BEW won't start, needs some help.

Ok, I have an 04 Jetta wagon with a bew.

I installed a set of injectors with upgraded nozzles set up by drivebywire.
Install was done as it should be. Car started first crank after the install.
Timing was at -1.0 causing the idle to lope a bit. I went about resetting the timing. In two tries I got 0.0. Car still was running a little rough, alot of valve train noise.
It smoothed out when I advanced it. Seems to like 2.0

Problem is it took me a few tries to get it where I wanted it.
The last time I started it cranked hard before starting. After I buttoned up the motor and went to pull it out of the garage.
No start, just keeps turning over.

So I realized that I ran the battery down from cranking it, which caused the ecu to cut fuel and run the head dry.
Now no matter what I do I can't seem to get fuel back in the head.

Ok what I've done:
New lift pump 6 months ago from Boraparts, I have checked and it has fuel at the filter.
New fuel filter a week ago and it is full of fuel.
Tried using a mighty vac to pull air from the head from the return line at the filter. Filled up 4 32oz cups of fuel and what seemed like alot of air coming out. Still no start.

Also, every time I try to start it, I clear all codes with vcds and reset the ecu with the battery cables. I charge the battery and leave the jumper hooked up when I'm cranking.

Next I hooked up a fuel pump to a can of diesel to push it into the head. I connected it to the line running into the Tandem pump. Pump is putting out about 11 psi.
Didn't seem to be doing anything. I realized that the tandem pump probably wasn't letting the fuel through.
So I tried cranking it while the pump was pushing fuel to the tandem pump.
I have the return line at the filter draining into a cup so I could see if fuel was circulating.
Even while cranking only a drip was coming out of the return line and still no start.
Tandem pump bad?

If I crank for more than 10 seconds the glow plug light starts blinking. I checked the codes and it is the crank speed sensor. I erase the code and it stops blinking until I crank it again. Thats the only code that I have been getting.

I have tried cranking it for up to 45sec on a cold starter then let it cool down.

The most that I have got is a cough and sputter here and there like it is trying to start but that's it.

I'm at a loss for what to do next. This thing is driving me nuts.
I need to figure this thing out before my wife kills me.

Sorry for the long description but I wanted to make sure I explained everything.

So if anyone can help me I would really appreciate it.
Thanks
Eric

Upgrade nozzles means bigger nozzles. My question... Why? Were the injectors working before the swap? Chip- tuning most often gets you where you want to go with STOCK nozzles... Are you trying to get 200 hp? For that engine, we don't even recommend it. So big nozzles are, as a rule, overkill.

To the point... You fueling system's lift pump runs for 3 second intervals. Make sure the lines aren't mixed up. The lines from the fuel filter that attach to,the steel lines across the from of the head are marked under the clamps with a blue and white arrow showing direction of fuel movement. Fuel goes into the tandem pump at the top line.

Assuming lines are positioned correctly, clamp off the return line from the filter to the tank. Disconnect the line from the fuel filter to the steel line that goes across front of the head that goes to the 'IN' side of the tandem pump ( on some filter housings, there is a bleed screw you can use as alternative). Cycle the key to make the tank lift pump runs for its 3 second intervals. Repeat until fuel filter is full. Reattach fuel line to steel tube.

Remove the fuel hose from the other steel line, which is the return fuel line. Plug the fuel line going to the fuel filter to keep,it from leaking back to the fuel tank. Either suction the line or cycle the key to start the engine. If you are going to use the engine to prime the galley, remove the glow plugs now. We use a vacuum pump with an in-line reservoir. If fuel doesn't move through the line, try bumping the engine. Some positions, the tandem pump may impede pulling the fuel through. When you get mostly fuel and some bubbles, that is good enough to start the engine.

If you haven't already done so, remove the glow plugs. This will do two things. The engine will rotate much more quickly and you will be able to see the mist of the operating injectors when they have become primed. This is also the best way to assure you don't have any excess fuel in the cylinders that could cause a hydro-locked engine.

Sometimes you have to run the starter for several 15- second intervals before the fuel mist will start coming out of the glow plug holes.

When you see mist, reinsert the glow plugs and the engines should start.

If this sequence does not work, here are several other injector installation faults that can occur. The most critical is to be sure to remove any fuel from the cylinders after removing injectors. The first injector removed from the cylinder head will cause more than enough fuel from the fuel return and feed galleys to dump into that cylinder and hydro-lock the cylinder head, bending a connecting rod at startup.

The second common error is that over time, a burr is formed by the injector body rubbing on the injector bore. That burr must be polished out or it can cut the top two injector seals on installation. If that happens, you will lose fuel pressure from the pressurized fuel galley back to the return galley. If the cut is bad enough, the fuel can leak back to the fuel tank, losing injector priming. It only takes one cut seal to lose all the pressure, which should run 100psi@ 2500 rpm.

Any questions? Call.

Thanks Frank I will try pulling the glow plugs I didn't think to try that. That's what I did after I installed the injectors and it started fine, I should have thought of that.
If I can't figure it out I'll give you a call.

P.s. I have no good reason for upgrading the nozzles just always want more. It's a serious problem.
I have a gtb1756 to install with them.

Thanks for your time.
Eric

Stubb,

Happy to help... keep in touch and let me know how things go.

Going big on PD nozzles is a real Catch 22. We also feel the need for speed, but we are working right now to avoid some nasty cracking habits of the PD cylinder head. The crack that emanates from the injector hole to the intake seat is all caused by a heating issue, which is only made worse by over-fueling the engine. Big nozzles? Not for my PD.

Ok, still no luck.
I'm definitely getting fuel to the injectors.
No codes on vcds except crank position sensor when I crank it longer then 10 sec.
I've replaced the cam and crank sensors to no avail.
I've tried setting the timing from one side to the other and no difference.
New timing belt that is tight.

I got it to start and idle yesterday checked vcds and everything looked fine but as soon as I touched the gas pedal it died.
Tried to restart it but just cranks.

Battery is full and I have it on a charger as I'm cranking.

The most that I get is a cough but no start.

The rpms are at about 400 when cranking until the glow plug light starts blinking after 10secs and the rpm fall to zero. (crank position code)

I erase the code and it is fine for another 10 second crank.

I'm at a loss.

Anybody got any idea's?

Thanks

How did you set the injector lash? Backed off 1/2 turn from bind at full stroke?

Good call.
Realized that I probably forgot to let off half a turn. Just checked them and yes they were all the way tight.

So I backed them off a half turn, put everything back together, still no start.

Did I mess up the injectors by doing that?

Thanks guys

Did you make sure the connector on the head is properly seated and the injector power supply is good?

Which CKP code?

Not setting the injector stroke correctly probably damaged them, sadly.

Ok, I thought that they might have been damaged so I swapped my stock injectors back in.

Pulled glow plugs to clear fuel from head,
Made sure injectors were getting fuel,
timing is set right in the center of the screws,
battery on a charger while cranking,
30 sec crank on a cold starter,

Still no start, just cranks.

All I can think is it is something electrical keeping the injectors from firing.

This is driving me nuts!

Oh, I keep getting a crank position code when I crank it for more than 10 secs, so I put a new crank position sensor in but it didn't make a difference.

Check all grounds- did you disconnect any while working? then check the loom down to the crank sensor carefully.

I got it.
Re checked all my wiring and grounds.
Ended up replacing a length of corroded ground wire and a couple of ends.
Then it started right up.
Couldn't believe that's all it was.

Thanks for all the help guys!

Stubbs, Which Grounds did you clean / replace
specifically?

shadetree1105 said:

Stubbs, Which Grounds did you clean / replace
specifically?

Click to expand...

That would have been helpful info but two days after he fixed it, he put it up for sale, sold it and hasn't posted since.