2006 VW Jetta TDI intermittent stumbling / stalling issue

Hi everyone,

I'm having a problem with my TDI that I would like some input on. It's a 2006 with about 105,000 miles on the clock, bought used. A while back soon after I bought the car, we were coming off the highway and slowing down for a light. All of a sudden the car just shut off as if someone had turned the key off. Put it back in park, started right back up like nothing ever happened. Didn't have the problem for a while, and sometimes it would happen here and there, always starting back up. Sometimes it would happen every time I get in the car and sometimes it would run like a beast with no problems.

Last time I brought it to the shop, they cleaned the ASV / throttle body because it was making a rapid clicking noise when you shut the car off. Car was fine after the cleaning, but the check engine light was always on. Recently it started "stumbling" (for lack of a better term) as I drive, so I brought it back to the shop where they replaced the ASV / throttle body that it was throwing a code for. Now the car is back to doing the same stalling at a light and stumbling issue, and it's gotten quite a bit worse. Still intermittent, but it happens much more often than ever. It has not thrown any codes since I got it back last Monday from the shop.

I checked the air filter and it looks fine. I've got a fuel filter on order and will replace that within the next couple days. Yesterday I noticed that it was stumbling as I was trying to pass someone, and the glow plug light flashed really quick and went right off. There is still no check engine or other idiot light on. I've seen posts about the crankshaft position sensor causing a similar problem, but a lot of people say that the car will have a lot of trouble starting back up and it has to sit a while before they can get it back running.

I was thinking a fuel problem (filter or pump), but I wonder if it was a fuel problem if it would start back up as quick as it does. The timing belt was changed about 10k ago, DMF within the last 10k also.

Anyone have any other possible insight that could maybe point me in the right direction?? I'm a little hesitant to bring it straight back to the shop and would like to try to do a little self diagnosing if possible. I'm no mechanic, but I'm also not afraid to take things apart and fix stuff either. Any thoughts would be appreciated, as I really don't want to pay another high repair bill if possible!! And I certainly don't want to get rear ended because my car craps out at a light!

Thanks,

Christy

Electrical ....
Just had similar problems and was thinking the worse but hoping .....
Check this youtube video. I did and found the exact same wire chafing issues that the person in the video had, I had a total of 5 compromised wires with 3 wires hanging on by 1 or 2 strands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdu9BcyktWQ
Kurt

Hi Kurt,

Thanks for your response and the link to the video. I will definitely be checking that out after work tomorrow. What was the fix for yours?? Were you able to fix the wires or did you need a new wiring harness?? I'm just worried that it's going to be something expensive . . . In the 9 months since I've owned the car I've already had the timing belt, DMF, and of course the ASV replaced, none of which are not cheap fixes, that's for sure.

Thanks again,

Christy

I'm on vacation now but when I get back I can post pics of the repair I made. The repair I made is precisely in the area the video shows in the YouTube video, just above the starter. I opened the engine wire harness protective covering and found 5 bad wires. I cut out the bad section and soldered in new wires with heat shrink tubing to finish. Check it and you may solve your problems too.

Foiled said:

Electrical ....
Just had similar problems and was thinking the worse but hoping .....
Check this youtube video. I did and found the exact same wire chafing issues that the person in the video had, I had a total of 5 compromised wires with 3 wires hanging on by 1 or 2 strands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdu9BcyktWQ
Kurt

Click to expand...

Fixed the car I was working on, just different wire a purple wire was hanging on by 2 threads. The car I was working on has 352k miles. It is a 5 speed and popping the clutch to restart while rolling I think caused the engine mount to break.

When you do open the harness, I would recommend that you wrap some of the cloth harness wrap on the harness before you stuff it back into the plastic cover. I will also start a "religious" argument ;-) I no longer use solder on my repairs. I only crimp with good non insulated connectors and use adhesive shrink tubing over the repair. The reason being, that solder can cause embrittlement. (The shrink wrap and proper support of the repair to isolate vibration can offset that risk)

Check your timing belt. Just went through similar issues on my BRM. Belt tensioner was loose. There was almost 2" of play in the belt. Timing was jumping all over the place and cam/crank position sensor was shutting it down. Finally led to a stall and no start. Chased fuel/maf issues thinking that was it. Shop tightened up the tensioner and retimed. TB service being done this weekend.

orion4048 said:

Hi everyone,
I'm having a problem with my TDI that I would like some input on. It's a 2006 with about 105,000 miles on the clock, bought used. A while back soon after I bought the car, we were coming off the highway and slowing down for a light. All of a sudden the car just shut off as if someone had turned the key off. Put it back in park, started right back up like nothing ever happened. Didn't have the problem for a while, and sometimes it would happen here and there, always starting back up. Sometimes it would happen every time I get in the car and sometimes it would run like a beast with no problems.
Last time I brought it to the shop, they cleaned the ASV / throttle body because it was making a rapid clicking noise when you shut the car off. Car was fine after the cleaning, but the check engine light was always on. Recently it started "stumbling" (for lack of a better term) as I drive, so I brought it back to the shop where they replaced the ASV / throttle body that it was throwing a code for. Now the car is back to doing the same stalling at a light and stumbling issue, and it's gotten quite a bit worse. Still intermittent, but it happens much more often than ever. It has not thrown any codes since I got it back last Monday from the shop.
I checked the air filter and it looks fine. I've got a fuel filter on order and will replace that within the next couple days. Yesterday I noticed that it was stumbling as I was trying to pass someone, and the glow plug light flashed really quick and went right off. There is still no check engine or other idiot light on. I've seen posts about the crankshaft position sensor causing a similar problem, but a lot of people say that the car will have a lot of trouble starting back up and it has to sit a while before they can get it back running.
I was thinking a fuel problem (filter or pump), but I wonder if it was a fuel problem if it would start back up as quick as it does. The timing belt was changed about 10k ago, DMF within the last 10k also.
Anyone have any other possible insight that could maybe point me in the right direction?? I'm a little hesitant to bring it straight back to the shop and would like to try to do a little self diagnosing if possible. I'm no mechanic, but I'm also not afraid to take things apart and fix stuff either. Any thoughts would be appreciated, as I really don't want to pay another high repair bill if possible!! And I certainly don't want to get rear ended because my car craps out at a light!
Thanks,
Christy

Click to expand...

Hi. I realise this is a really old thread but I wondered if you ever found a solution to the problem with your TDI? I have searched the internet thoroughly and your post is the only one I can find that describes the same issue I'm having with my VW Jetta 2006 TDI. Thanks.

theraw said:

Hi. I realise this is a really old thread but I wondered if you ever found a solution to the problem with your TDI? I have searched the internet thoroughly and your post is the only one I can find that describes the same issue I'm having with my VW Jetta 2006 TDI. Thanks.

Click to expand...

They haven't been active on the forum since 2016, you likely won't get a response from the OP. They likely found the issue since the car was driven for another year after this thread was last updated before the vehicle was totaled.

Having the engine cut out and run fine after restarting screams out a ground issue. Having it stumble sounds like a separate issue with the harness. It's easy to rule out the first likely issue by cleaning the grounds, it's free and easy to do. If the problem persists, you should really get VCDS because there's likely codes there that a generic OBD 2 will read.

1) remove the air box, battery and battery tray, I can usually move the airbox to the side. 10mm bolts hold down the battery tray.

2) follow the path for the battery ground. It connects from the battery to the body, I believe the nut size is 13mm. Clean up that connection and tighten it down. There's a similar cable going from the body to the transmission mount. Clean it and tighten it up.

If that doesn't fix it, you need the proper scan tool if you don't want to shoot in the dark.

crazyrunner33 said:

They haven't been active on the forum since 2016, you likely won't get a response from the OP. They likely found the issue since the car was driven for another year after this thread was last updated before the vehicle was totaled.
Having the engine cut out and run fine after restarting screams out a ground issue. Having it stumble sounds like a separate issue with the harness. It's easy to rule out the first likely issue by cleaning the grounds, it's free and easy to do. If the problem persists, you should really get VCDS because there's likely codes there that a generic OBD 2 will read.
1) remove the air box, battery and battery tray, I can usually move the airbox to the side. 10mm bolts hold down the battery tray.
2) follow the path for the battery ground. It connects from the battery to the body, I believe the nut size is 13mm. Clean up that connection and tighten it down. There's a similar cable going from the body to the transmission mount. Clean it and tighten it up.
If that doesn't fix it, you need the proper scan tool if you don't want to shoot in the dark.

Click to expand...

Look at my post from this. Check your timing belt tensioner. I chased symptom after symptom and randomly found the belt was loose.