Car won't start after fuel filter change!! Help my A5

spool time

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Location
Central MA
TDI
2005.5 A5 / 2000 A4 TDI
***UPDATE - Car is running fine now, thanks for everyones input.***

I may need some help here. I just changed my fuel filter in my A5. I've done this twice myself (but I'm no expert), and had the dealer do it the rest of the times I had it replaced.

After I was complete just now, the car wouldn't start after I primed it. Or rather, it started for about 15 seconds then quit. Now it comes up with a warning on my MFD. Says "STOP!!...Oil Pressure. Turn engine off!" Now the car won't start at all.

My steps to changing the fuel filter was to: 1. loosen the bleed valve torx screw on top, 2. remove rest of the torx screws, 3. remove top cap, 4. remove fuel filter cannister, 5. remove old fule filter and dump fule filter cannister contents, 6. put paper towels under cannister top to try to preven leaking fuel, 7. insert fuel filter in cannister, 8. replace "mikey mouse" blue gasket on top of fuel filter tube in cannister, 9. replace green rubber gasket on the fuel filter top cap. 10, put it back together, tighing torx to get the top to set into the cannister making sure it was even, 11. turned the car twice to run for 30 seconds each, making sure the air bubbles escaped out of the still loose bleed valve torx screw, 12. tightened bleed screw, primed for two more 30 seconds times, then tried to start the car and got the above error message!

In between this I checked the oil level from the dipstick, just below max.

Can anybody offer any ideas? I believe I replaced the fuel filter corrects, I think everything matched up. the two dimples and the top cap holes to where the center piece holes are. Everything is seated right. It is 20*F right now, could it be too cold for the priming pump? Does anybody know why the above error message says things about oil pressure, or is that a catch all to I'm screwed?

I have to go to work in a couple of hours and have no other form of transportation! I appreciate you guys help. thanks
 
Last edited:

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
At this point, I would pop the top back off and look for anything odd. Maybe something moved around and got displaced?

I have never had the FUEL filter off of one of these, so I'm not much help.

Lift the Right side rear passenger seat and make sure you hear the lift pump running.
 

spool time

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Location
Central MA
TDI
2005.5 A5 / 2000 A4 TDI
ok. I'm running back and forth outside to inside to view my post.

I just completely took off the bleed screw to see what would happen. I went to prime the pump and straight D2 squirted out about 3 inches high. So I gotta think that the pump is pumping fuel into the fuel filter. I tried to start the car, but it won't turn over, and I no longer get that error message, just doesn't start.

I guess the next step is to take it apart and look at it. I will check back shortly. thanks
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
You said that it won't turn over?

In my world, "turn over" means not just a tasty treat, but also that the engine is spinning.

So is your engine not turning over or is it not firing?
 

DERV-NERD

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2007
Location
UK
TDI
PASSAT PD130
The oil pressue warning does beep when you've been cranking the car over for too long without a start (It's normal don't worry) Not sure what you've done, all I do is fill the filter with diesel and a couple of cranks of the starter and it fires up.
 

spool time

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Location
Central MA
TDI
2005.5 A5 / 2000 A4 TDI
Well, the car is running now.

After my test of the bleeder valve, this time around I left the bleeder screw tight. I took the top cap off the fuel filter and noticed the cannister was now full of fuel. I replaced the rubber gaskets as both had moved around. I made sure everything was lined up. Put it back together (dropped one of the torx screws and lost it!), and primed it again once. It didn't start the first time, but hard started the second time after an extra long crank. The whole time I was letting it try to start or cranking it, the engine oil can was lit up on my MFD. The second it started it went out.

I drove it to the dealership about 20 minutes away to get the screw I lost and make sure it was running on the test drive. It's running fine and of course the dealer didn't have the screw in stock. So right now I'm driving it with one screw missing...I think that should be OK.

I checked the oil, and I believe it is fine. I only had my oil changed about 1 week ago, and I know the correct amount of oil was used and I don't burn or leak oil over the course of a 10K OCI.

Just still a little worried about the warning I had...but thanks you guys for your help.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
Don't worry about the oil light. As noted earlier, it will come on if the computer sees the crank turning for a certain amount of time and the oil pressure is low like it is during starting.

And the screw needs to be replaced ASAP, but it's not a big deal. Lots of folks here have a screw missing and/or loose somewhere.
 

spool time

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Location
Central MA
TDI
2005.5 A5 / 2000 A4 TDI
The dealer had to order the screw! You would think they would have a few in stock in case they lose one or strip it. But no, they have to order it, should arrive on Wed. I was worried about driving without the screw...

I guess it just didn't prime good enough. Thinking about it now, in the past I never dumped my cannister out. I normally just put the filter in with the D2, but this time I emptied it all out of the dirty fuel. Maybe it just didn't prime well or something.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
You could have dumped in a can of Diesel Purge or an additive. That would have helped. You wouldn't get the full effect of the Diesel Purge, but it would help.
 

spool time

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Location
Central MA
TDI
2005.5 A5 / 2000 A4 TDI
Yeah, you know, I read that a few people pour some powerservice in the cannister, and I was going to do that, but thought it would be too strong for the car. I think next time I will do just that.
 

Ksf

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Location
Ontario
TDI
Zora
Am I correct in my understanding that recommend that when you change your fuel filter to prime the filter with diesel purge?

I am relatively new to TDI engines so I have to read a lot and when in doubt I fire off a question.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
Ksf said:
Am I correct in my understanding that recommend that when you change your fuel filter to prime the filter with diesel purge?

I am relatively new to TDI engines so I have to read a lot and when in doubt I fire off a question.
Here's the thing: You don't want dirty fuel on the clean side of the filter and there is exactly one way to be sure of this. That is to use the in tank pump to fill the filter.

But... an unopened just of additive or Diesel Purge or whatever **SHOULD** be as clean as the fuel coming out of the filter. Myself, I would take the slight chance and do that if I didn't have the tools to get the fuel through the filter. I can suck it through with a hand held Mity-vac on my ALH Beetle or I use the in tank pump on my BEW Jetta.

Your comfort level may differ.:D
 

den9

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Location
doylestown pa
TDI
04 Jetta
this might be a dumb question, but where is the primer at, i ran out of fuel once and changed my filter once but never primed it, just cranked it for 10 seconds.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
den9 said:
this might be a dumb question, but where is the primer at, i ran out of fuel once and changed my filter once but never primed it, just cranked it for 10 seconds.
The primer is the key switch in your PD engined 2004. It turns on the in tank fuel pump thereby filling the filter.
 

Ksf

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Location
Ontario
TDI
Zora
Hmmmmmm. So:
1) using DP for filling up a fuel filter is OK when replacing the fuel filter.
2) on a PD, by moving the key to the on position will fill up the fuel filter.

Wondering why when I drain the water from the fuel filter that the engine conks out and needs 4 go 10 second long cranks to get going again? Drained the water twice and this happened twice.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
Hold the key to on for a few seconds, cycle off, then on for a few seconds, then try to start.
 

spool time

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Location
Central MA
TDI
2005.5 A5 / 2000 A4 TDI
I really think the reason for my "scare" is that this was the first time I took out the entire fuel filter container, and dumped ALL the fuel out. Yes, I have the model that the cannister unclips from the car quite easily. It is my understanding that the newer MK5's don't unclip (but I could be wrong). It just took alot longer to prime compared to my old procedure of just sticking in the new filter in the cannister with the old diesel fuel. The paper filter was probably soaking up the fuel or something, I think.

Next time I plan on adding some DK or something. The screws came in for the fuel filter top, so I'm all set there too.
 
Top