Starts then Dies - no dash lights but Batt light

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GorillaBiscuits13

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Location
Western NY
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS - Auto
As the title says, i have no dash lights/clock/odo, but the battery light will stay on.

Battery shows 12.06v so charged it over night. Turned the key same issue.

Can't get the battery out because the 13mm bolt just spins. I've tried a prybar and turning the bolt, but got no where.

I hooked it up to a known good battery, same issue.

Fuses/wiring on top of the battery are all in good order.

I was hearing a whistling sounds when turning the key over yesterday, then I think it was the fans that started to spin up.



Didn't know if there was something quick I could try, other than sending it off to a junk yard.



Thanks!
 
Nero Morg

Nero Morg

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Oct 19, 2017
Location
OR
TDI
2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
Is the immo light illuminated on the dash when you do key on but don't try to crank? If it does not, your 109 relay might have pooped out on you.
 
G

GorillaBiscuits13

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Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Location
Western NY
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS - Auto
No lights come on except for the battery light which is constant when the key is turned/not starting.

Would the 109 going out allow the vehicle to start still?

Also looks like you can't buy the 109 relay through parts stores. Seems odd.
 
BobnOH

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
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Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
Relay 109 provides power to the ECU, causing odd but specific problems. Like a MAF many of us have a spare working unit because.......
 
Nero Morg

Nero Morg

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2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
If your 109 is bad, you'll still get all your other usual lights like your check engine light, air bag light test, esp and other such if you have it, but it'll just crank all day long and never run.

If you're doing key on and only see battery light, you've got something else going on.

On the positive terminal on the battery there's two wires coming off of it. One big dog going to the starter, then one smaller one held on by a 10mm nut that goes to the over battery fuse panel. Is that smaller wire contact clean and nice and tight?

Kinda drawing a blank on this one... Really sounds like a major power loss to the cabin side of things though.
 
G

GorillaBiscuits13

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Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Location
Western NY
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS - Auto
Yea i have a spare MAF, unfortunately no 109 since I haven't had any issues until now.

With not being able to just go buy a vw 109 I definitely get having a spare on hand now. I just needed the car out of the driveway.



Thanks for the help!
 
G

GorillaBiscuits13

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Location
Western NY
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS - Auto
Nero Morg said:
If your 109 is bad, you'll still get all your other usual lights like your check engine light, air bag light test, esp and other such if you have it, but it'll just crank all day long and never run.

If you're doing key on and only see battery light, you've got something else going on.

On the positive terminal on the battery there's two wires coming off of it. One big dog going to the starter, then one smaller one held on by a 10mm nut that goes to the over battery fuse panel. Is that smaller wire contact clean and nice and tight?

Kinda drawing a blank on this one... Really sounds like a major power loss to the cabin side of things though.
Click to expand...

Yea this is the closest I could find while searching for an answer, but it isn't much of one.... http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=429443


Seems like an immo problem, but with no lights at all on the cluster (besides battery) it's hard to tell. Hard it on an actual charger instead of a trickle, and same issue with fully charged battery.

Not sure what spurred it on, but we got a lot of snow overnight. The next morning i did use a key that I haven't used in quite some time, but it started right up and ran for 20 minutes or so driving it around to get warmed up. Parked it, and then ran into this issue.
 
Nero Morg

Nero Morg

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Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Location
OR
TDI
2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
Does any other function of the car work? Like turn on the hazards, do they work? IIRC if a battery is dun broke, it could still show roughly 12v, but if only the battery light is coming on it doesn't have enough amperage to actually run anything.
 
G

GorillaBiscuits13

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Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Location
Western NY
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS - Auto
Yea, locks, fans, hazards all seem to come on and work.



I had it jumped to another car. Let the other car stay running for a few minutes before trying anything, and still just the battery light.
 
Nero Morg

Nero Morg

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Location
OR
TDI
2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
But just the cluster is dead minus the battery light...

Do you have a scan gauge? Try connecting to the engine, see if it's at least waking up. Symptoms you're getting aren't of a bad 109. Almost wonder if it's a bad cluster or blown cluster fuse. Check cluster fuses too.
 
G

GorillaBiscuits13

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Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Location
Western NY
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS - Auto
No scan gauge, or vcds near me.

The other thread i posted ended needing to change the gauge cluster to fix the same symptoms as I have, but I didn't think that would be common. Apparently it is, and it sounds like that's what it's going to need.



Thanks so much for the help!
 
Tdijarhead

Tdijarhead

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Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
Where in western NY? I’m in north central PA just south of Corning, I have a vcds.
I also have a couple of 109 relays.

12.06 is a dead battery. What did it read after you charged it?
 
G

GorillaBiscuits13

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Location
Western NY
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS - Auto
Foolishly I didn't take a reading after the charge. I rolled the key over a few times, and then tried starting it. It showed 12.30 a little while later. While the battery might be dead, I tried both with a good battery, and jumping it from another car, and still shows no cluster lights except the battery light.



I have someone coming to look at it this morning. I think they want it as a donor car.
 
G

GorillaBiscuits13

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Location
Western NY
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS - Auto
Figured I would try to reseat the cluster to see if that did anything. Either the car warmed up with the recent break in the weather, or I went to remove the trim piece on top of the steering wheel, and notice the odo and clock were working again. Just by removing that plastic trim piece? No idea.

Fired right up like usual.

So it's either that the cold weather was just messing with something or removing the trim piece moved the connections around enough to let it work again.



At any rate, thank you all for all the help!
 
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