine slowing as I neared a stop sign. It died. Glow plug light comes on, all lights come on, engine cranks but doesn't start. I had heavy smoke after starting since I bought the car in June of 2012, but thought it was normal because it is my first TDI. The check engine light is intermittent, and not predictable at all. It just comes on at random times. Any thoughts?
 

Walley

Active member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Location
Northeast Ohio
TDI
03 and 04 Jetta Wagons
Hey. Welcome! I was reluctant to post because I am also a noob, but screw it.


First how cold did it get? In Ohio we saw single digits last week, but now we are above 50F. Single digits shouldn't stop a TDI full of winterized fuel and/or some Power Service.


My guess is that your check engine light (CEL) and loss of power/no start are unrelated.

Do you run biodiesel?
Do you have a full tank of fuel?
Do you use an additive to prevent gelling?
Have you changed your fuel filter recently?


The intermittent CEL could be many things...Search the forum for someone local with VAG_COM who can scan your car and identify the code. May be a bad coolant temperature sensor, or a bad theromostat. If yes, change them both at the same time AND get those parts from the dealership (there have been some bad sensors being sold at parts stores).


These are cheap and easy fixes that a newb can do without even jacking up the car. There are plenty of posts on the forum and you tube videos that show how to do them.

Good Luck and have fun!
 

herkybird2001

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Location
McGuire AFB NJ
TDI
2000 Jetta 5Spd
Mine did the same thing. Change the P109 relay below. Pull your lower valance under the steering wheel and tap the relay panel it probably will start. Lots of advice here about P109 relay just type P109.
 

Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
You have had heavy smoke after starting always?

You need to have the timing mechanically checked and corrected. Then you need to have it set via VCDS. Then scan for DTCs (stored error codes). They will show up even though the CEL is not currently illuminated.

Then check the glow plugs.

Checking these things should help the smoke after starts, even the very cold ones. What you describe does not sound like a relay 109 failure. It could be, but with a 109 failure you don't normally get all the dash lights going on as is in the usual startup procedure for the ECU.
 

dewainc1

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Location
North NJ
TDI
2000 New Jetta TDI
Well, here's where I'm at. Had it towed to an "import" mechanic. After 4 days of the car sitting, he calls and says the following "What happened was someone broke off a glowplug. Then they jammed another one in that wasn't properly seated and it's a major fire hazard. We need to remove the cylinder head and take it to a machine shop. It will be about $1500.00."

Ok, that being said I have a few thoughts.

1. He broke the glow plug trying to replace it and can't get it out.
2. If the car started and ran for 7 months then just died, the one glow plug had nothing to do with it.
3. How am I going to fix this whole mess?
 

jcrews

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Location
Round Rock, TX - VCDS
TDI
All gone
That doesn't make sense. I don't know how you would break a glow plug at the top and proceed to "jam another one in." You don't need to pull off the cylinder head just for that as long as you're careful about extracting the bad one.

This bears repeating - the root cause is probably timing and should be checked out along with pulling the fault memory with VCDS. The main power relay is also a possibility and can cause unexpected shutdowns.

In your position, your best option is to seek out Jason in Port Jervis - aka tdijetta99.
 

csstevej

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Location
north nj
TDI
2001 golf tdi 4 door auto now a manual, mine, 2000 golf 2 door M/T son's,daughters 98 NB non-TDI 2.0, 2003 TDI NB for next daughter, head repaired and on road,gluten for punishment got another tdi 2001NB,another yellow tdi NB
Where in North N.J. Are you, im in Wantage by the high point monument.
 

csstevej

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Location
north nj
TDI
2001 golf tdi 4 door auto now a manual, mine, 2000 golf 2 door M/T son's,daughters 98 NB non-TDI 2.0, 2003 TDI NB for next daughter, head repaired and on road,gluten for punishment got another tdi 2001NB,another yellow tdi NB
For what it's worth I've been running with only three GP's for 4 years or so, if it's not leaking leave it. I broke mine when removing it, and I'm not going to do anything till I have to remove the head. As Jcrews stated the timing is probably off.
 

dewainc1

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Location
North NJ
TDI
2000 New Jetta TDI
Here's where I'm at. I stopped into the mechanic this morning and after a brief discussion/argument, cooler heads prevailed. The girl who called me to tell me what was wrong gave me the wrong info. He showed me what was going on. Looking left to right at the engine, the 2nd glow plug is broken off at the cylinder head. The prior idiot just put a new glow plug in the harness and ran a jumper wire to a screw on top of the engine block to ground it. So when I start the car there is a dangling glow plug; bright red hot just behind the fuel pump and surrounding fuel lines. I remember seeing the top of the glow plug when I changed my oil filter but being so green, I thought it was normal. We agreed that timing may be the issue. When I was originally broken down, I forgot to look at the fuel lines. The clear line had no fuel in it. Diesel boogers? He is going to check the timing and get back to me. It's no wonder why the mechanic who I bought it from won't call me back.
 
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