rough cold start 04 jetta tdi

I took my car to the dealer not to long ago and they supposedly installed 4 new glow plugs because of the recall. I also have a brand new battery in it, but why does it start so rough. It's like this every time its below 30F out, our 83 rabbit truck starts better than this in the cold! Does anybody's tdi start this badly in the cold. Forgot, it also has a new fuel filter, MAF and air cleaner. Heres a video of what its like. Forgot to mention one more thing, the cel came back on a few day's after the recall was done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cQHpu-jhss

Edit: I went in to the VW dealer December 16th and told them about my issue. I also told them a lot of other people who have 2004 or later TDI models are experiencing the same problem after the reflash. She looked at me like I was crazy and said, "we haven't had any complaints at all after this particular service was done and we never heard anything from VW of America yet so we can't help you". Guess I'll just have to wait until my start burns up until they find a fix!

Did they reflash the ECU?
What battery do you have in it? (did you get one that meets spec?)
also, have you checked the mechanical timing on it? (you need VCDS to do this).

they did a reflash and i got my battery at napa. i assumed it was the correct one because it cost $165. i haven't checked the mechanical timing.

A few of us in Canada have the same problem after the glow plug replacement/reflash. Some even don't start at -20C (-4F). The dealer said that VW is working on a fix. Until then, cycling the key a few times is the best bet. If you can't start the car, then VW may provide a loaner (but they have to verify this at the dealer first).

Your battery might be wrong. Just in case, it should be a 94R battery rated for at least 650CCA and 80ah.

Wow that is a rough start. Sounds like the battery is fine. Your car turns over faster than mine does.

Just talked to VW yesterday about the hard start.
"Sir VW is doing some Cold Start Testing in Germany with a new ver of software. What we can do is add you to the list and call you when there is a fix."

What about long term damage say to my engine due to HORRID starting mrs VW Dealership?

"Well.... We don't really know what to say about that. Of course a technician would have to look at your car and determine if the damage was caused by US and OUR software or yourself."

Reassuring if I may say.

I too got the same advice. Turn the key to on wait 15 - 20 second then crank.

I'm better off than some on the "list" I guess others don't even start.

If I leave mine for more than 5hrs with out plugging it in it's very hard to start (it's -26C today warmed to -19ish)

Sit and wait.. Sit and wait

It hasn't yet been that cold in New Jersey, but I've already noticed a rougher than usual startup. I just got the new injectors and a re-flash as well. I'm not sure, but it seems that my car has less acceleration since the re-flash as well.

Well damn. I'm glad I haven't done that reflash because it's -25C here quite regularly. And he's talking about glowplugs, not injectors :S

Does anyone know how long the recall program is going to be in effect for? And is it a straight up recall? Meaning even 2nd hand owners get it done for free?

Since your car is a PD, I withdraw my comment about checking the timing.

Edit:: Man, I'm blind today...comment edited to take into account year of car. Thanks Concat.

puter said:

If it's 04 or newer then I withdraw my comment about the timing needing to be checked

Click to expand...

Title of thread says 04.

Mine is doing the exact same thing. Good thing I have a Frostheater, or I doubt it would be starting after work at these -20*C daytime temps.

Glowplugs were serviced by VW for the recall before I purchased the car.

Vic

Had sub-zero temps past couple of days here, and had same issue with my 04. Never had a problem before (the new GPs and reflash) with the cold temps. Took me 15min of trying to get her going. Thanks for the info. Please followup if anything more is heard from VW on this issue. This is not good....

And there's just no way to get ceramic glow plugs anymore?

So when mine go out, I have to do this?

strokethistwo said:

Had sub-zero temps past couple of days here, and had same issue with my 04. Never had a problem before (the new GPs and reflash) with the cold temps. Took me 15min of trying to get her going. Thanks for the info. Please followup if anything more is heard from VW on this issue. This is not good....

Click to expand...

I would be sure to call VW customer care. I have a case number with them, and since the dealer has confirmed this issue with my 04 Golf after the recall, they are forwarding my case to a regional manager to attempt to get approval for rental car reimbursement.

I ordered a Frost Heater, but it hasn't arrived yet. Besides, that will only work at home, since in Colorado, no public places really have anywhere to plug in your car. It got down to -12(F) -24(C) last night and the way it had been going, there's no way the car would have started without it. The dealer's had it for 3 days and can't even get it to start. It turns over just fine and belched a lot of smoke, but no running.

worldtrvlr said:

I would be sure to call VW customer care. I have a case number with them, and since the dealer has confirmed this issue with my 04 Golf after the recall, they are forwarding my case to a regional manager to attempt to get approval for rental car reimbursement.

I ordered a Frost Heater, but it hasn't arrived yet. Besides, that will only work at home, since in Colorado, no public places really have anywhere to plug in your car. It got down to -12(F) -24(C) last night and the way it had been going, there's no way the car would have started without it. The dealer's had it for 3 days and can't even get it to start. It turns over just fine and belched a lot of smoke, but no running.

Click to expand...

I will call my dealer. What you describe is exactly what I see. Cranks just fine (I have a new battery, so it better), belches smoke/coughs. I VAG'd her yesterday because she threw a CEL, so I thought a GP might be indicated, but it was that dastardly temp sensor again (I changed it out about a year ago to a green one, but IT's Back...).

Welcome to the club fella's. Ceramics = broken engine eventually.
Recall = very rough starts when cold out.

My car better start after work. If this isnt solved shorty I hope somone sues the crap out of them. I am not a sue happy person but come what kind of cold weather start testing could they have possibly done before giving us this ''update''...

Lame

strokethistwo said:

I will call my dealer. What you describe is exactly what I see. Cranks just fine (I have a new battery, so it better), belches smoke/coughs. I VAG'd her yesterday because she threw a CEL, so I thought a GP might be indicated, but it was that dastardly temp sensor again (I changed it out about a year ago to a green one, but IT's Back...).

Click to expand...

So if you disconnect the coolant temp sensor to force the ECU to run the GP longer, does it start better?

vharder said:

So if you disconnect the coolant temp sensor to force the ECU to run the GP longer, does it start better?

Click to expand...

Planning to check it out this weekend. May try some of the conductive grease on the connector (seems to be helpful on other connectors). Worth a try before another sensor replace. Seems to be a threshold on the temps where its like a switch for the starting issue. Teen's are fine (starts no problem), but when you hit 0, thats it.

My 2004 used to start reliably down to -30F. After the GP and reflash, it's barely firing after a cold soak at -10F. Even around 0F, the car barely starts. This is with 12 months on a new Interstate MTP-H7 battery. With daily highs now below 0, this car stays home unless it is going to be parked somewhere where it can be plugged in.

If you haven't had the recall performed yet and you live in the north, I'd strongly suggest you wait until a resolution is found before proceeding with the recall.

Hi.
I had a recall done on my 05 Wagon a while back and now when it is cold even in low -teensC it is very hard to start the car.
She sounds worse then a tractor and it take couple of minutes of running the car with the starter for it to start.
Before a recall, with a good battery I could have started her at -30C.
This is unacceptable but I do not know what to do.

I am now too experiancing these problems and have had it actually not start at all for me.

I am getting very angry about this and there better be a fix soon..... I dont need a car that might run, I need a car that will run everytime.

Too bad we can't do the adaptation that is possible with the earlier engines. So the info in these two threads does NOT apply?

Reading through these threads might be useful...

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=749854

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=230419

Vic - who is also having very hard start issues in this cold weather... still digging for a cause!

I too have been experiencing this problem. I went in yesterday to harass my VW service manager about this problem. Apparently VW has a software fix for this issue, but needs to get it through the regulatory approvals for emissions before they can release it. My VW service manager described the problem as follows. Initially during a cold start a large quantity of fuel is injected, this causes the glow plugs to cool too much, and the engine not to start. I guess the new steel glow plugs have a smaller thermal mass than the ceramic ones. The fix involves initially injecting a smaller amount of fuel as well as tweaking the glow plug current and after glow.

His recommendation for starting the car in the interim was to wait at least 30 sec before trying to start the car; the glow plugs will be activated throughout this period (they do not turn off when the light goes out). He claims that this is better than cycling the glow plugs due to continuously applying power. If this doesn't work the first (or perhaps second time), he recommended repeating the heating but starting it with the accelerator floored.

I had one other problem after getting the glow plug recall performed: my cruise control now doesn't function. VW had to replace my ECU during the recall, and I am suspicious that they forgot to initialize the cruise control. Anybody else have any problems like this?

My cruise sometimes slows down and then has to catch up yes. That is common after the recall. Also my car doesn't start hardly if it isn't plugged in at 0 dF or colder. Used to start good last year before the recall. I bought a battery jump pack to help with starting the car just in case. This really sucks they can't pull there head out of where the sun doesn't shine when they do things like this. I need a car that starts every time as well. I asked Kerma to see if something can be done on the Q-loader possibly. Hasn't replied back yet but he did say after two tunes that won't work with my car that he is having issues tuning the recalled cars and he asked me to test a 3rd one and let him know if anything comes up. The starting is bad enough that it sets the air bag light off and it has to be reset after attempting the 2nd or 3rd start (I stop after 30 seconds as I am afraid the starter is going to melt, all my other diesels start 1st or 2nd crank so I never had to worry before it got cold)

Yea, we are going to begin seeing ruined/burnt up starters as well, with this one.

--Nate

coalminer16,

What kind of issues are you having with the Kerma tune on your recalled car? I am currently dealing with Kerma for tuning my car post-recall, and would like to know what issues may or may not occur.

I had mine scheduled at that stealership for my recall today. I drove to the stealership only to find out that mother VW has recalled the recall (if that makes any sense). They said that they were not honoring the recall as it was screwing up to many ECMs after the reflash. According to the service tech, they arer supposed to be working on it and will re-issue another recall when they get it fixed. I am sure glad that I wait. Now, what happens to you guys that have already had it done?