My 2013 Passat TDI SEL starting problem

Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Location
Johns Creek, GA
TDI
2013 TDI SEL
Hello Forum Members:

Please tell me if any of you have any trouble of starting the new 2013 Passat TDI SEL. Past a several days I am having trouble with starting the car. It wont start at the first push button. It will start after five to six times hitting the button. I am taking it to the dealer. I think that it may be a disel system problem. I only have 7000 mile on it.

I love my car so far but untill this starting problem. Also one day my radio will not stay on for a long time. It was cutting off. It does not do anymore.

Hope I do not have to return my car due to the engine start!!!

Any response would be appreciative.

Thanks,

Harun:confused:
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
Have you tried pushing the brake in harder? Some have said they need to do this to get it to start after sitting for awhile.
 

Fixmy59bug

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
Harun,

How cold is it where you are?

How long is the delay before you press the button again?

Is the glow plug light on when you are pressing the button?

With the Kessy system, the vehicle will not start until the glow plugs have gone through the heating process (if needed).

I have experienced a few times a delayed start and the first time it freaked me out as well.

What I usually do now is get in the car, push the brake pedal, touch the starter button, then buckle my seat belt.

By that time, the glow plugs have done their thing and the car starts automatically as soon as the light goes out.

Give this a try and see if maybe that is the delay you are talking about.
 

Softrockrenegade

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Location
Howellbama, NJ
TDI
None...2011 Golf DSG (replaced by VW W/) 2013 Passat SE 6M(bought back) Current 2017 sportwagen TSI 4Motion.
Push start in a car with glow plugs is both confusing and stupid for anyone unfamiliar with diesel vehicles .
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Push start in a car with glow plugs is both confusing and stupid for anyone unfamiliar with diesel vehicles .
On the contrary - it prevents those unfamiliar with diesels from starting the engine without first waiting for the glow plugs.
 

Fixmy59bug

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
Push start in a car with glow plugs is both confusing and stupid for anyone unfamiliar with diesel vehicles .
I disagree.

As VeeDub said, it is actually quite helpful and beneficial to the engine.

Think about this scenario for a bit.

It is 20* outside and the driver jumps in and without thinking about glow plugs starts cranking the engine. As the engine is cranking, it is injecting fuel which is being wasted because it is not starting.

If the driver had waited for the glow plugs (or the car refused to crank until the glow plugs were cycled), the car would have started almost instantaneously.

It's not stupid or confusing if the owner would just read the damn manual. Why is it so hard for people to do this? They chunk down $30k plus of their hard earned dollars, but don't bother to read the damn book that tells them how everything works.

THAT is stupid.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
To be fair (just for the sake of it), the manual does contain a lot of conflicting or just plain wrong information.
 

psd1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Location
OR
TDI
2006 Jetta 2013 Passat SE 6Man
To be fair (just for the sake of it), the manual does contain a lot of conflicting or just plain wrong information.
On that note, why in the world doesn't VW remove the diesel info in the manual and add a supplementary Diesel manual?

The manual is poorly written at best, with smatterings of diesel only info peppered throughout. Very confusing.

I personally dont see the benefit of a pushbutton start, but if I were a newb diesel owner that hadnt RTFM and was having a delay on cold mornings I would probably think there was an issue.
 

rustycat

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Location
seattle
TDI
2015 passat sel
Actually, this raises a pet peave: Why didn't VW throw a copy or part of a copy of the manual on the Hard Drive in the RNS510. And, while I'm at it:

Does anyone have a source for DVD shop manuals for the B7/NMS? I've searched the web and found nothing.
 

afarfalla

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Location
sugar land tx
TDI
05 Passat sedan and 05 wagen
Hello Forum Members:

Please tell me if any of you have any trouble of starting the new 2013 Passat TDI SEL. Past a several days I am having trouble with starting the car. It wont start at the first push button. It will start after five to six times hitting the button. I am taking it to the dealer. I think that it may be a disel system problem. I only have 7000 mile on it.

I love my car so far but untill this starting problem. Also one day my radio will not stay on for a long time. It was cutting off. It does not do anymore.

Hope I do not have to return my car due to the engine start!!!

Any response would be appreciative.

Thanks,

Harun:confused:
did dealer fix problem
 

Canuck64

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Location
Elmvale, Ontario
TDI
2013 Passat TDI Highline
I was told by my dealership to hold the button down until it starts. Is this wrong, or does not really matter either way?
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Wrong? It doesn't help, not sure if it hurts anything. A single stab starts the process...which we now know, in the cold, is a bit delayed.
 

Jarrod B

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2011
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
2014 Passat TDI
All I do is press the foot brake and press and release the pts button. On colder days I've
Noticed a sec delay on the crank which I'm guessing the glow plugs
Are burning. But I'm also in Texas lol.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Press and release. Some other TDIs require you to hold the button but the Passat does not.
 

carlrx7

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Location
Charleston, SC
TDI
2013 Passat SEL TDI
I get in car, touch brake and push button then release both at same time. it starts when the glow plug light goes out.

-Carl
 

ColoradoDriver

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Location
Woodland Park, Colorado
TDI
Previously: 2012 Candy White Passat TDI SEL. Sold back to VW. Now: Only gas vehicles, including 2017 Passat V6 SEL Premium
Just operator error. Press and hold brake; press and release start button; be patient and wait until computer decides to start the engine. Works every time. In below zero temps it may take about 10 seconds before computer cranks the engine to start.
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Location
Johns Creek, GA
TDI
2013 TDI SEL
Harun,

How cold is it where you are? That day in Atlanta was 53 degree

How long is the delay before you press the button again?

I do not remember but it was a while and I gave up. Took kids out of the car to our another car to take them to school. After coming back from the school it started after a few attmeps. I tried alsmost three to four minutes for the engine start.

Is the glow plug light on when you are pressing the button?

I did not pay attention. I will look for it now.

With the Kessy system, the vehicle will not start until the glow plugs have gone through the heating process (if needed).

I have experienced a few times a delayed start and the first time it freaked me out as well.

What I usually do now is get in the car, push the brake pedal, touch the starter button, then buckle my seat belt.

By that time, the glow plugs have done their thing and the car starts automatically as soon as the light goes out.

Give this a try and see if maybe that is the delay you are talking about.
Thanks for the advice. I am taking back to the dealer. I paid close to $40K for this car. I have other disel

Thanks for sharing and I will do that tomorrow morning.
 

TDI2000Zim

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Location
NJ
TDI
VW hat meinen '14 Passat TDiSE getötet.
Something sounds familiar. Can it be another bad HPFP?
 

Fixmy59bug

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
not likely since it does start.

It does not sound like the OP is having a problem of it cranking and not starting (reminescent of a failed HPFP), but instead he is having a problem of it not cranking. Please do not propogate the irrational fear of an HPFP failure problem on the Passat. There are no documented failures that are not a direct result of misfueling, as far as I know.

I think if the OP presses and HOLDS the brake pedal, presses the start button and waits for the glow plug light to go out, I bet the car will start every time.

I do not know for sure if releasing the brake pedal could cause the car not to start.

Tomorrow (if I remember before pressing the start button) I will try to make a video on my iphone showing a 4-5 second delay to show what happens to me.
 

pleopard

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Location
Calgary, Alberta
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI
Question: On the Passat with push button start, what happens if the engine doesn't fire (imagine old worn engine with various problems...)? Will it hold the crank until the engine catches? Will it try for a few seconds and stop and force you to press the button again? Will it fail to start immediately requiring the driver to then hold the button for a manual start? How does the system behave?
 

pleopard

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Location
Calgary, Alberta
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI
not likely since it does start.

It does not sound like the OP is having a problem of it cranking and not starting (reminescent of a failed HPFP), but instead he is having a problem of it not cranking. Please do not propogate the irrational fear of an HPFP failure problem on the Passat. There are no documented failures that are not a direct result of misfueling, as far as I know.

I think if the OP presses and HOLDS the brake pedal, presses the start button and waits for the glow plug light to go out, I bet the car will start every time.

I do not know for sure if releasing the brake pedal could cause the car not to start.

Tomorrow (if I remember before pressing the start button) I will try to make a video on my iphone showing a 4-5 second delay to show what happens to me.
I would like to see this video. Thanks.
 

Jarrod B

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2011
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
2014 Passat TDI
Question: On the Passat with push button start, what happens if the engine doesn't fire (imagine old worn engine with various problems...)? Will it hold the crank until the engine catches? Will it try for a few seconds and stop and force you to press the button again? Will it fail to start immediately requiring the driver to then hold the button for a manual start? How does the system behave?
Very good question.:confused:
 
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