Car won't start or runs & dies

Hi,

I am only getting finished with a steering rack problem and before I'm finished I fax a new problem which is much worse. I have an electrical problem I believe.

This is on Mk4 Golf TDI PD. When I was finishing flushing and bleeding the power steering I started the car to let it run and warm up so I could check for leaks and see if all air was out of steering fluid. The car was started up a few times today but when started up this time from cold I left ticking over for a min while I was turning the steering from lock to lock both sides and it started to half cut out a few times and every time it did I heard a relay or something clicking from under the dash under the steering wheel. It then did cut out completely, could it be relay 109?

Car would not start immediately afterwards and I tried cranking a few times. I now hav a flashing heater glow plug light on dash and ENGINE WORKSHOP displayed also. Scanned for codes in Engine and there was 2 codes.

(1) is 17978 engine start blocked by immobiliser P1570-static- no define.

(2) is 18072 Control Circuit for PD Injectors: Electrical Malfunction : P1664-static no define.

Tried starting again but still no start but 3rd code now appeared which is;

(3) 16989 Internal Control Module: ROM Error: P0605-static-no indication on display.

I also had another code which was found in ABS BRAKES section in scanner and it is;

(4) 01314 Engine Control Module sporadic 013-Check DTC Memory

I thought maybe relay 109 may be the cause as it sounded like a relay clicking under the steering wheel so I changed it for my new one on standby as I heard they can cause all sorts of electrical issues or non starter. Then cleared all codes apart from 1 code that wouldn't clear which was;

Code 3,Internal Control Module: ROM Error: P0605-static-no indication on display.

Still no start. I unplugged the ECU and re connected it after a minute for quick check and it still cranked over, tried it a second time and kept tipping the accelerator and after cranking for about 10 seconds it started. I revved it a bit a couple of times and it died again and I heard the clicks clicking under dash wen it died. It wouldn't start immediately after that again.

Can anyone please shine a light on this for me please?? I am really needing my car back on the road asap it's already been in axle stands for past month almost due to problem with steering rack and lack of time to deal with it. All help is hugely appreciated and sorry for the lengthy post!


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Start with a voltage test. You can get odd codes when the battery is low or the +
and/or ground connections are faulty. Were you working near the alternator wires?

flee said:

Start with a voltage test. You can get odd codes when the battery is low or the +

and/or ground connections are faulty. Were you working near the alternator wires?

Click to expand...

Hi flee thanks for your reply. My multimeter is broke so need to get new one still. For a long time now when I disconnect and reconnect the battery leads they spark a good bit which I thought I'd seen someone say that means there's a short somewhere. I think that sparking may be worse now but not sure.

The battery seems good it cranks as fast as it ever did. It's funny you ask about the alternator wires as I got a message on dash about the alternator since my last post.

Below are my findings since my last post on this issue just to keep things up to date please see below;

I left the ECU and battery leads disconnected over night to see how it would react. So after reconnecting them I plugged in the scan tool and only switched ignition on did not try to start it. I read the codes and there still is the one code that wouldn't clear for "Internal Control Module: ROM Error: P0605 static no indication on display" but I also have 2 new codes.

They are: 17571 Fuel Temp Sensor (G81): Open or short to Plus: P1163 static-no indication on display.

And 17664 Engine Coolant Temp Sensor (G62): Open or short to Plus: P1256 static-No indication on display. I then cleared all those codes and tried to start it and it started up normal and I let it idle for 5 minutes. I then revved it up 4 or 5 times and on the last one I was up to about 3100 rpms and it then died and I heard several clicks under dash again but I also seen a messsge saying "Alternator Workshop" on dash.

The glow heater light was flashing all the time while it was idling and with engine stopped. It then wouldn't start immediately afterwards. I scanned for codes again and get only one code under Engine section which was the one that wouldn't clear(Internal Control Module). The code for Engine Control Module under ABS brakes section also has not come back this time. Car still won't start now



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For all the grief you are seeing all at once, I'd start locating the ground points. Clean them with a piece of sand paper or a wire brush and reconnect / reseat them. There are a number of them on that car, including one under the battery tray. Also make sure the ground strap for the block is checked, cleaned, etc.

Good luck with this, and please report back with any findings / progress.

2X on checking the grounds.
The one under the battery tray has been mentioned many times.
Check the wires in any area you worked on.
Moving old wires around could crack the insulation and cause shorts.
Its tough to test electrical w/o a good meter.

ffemtp said:

For all the grief you are seeing all at once, I'd start locating the ground points. Clean them with a piece of sand paper or a wire brush and reconnect / reseat them. There are a number of them on that car, including one under the battery tray. Also make sure the ground strap for the block is checked, cleaned, etc.

Good luck with this, and please report back with any findings / progress.

Click to expand...

Hi thanks for your reply. Where is the ground strap for the block?


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wonneber said:

2X on checking the grounds.
The one under the battery tray has been mentioned many times.
Check the wires in any area you worked on.
Moving old wires around could crack the insulation and cause shorts.
Its tough to test electrical w/o a good meter.

Click to expand...

Hi thanks for your reply. I cleaned up those earths under the battery tray back about a year ago as best I could due to trying to fix the Air conditioning but it didn't fix it. Anyway don't really need it and I can't imagine those earths gave a bad connection this soon from that time I cleaned them. If there are other earths I would like to know there locations


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There are one or two under the rain tray right near the ECU.

JB05 said:

There are one or two under the rain tray right near the ECU.

Click to expand...

Hi thanks for your reply. I have read about them and just cleaned them like new and problem is still there


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Did you check any wire harnesses in the area you worked in?
I never worked on my rack and am not sure if you had any harnesses in the area or if you had to jack the engine up or such.
The insulation over the wire gets brittle with heat & age and if you moved or messed with any harnesses while changing the rack they may have cracked & shorted.

It has been a couple of days since I read through this thread so please forgive me if the following has been mentioned before: did you check your Relay 109? "Normally" and I stress the quote marks "normally" when the 109 Relay goes bad there are all kinds of weird electrical errors listed. And just to throw fuel on the fire, if you have swapped out relay 109 and the problem didn't go away, your brand-new 109 Relay could be bad from the factory. Not likely, but it does happen. Good luck.

ffemtp said:

For all the grief you are seeing all at once, I'd start locating the ground points. Clean them with a piece of sand paper or a wire brush and reconnect / reseat them. There are a number of them on that car, including one under the battery tray. Also make sure the ground strap for the block is checked, cleaned, etc.

Good luck with this, and please report back with any findings / progress.

Click to expand...

JB05 said:

There are one or two under the rain tray right near the ECU.

Click to expand...

flee said:

Start with a voltage test. You can get odd codes when the battery is low or the +

and/or ground connections are faulty. Were you working near the alternator wires?

Click to expand...

wonneber said:

Did you check any wire harnesses in the area you worked in?
I never worked on my rack and am not sure if you had any harnesses in the area or if you had to jack the engine up or such.
The insulation over the wire gets brittle with heat & age and if you moved or messed with any harnesses while changing the rack they may have cracked & shorted.

Click to expand...

Nevada_TDI said:

It has been a couple of days since I read through this thread so please forgive me if the following has been mentioned before: did you check your Relay 109? "Normally" and I stress the quote marks "normally" when the 109 Relay goes bad there are all kinds of weird electrical errors listed. And just to throw fuel on the fire, if you have swapped out relay 109 and the problem didn't go away, your brand-new 109 Relay could be bad from the factory. Not likely, but it does happen. Good luck.

Click to expand...

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone here who tried to help me. I never got it sorted and tried a few more things and as much as i could. I rewired the ignition switch which had burnt wires but to get access and see as much as possible I removed the instrument cluster. I think it tripped the immobilizer and I can't get past it now. Tried a few things to reset it that I seen mentioned online but no success. I have it booked in with automotive electrician for Tuesday. Hopefully it won't break my wee bank!


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Just to let people know here I got the problem fixed by the automotive electrician. He said the ECU was blown and completely ruined. He appearantly fitted another second hand ECU which he already had there which he said was the same part number as mine and 130bhp.

I'm a bit sceptical about that but the car is running like it should and only not as much torque in the lower RPM's as there was before he fixed it. I also now have a check engine light that comes on with ignition where I didn't have before and remember thinking it was a bit odd when buying the car. He also rewired the new ignition switch plug which I got with wires from dismantlers yard and put a new battery terminal clamp on.

All was done for €250. Happy to have it home now and hope it is gonna be good to me now for long time! Thanks to everyone who helped me here



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