Car won't start; won't even turn over

J. McGowan

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Location
Ashland, NH
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon GLS Black/Grey
Car won\'t start; won\'t even turn over

This morning was the 5th time, so I broke down and called the dealer to schedule an appointment.

Sitting in my car, I turned the key to the on position, waited for the glow plugs and then turned the key to the start position - Nothing.

The last 4 times this happened, the car has started up normally 20-30 minutes later.

I wonder if the saftey switch on the clutch is only working intermittently so the car 'thinks' I have forgotten to depress the clutch?

The battery light does come on while when this is happening, but the dash lights are bright, and when the car does crank 20-30 minutes later, it cranks quickly.

Any thoughts?

-Jesse
 

nh mike

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 28, 2002
Location
NH
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS wagon, 2004 Passat GLS wagon
Re: Car won\'t start; won\'t even turn over

Could be the clutch thing you mentioned, or perhaps a faulty ignition switch?
 

MayorDJQ

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 4, 2001
Location
Williamstown, Mass
TDI
'10 Golf 2dr 6m, sold.
Re: Car won\'t start; won\'t even turn over

The clutch switch seems likely, but it couldn't hurt to check the connections to make sure the terminals are clean. Also, trace the negative cable to its grounding point and make sure it's tight. It also might be a good idea to test the battery while you're at it.
 

sarbo

Active member
Joined
May 29, 2002
Location
Western NJ
TDI
1999.5 Golf
Re: Car won\'t start; won\'t even turn over

Check the small wire which goes to the starter from the key switch. It may be broken at the connection to the starter and making contact intermittently. This happened to me, but I am unsure how the wire managed to break.
 

J. McGowan

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Location
Ashland, NH
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon GLS Black/Grey
Re: Car won\'t start; won\'t even turn over

I brought the car to the dealer. They checked for fault codes, tested the battery, then told me that they it was against policy to give me a rental if that car is in operating condition.

Now I am stuck with a car for the weekend that has 6,500 miles on it and three payments made that I can't trust


They tell me to call roadside next time it happends and get it towed so they can catch it in the act, but I can already for see what will happen with that: I try it. It doesn't start. They tow it. It starts at the dealership. I waste 4 hours of my life that I will never get back.

I think I will rig a switch to bypass the clutch switch as a test device. If I can find the problem, then I won't have to let the monkeys touch my car again.

-Jesse
 

J. McGowan

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Location
Ashland, NH
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon GLS Black/Grey
Re: Car won\'t start; won\'t even turn over

The floor mats are correctly placed and if I listen carefully I can hear the clutch click when I put it to the floor.
 

FowVay

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2000
Location
Georgia
TDI
2009 Jetta returned to der Führer
Re: Car won\'t start; won\'t even turn over

Could the main power relay (relay 109) be acting up? They're known to torment the unsuspecting.
 
S

SkyPup

Guest
Re: Car won\'t start; won\'t even turn over

Sounds like a loose battery cable connection....
 

Jesterking

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2016
Location
Hudson, MI USA
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS TDI - 428K
I'm having the same symptoms as of this morning with my 2005 Jetta TDI GLS... I pulled into a driveway, and up to the gate I needed to unlock. Shut the car off, unlocked the gate, went to start the car, nothing!...Dash lights work, headlights work...turn the key to start, with clutch in...nothing...and of course I was 40 miles from home... Long story shortened, I ended up getting it push started...ran fine..drove it home..now beginning to chase the WHY it won't crank...
 

KLXD

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Location
Lompoc, CA
TDI
'98, '2 Jettas
Don't you love it when the OP never follows up. Nice when someone does some searching instead of starting a new thread.

Clutch switch, key switch, maybe starter itself or wiring. All are 15 years old. Hopefully problem stays until you find it.
 

Jesterking

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2016
Location
Hudson, MI USA
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS TDI - 428K
Don't you love it when the OP never follows up. Nice when someone does some searching instead of starting a new thread.

Clutch switch, key switch, maybe starter itself or wiring. All are 15 years old. Hopefully problem stays until you find it.
Well...its been a couple of weeks, and I really wasn't interested in dealing with this, but I did, and found the problem. I have a bad starter. The reason why I have a bad starter, has me perplexed.. and it's making me relive the last few months and the things that I discovered along the way...
I had a brake job done a few months ago...i bought the parts from RockAuto and provided them to the guy that was going to put them on for me...he has a lift and all the tools to do it, so I thought it was going to be a good deal... not so much..

He called to tell me that none of the parts would fit, and that he was just going to get what he needed from Auto zone so he could get it done. I told him that those parts were ordered for my vehicle and that they were an upgrade brake kit..larger rotors, different calipers and pads. His response was they wouldn't fit, they weren't the same size as the ones coming off and that's why he would rather order the parts himself, so there wouldn't be any wrong parts ordered. I assured him they would fit..he insisted they wouldn't and informed me that this wasn't his first rodeo...
Long story, short...i sent them back...he called a couple of days later to tell me it was done..went to pick it up and drove less than 200 feet, tried the brakes and the pedal went to the floor...red brake warning light came on as well as amber brake light..put the car back in his driveway and told him to try again. .a week later he calls and tells me that he's done, and that he had to replace the master cylinder...( odd)... i go to pick it up and drive it home. Amber brake light comes on less than a mile down the road ...i call him and ask what's up with that...he said he didn't replace the pads, as they looked good to him...no new rotors..no new calipers.
For the next few days, I would get the constant amber brake light, and occasionally the red brake light on the dash...red brake light would come on when hard braking and turning on to freeway ramp. (Removing master cylinder reservoir cap and re-installing fixed this). I noticed a wire was off of one of the sensors that was connected to the Air filter box. I reconnected that..then i noticed that one of the 50 amp fuses on top of the battery was blown...it goes to the glow plugs... thought that was strange..
Then as I was troubleshooting the starting issue today, I removed the battery and the box, to gain access to the starter, to attach my remote starter switch...attached it, reconnected the battery...and nothing...checked resistance of the solenoid coil...1.9 Ohms...
Removed the starter...and then I noticed the braided wire from the post on the starter, where the positie wire from the battery attaches, that goes into the top rear of the starter, was burnt open. There were signs of arcing on the case. It appears that someone may have lost a socket or something metal, that lodged in between the braided wire and the case. .might not have burned all the way through initially, but the last few months the amp draw of the starter melted the rest..?? Won't be taking the car to that guy anymore... not my first rodeo either..just didn't want to deal with it on a floor jack and a gravel driveway... lesson learned
 

KLXD

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Location
Lompoc, CA
TDI
'98, '2 Jettas
Great that you followed up. Too bad the OP didn't.

But I'm cornfused. What did the guy do? Didn't use your new parts. Said your old parts were good. Replaced the master that wasn't bad to begin with though he might have damaged it bleeding the brakes if he did that.
 

quartersaw

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2005
Location
Albany, NY
TDI
2002 Jetta Wagon, '96 B4V,'99 2 door Golf
Car won\'t start; won\'t even turn over

This morning was the 5th time, so I broke down and called the dealer to schedule an appointment.

Sitting in my car, I turned the key to the on position, waited for the glow plugs and then turned the key to the start position - Nothing.

The last 4 times this happened, the car has started up normally 20-30 minutes later.

I wonder if the saftey switch on the clutch is only working intermittently so the car 'thinks' I have forgotten to depress the clutch?

The battery light does come on while when this is happening, but the dash lights are bright, and when the car does crank 20-30 minutes later, it cranks quickly.

Any thoughts?

-Jesse
A bad starter caused similar weirdness on my (departed) '99.5 Beetle, some years back. Check your battery connections, and the connection to the starter, for starters.
 

Jesterking

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2016
Location
Hudson, MI USA
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS TDI - 428K
Great that you followed up. Too bad the OP didn't.

But I'm cornfused. What did the guy do? Didn't use your new parts. Said your old parts were good. Replaced the master that wasn't bad to begin with though he might have damaged it bleeding the brakes if he did that.
Sorry about the loss of time...life got in the way.
He didn't use my parts..decided not to replace the parts I asked him to. Said he bled the brakes, but that caused a master cylinder failure...still didn't get that 100 % correct...I eventually got it taken care of.

This was all my fault for not finding out if he was very familiar with VW's. Lesson learned...
 
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