05 Passat won't start. Cut vacuum line? What is this? Help!

11B40

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2 weeks ago my 2005 B5 Passat wagon went into limpmode. P0299. Very little power, terrible acceleration. Turns out there was a cut line beneath the air intake. Pictured below.



I repaired this by cutting the vinyl line clean (losing about 1.5" of line), removing the remainder from the insulated portion, and inserting the newly cut end into the insulated portion. That worked great. Limp mode gone and it ran like a charm.

Until yesterday.

Now it won't even start. Battery is great, so I looked in there and found this just past the air intake.


This is the end of that line.


I'm still learning all this diesel stuff so bear with me... but am I correct in thinking this is a vacuum line that goes to the Turbo, and the N75 Valve? If so, and it's severed, could the leak decrease compression enough to prevent it from starting?

What's the best option to repair this?

Thanks!

Side notes:
Yesterday was our first morning below freezing.
I don't know if this vehicle ever had the glow plug recall done on it.
Recently replaced: Fuel filter (w/ diesel purge), oil (Liqui Moly), air filter, cabin filter & I've been using Diesel Kleen additive about every other fillup.


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vwztips

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2005 Passat GLS Wagon TDI 5 spd manual w/BSM delete 2011 Tiguan TDI/DSG 2005 Audi A4 Avant 6MQ TDI 2011 BMW X5 35d
It turns over but will not start?
 

oilhammer

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outside St Louis, MO
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There are just too many to list....
The critter that chewed through the vacuum tube was the cause of your low boost, as that is the vacuum feed to the N75 for the turbo.

That has nothing to do with a no-start, however.

Maybe the same critter ate through something else.
 

Tdijarhead

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2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds

11B40

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The critter that chewed through the vacuum tube was the cause of your low boost, as that is the vacuum feed to the N75 for the turbo.
That has nothing to do with a no-start, however.
Maybe the same critter ate through something else.
Well, you were right. I was able to get in there with more light and I found a stash of acorns. Ugh.

Question.. is Self-fusing silicone tape a good temporary solution for patching those hoses? At least for diagnostics (not for driving)?

Thanks.
 

11B40

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Maybe the same critter ate through something else.
It did. Chewed through the first glow plug harness as well as another wiring harness that I'm unsure about. It contains yellow & red wires, as well as ground.
It bundles together with the glow plug harnesses running back behind the fuel filter...

And then it feeds down besides the dipstick tube and disappears. I'm not sure where either end is located yet.
Does anyone know what cable this is?
 

vwztips

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Greenville, SC
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2005 Passat GLS Wagon TDI 5 spd manual w/BSM delete 2011 Tiguan TDI/DSG 2005 Audi A4 Avant 6MQ TDI 2011 BMW X5 35d
Looks like your crank position wire got chewed on. When you crank the engine, does the tach show any RPMs at all?
 

Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
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Lawrenceville PA
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2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
Sticky traps, if the little buggers are still alive step on em. Turn the trap upside down of course, its hard to scrape mouse and trap off your shoe.


Then repair the wires, and vacuum lines.
 

auntulna

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Springfield, MO
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05 GLS Passat wagon, mit panzer plate
Those are the biodegradable crank position sensor wires that mice love because they're easy to digest.
 

11B40

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Crank Position sensor. You need that to run. Its bolted into the side of the block, just behind and below the oil filter housing. The connector is on the firewall in the little connector rack below the coolant reservoir. You'll have to remove the fuel filter and its bracket to fish the cable in/out.
Awesome. That looks like it matches. I've ordered a new one.

And I'll be murdering a few squirrels soon as well...

Thanks.
 

PickleRick

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Nov 29, 2017
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05 GLS BHW sedan 5 speed conversion. BHW Carver SantaCruz in progress
I wanted no cats. The little lady wanted a cat. We compromised and now have 3 cats. There are no chewed wires in my boats or cars but my garage occasionally looks like a mouse version of the house of 10,000 corpses and i have found more than one dead squirrel in the house where one of these furr balls have drug it inside.
 
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