Beetle cranks, won't start. Help?

Besouro

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Location
Porland, OR
TDI
2000 Beetle 1.9
Hi guys. 2.5 weeks ago my 2000 Beetle ran great. I came home from a trip and she wouldn't start. Charged battery, still nothing.
Glow plug light cycles as normal, engine cranks solidly but won't start.
Replaced fuel filter because I'd been meaning to for a minute. Didn't bleed the lines, but I filled that filter as full as I could get it, and the lines leak fuel when disconnected at the filter.
Checked Anti-shudder valve(was partially closed, found the plastic control arm broken, set to open, still nothing)
Fuel shut-off solenoid has voltage
Fuses are good

Ideas?? Not sure where to go with this next.
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
And the chorus goes:

"Have you checked the codes?"

Any youngsters around the house, and did you leave your keys at home?

All else being equal (no priors), there's air and it cranks well, then it's likely a fueling issue. Time to give bleeding a crack!

BTW - The ASV had been broken and you hadn't experienced any problems? Hm... (maybe there's other stuff that has managed to escape notice and it's now no longer hiding)
 

Besouro

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Location
Porland, OR
TDI
2000 Beetle 1.9
Check engine light doesn't come on, and I don't have a vagcom :(
No kids, no one touched the car while I was gone as far as I know.
I will probably try to bleed the fuel lines tomorrow, but I don't think that's the issue since it ran great until parked, and I didn't open the fuel system until after it wouldn't start the first time.
And yeah, that ASV control arm is troubling. It wasn't closed all the way, and thinking back it was fairly rough when I'd kill the engine. I'd been having issues with power/limp mode for a few thousand miles. Swapped the N75 valve with the N18, then replaced MAF. Power came back, was running great. Never switched those valves back tho..
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
Check engine light doesn't come on, and I don't have a vagcom :(
No kids, no one touched the car while I was gone as far as I know.
I will probably try to bleed the fuel lines tomorrow, but I don't think that's the issue since it ran great until parked, and I didn't open the fuel system until after it wouldn't start the first time.
And yeah, that ASV control arm is troubling. It wasn't closed all the way, and thinking back it was fairly rough when I'd kill the engine. I'd been having issues with power/limp mode for a few thousand miles. Swapped the N75 valve with the N18, then replaced MAF. Power came back, was running great. Never switched those valves back tho..
I don't think that a CEL would be tripped if you have air in your fuel lines.

I suspect that you're new to diesels, in which case you're not aware that they are highly susceptible to fuel leak-downs and air incursions. Though my TDIs are new to me (TDIs in general, having only had them for six months now), I was well aware of these issues having owned an old Ford IDI (PO made a claim on a starter replacement from what, I am sure, was likely due to having to over-crank due to air intrusion [I resolved with new fuel return lines, in addition to GP relay and GP replacements]).

Another possibility is that there's crap in the fuel and that there was separation and you're gunked up (fuel filter). However, I'd think that there should have been plenty of OK fuel at the end of the chain to have had the engine at least fire off (before dying and then refusing to start).
 

Besouro

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Location
Porland, OR
TDI
2000 Beetle 1.9
She lives!

Yep! cracked open the tryings on the injectors to bleed, tightened down and she started right up! Awesome. Thank you :)
 

dataflow

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2015
Location
North Wales
TDI
PD100
You might want to find out why it happened so it does not happen again. Is the non return valve in the fuel line working?
 
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